Over-the-Rhine : Development News

The Cincinnati start-up HighStreet, a full-service design studio and urban lifestyle store, and one of the best gift-shopping destinations in town, just made their home in Cincinnati a little more permanent.

HighStreet opened more than 10 years ago on Reading Road in an unlikely spot across the street from Staples. It has since grown into the go-to store for design help and home goods from furniture to lighting and wallpaper to awesome coffee table books you won’t find anywhere else. The broad collection of products and services blends modern and London styles to help consumers realize that they can be creative when designing their own spaces.

After two years of negotiations, co-founders Leah Spurrier and Matt Knotts purchased the building that houses their 8,000-square-foot store. They plan on using the extra two floors to expand their already award-winning business.

“We’ll have more than double the space,” Spurrier says. “We have some great plans for the rest of the building.”

HighStreet offers art direction, interior design and product design services and Spurrier is excited that the extra space will give those services room to grow.

The second floor will be stocked with more of HighStreet’s home goods, hand-selected from vendors from all over the world. Spurrier and Knotts also plan on offering framing, floral and even industrial antiques. But changes will extend beyond the interior. Spurrier says plans include making the massive space into a new Cincinnati icon.

The third and top floors of the building house a large loft-style apartment space, which Spurrier plans on finding a complimentary small businesses to occupy.

“It will be a more user-friendly design center for people who are serious about renovating their houses,” Spurrier says. “It will be much more open.”

With more space for warehousing, hosting events and offering more products, Spurrier and Knotts are poised and ready to elevate the stakes at HighStreet.

“We always wanted to grow,” Spurrier says. “This gives us the space we need to.”

By Evan Wallis

Before Duru Armagan opened Sloane Boutique, she called on the help of her neighbors.

She hired Switch to design the lighting, Joseph Williams Home to provide furniture and Such + Such to build interior woodwork. The three businesses are based within a short walk from Sloane, the high-end clothing boutique that Armagan opened at 1216 Vine street in Over the Rhine last month.

Armagan said she hopes her store can become a hub for a growing set of style conscious women in Cincinnati, and she wanted to draw from the creative character of Over the Rhine when she designed the business.

“I think there is a hunger for edgier fashions, especially with the young professionals who live downtown and in this area,” she says. “I think a lot of the people who make edgier fashion picks end up ordering online or going to New York, Chicago or other big cities to do their shopping. But I have made it my goal to get Sloane to be their shopping place instead.”

Armagan moved to Cincinnati from Columbus three years ago, and was swept into a growing community in Over the Rhine.

“I met so many people here that were really motivated and inspiring, and it became my home,” she says.

It was around this time that she began to plan her boutique. She shadowed a business owner in Columbus who had opened one of the first clothing boutiques in the Short North district there. She worked in a high-end boutique in Cincinnati, and prepared a business plan to open her own store.

By the time she was making preparations to open Sloane, Cincinnati’s fashion scene had seen major new additions like Cincinnati fashion week and the women’s style magazine A-Line. Also, Over the Rhine’s business district had grown significantly.

Sloane opened just before Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, a weekend she said was an overwhelming success at Sloane.

“A lot of people saw OTR on the news or from reading different articles and I think that sparked interest out in the suburbs as well as within the neighborhood,” she says. “There were a lot of people who came to Over the Rhine instead of going to the mall on Black Friday.”

Sloane carries a stable of designers that are new to Cincinnati, who’s work she describes as “edgy and contemporary, but comfortable.”  Some of the labels carried at Sloane include Aaron Ashe, Ellie Shabatian, Funktional, Rails and LNA.

The boutique is named after a fashionable district around Sloane Square in London which gave rise to the term “Sloane Ranger,” referring to members of a hip and high class young set living in London in the 1980’s. Armagan likes to call her customers “Sloane Rangers.”

By Henry Sweets

After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with undergrad degrees in architecture, three friends decided to try their hands at manufacturing, instead of just giving people instructions about how to build things.

Ryan Ball, Travis Hope and Joseph Kinzelman all graduated from the College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning in June of 2010. Ball and Hope went on to pursue their masters, and in April, the three decided to start their own business, a dream they had been discussing for month. When the business founders moved in to an E. 13th Street apartment in Over-the-Rhine, where they create all their products, the business name followed naturally: E13.

“In architecture school, you’re asked to design a lot,” Ball says. “We just made instructions on how to make things. We were really interested in trying to take an idea from conception through manufacturing.”

All three had created prototypes of products while in school, so they decided to take some of those ideas and see if they could turn them into marketable products. Their main focus, what makes their work unique, is their use of unusual materials to create their products. First up, a day-bag made from reclaimed air bags they found in junkyards. They look for durable materials that aren’t normally made into bags. The airbags look different than other bags on the market, plus, they darken and weather over time.

Once they had a product, the E13 team set out to create a brand and website. Everything from programming to photo editing was a complete in-house venture. After attracting positive attention from design blogs, E13 sold out of all the repurposed day bags.

With proven marketability on their side, the three entrepreneurs are now working on perfecting their manufacturing process. As they hone their sewing skills, they have enrolled in the third round of SpringBoard to help them develop a business plan. While Ball and Hope complete their advanced degrees, spare time is sparse. Still, the group continues to rethink its approach and launch more products as they build an inventory to meet public demand.

By Evan Wallis

Inspired by Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets and a love for unique, local shops in Cincinnati, Alex Shebar, Cincinnati community manager at Yelp, created a scavenger hunt to highlight local businesses and stimulate the local economy.

Yelp is a web-based service that allows users to check-in, write reviews and share their opinions about any business in the area and already a main source for people searching out new businesses to explore.

The hunt includes more than 80 independent shops from Bellevue to Farfield to Milford and everywhere in between.  Shebar’s hunt, which focuses on six golden tickets randomly placed in the businesses, does more than include discounts and coupons. Each participating business donated an item worth at least $25 worth of prizes; donated items were split into six gift baskets worth hundreds of dollars each.

Clues will be added on social media each day, getting more and more specific as Christmas draws nearer. Running from now until Dec. 26, the hunt gives patrons plenty of time to explore old and new favorite stores.

The idea came from last year’s Totally Bazaar event that Yelp’s Shebar planned. He updated the idea from a one-day shopping bonanza to a citywide hunt. “The idea is to support local shopping,” Shebar says. “The Bazaar last year was a good introduction to the products stores have, but it didn’t get people in the stores. It can be intimidating to go in somewhere for the first time, and I think this will help.”

Shebar looked for neighborhoods, like Bellvue, OTR and Milford, with multiple local stores to help hunters drive less. Each ticket was placed randomly, so there could be several in one neighborhood, or none in a particular neighborhood. All aspects of the hunt urge people to explore new stores.

“I have nothing against chain stores, but we wanted to get people away from those stores and check out more unique, interesting shops,” Shebar says. “You can find gifts you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”

Check out the photo: "A golden ticket is located behind this cabinet (know where it is?)"

By Evan Wallis

Over-the-Rhine continues to draw entrepreneurs and innovators to the heart of Cincinnati. Adding to the forward thinking landscape of OTR, technology company Vitrue is one of its newest residents and a global provider of social media management. Their clients include companies like P&G,McDonalds, American Express and more.

After working in Longworth Hall for about a year, Vitrue recently relocated to Saengerhalle at 1404 Race Street in the heart of Over-the-Rhine, and right next door to 3CDC. “We are thrilled to be part of a thriving community,” says Kara Mjones, analyst of client partnerships. “It’s definitely the right time to be here.”
 
With six locations in the United States, one in London and another in development for Eastern Europe, Vitrue has created a growing niche market that utilizes their Social Relationship Management (SRM) platform to solidify clients’ branding and relationship building initiatives through social media. Vitrue’s presence in Cincinnati means that local companies can also access technology platforms to help drive and grow online communities.
 
Currently, Vitrue works with Facebook and Twitter, however a YouTube interactive platform is in the works. As a Facebook Preferred Developer Consultant, Vitrue strives to make keeping up with your company Facebook page easier and more efficient. Their platforms manage publishing, custom content, commerce and analytics to merge changing consumer needs with brand strategy and overall social media presence.
 
Companies can choose the level of service they need by selecting one or more platforms. For example, Vitrue’s Publisher platform allows Facebook and Twitter posts to be scheduled in advance and posted automatically according to predetermined timelines and initiatives, pushing out content and driving the online “conversation.” Combine that with the Tabs, Shop and Analytics platforms and companies can take full control of social media initiatives.

“Vitrue streamlines social media efforts, and makes that effort a time effective process,” says Mjones. “We are very excited to be part of the Over-the-Rhine community.” Learn more about Vitrue at www.vitrue.com or find them on Facebook.

By Deidra Wiley Necco

NOTE: Soapbox Media is a sponsor of The Requiem Project.

This Friday marks the culmination of months of sweat equity and artistic collaborations. On 11.11.11, the Emery Theatre reopens its doors for a full slate of special events featuring bright local stars from Over the Rhine to Drew and Lea Lachey to awe-inspiring visual artists including photographers Michael Wilson and Soapbox's own Scott Beseler.

When Tara Lindsey Gordon and Tina Manchise host their preview weekend, guests can view a local treasure that's been under wraps for years. The Emery Theatre in Over-the-Rhine, built in 1911 with impeccable acoustics, is the first concert hall in the United States to have no obstructed seats.

The weekend-long celebration begins with a Friday night fundraiser, a slate of building tours and performances. Headliners Over the Rhine will be joined by musician and composer Peter Adams, choreographer Heather Britt, members of the modern chamber group concert:nova, Exhale Dance Tribe and Madcap Puppet Theatre. Drew Lachey, of 98 Degrees and Dancing with the Stars, will introduce the women behind the Requiem Project. His wife Lea, a dancer and choreographer as well as West side native, performs with Exhale.

From the 1,600-seat theater to nearly 120,000 square feet of artistic space (the first two of seven floors will be open for tours this month), the Emery captivates returning and new visitors alike. Somewhere in its long-forgotten hallways, inspiration remains as palpable as the passion of the people dedicated to its restoration.

When the building opens on 11.11.11, visitors can tour dozens of artists' work, including glass artist Margot Gotoff, Cedric Cox and photos by Michael Wilson, the event honoree. Gordon calls the Norwood native Wilson, whose photography has graced many an album cover, "the first in the water."

She and Manchise contacted Wilson to gauge his interest before they knew he was based in Cincinnati. "He spent two days shooting the Emery," Gordon says. "There couldn't be a more amazing friend to this project."

After the preview celebration starts Friday, festivities continue through the weekend. Saturday includes a free 2 p.m. concert by the Cincinnati Boychoir, free Chipotle lunch for kid guests and a visit from Cincinnati Zoo to You animals. Sunday, the Cincinnati Children's Choir stops in for a free 2 p.m. show.

Friday night guests can tour the building, where dozens of artists' work, curated by ParProjects, will be on display, then see the concert, and enjoy a couple of after-party options that run until 2 a.m., all for just $75. Dinner and corporate sponsorship options remain available. 

By Elissa Yancey
Follow Elissa on Twitter.

Photo by Michael Wilson.

Albert Einstein said mystery is the most beautiful thing people can experience, and that it is the source of all true art. This year, the sixth annual Secret ArtWorks gives you a chance to see and experience both.

Secret Artworks is the largest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit Artworks, likely best known for its annual mural and employment projects, known as ArtWorks. Secret ArtWorks, which attracts more than 700 people, remains true to ArtWorks mission of bringing art to the public. For the event, the nonprofit asks artists to create a 5-inch by 7-inch original pieces of art. Attendees each receive one voucher for a piece of art, which they must choose based on their personal attraction to the art, rather than the name of the artist.

This year, ArtWorks selective and created the Masters of Secret ArtWorks by inviting fewer artists to participate. Nearly 400 artists with local, national or international acclaim have been asked to create mini-masterpieces for the event.

The works can be previewed at the Westin Hotel, or online, and many attendees already know which piece the want before the event. This year, the event will be held at the Mercantile Building, the former home of the Contemporary Arts Center. After the cocktail party, the doors are opened to the art and attendees race to find their chosen piece of art. Many attendees may have a specific artist whose work they want to purchase, but  that isn’t always easy. Some artists create unusual pieces to surprise attendees.

Jolie Harris, a board member at ArtWorks and artist, has participated in Secret Artworks before and chosen to stray from her typical medium. “I usually paint abstract,” Harris says. “One year, I did a photograph so no one would know it was my work.”

Every artist who contributes work is invited to meet the donor who purchased his or her work. With food from Jean-Robert’s table and Nada, drinks and some of the best artists in the region, this fundraiser gives people a chance to experience some of the best artwork Cincinnati has to offer.

By Evan Wallis

While many food trucks wind down service during winter months, Fallon Horstmeyer, owner/operator of Turophilia Quesadillas, is just getting started.

After a little over a year of service from Grammer’s and then out of the rainbow adorned Airstream Trailer in the Seventh and Vine parking lot, across from Jean-Robert’s Table, Turophilia is making its way into OTR Bars. Last week, Horstmeyer began serving her eclectic quesadillas in Japp’s, and service at Neon’s is in the works.

Through the warmer months, Horstmeyer found her way around the problem some food trucks have faced by paying rent for a parking space. Her trailer sits in the Vine Street lot every day, and is only moved when she caters events around the city.

Horstmeyer’s culinary and entrepreneurial dream began when she visited her mother in Austin, Texas. After seeing Airstream trailers everywhere, Horstmeyer decided she wanted to be the first mobile food vendor in Cincinnati. She found a trailer in Cleveland and began to renovate it. While she didn’t make her goal of being the first Cincinnati mobile food vendor, she continued to fix up the trailer and hone her quesadilla recipes, which were already famous amongst her friends.

Her quesadillas play on pop culture icons such as the Bob Marley, the Nietzsche and the Black Keys. Most of her ingredients are sourced from Findlay Market, but her ideas for the creations came from living off of tortillas and random ingredients in her fridge during her college years.

Since the beginning, Horstmeyer worked long hours to make her venture a success so. That work ethic even led her to find an investor. So, over the winter, Horstmeyer plans on looking for a storefront to further share her love of all things cheesey with Cincinnati. While cooking and serving at Neon’s and Japp’s may make her research difficult, Horstmeyer isn’t daunted. Her ambitious ideas include showcasing an extensive line of fine cheeses, an effort that she could only try in a brick and mortar restaurant.

“The food truck business is a great venture, but one of the major components is that the city has to be supportive,” Horstmeyer says. “Hopefully that starts changing in Cincinnati.”

By Evan Wallis
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This week, a few visitors will get a first-hand look at the latest addition to the new Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine – an 18,000-square-foot playgound, complete with a castle and canal boat.

Fresh from a $25,000 grant for the play castle, a donation from the Humana Foundation, the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) project pays homage to the city's history in decidedly playful ways. The castle, for example, resembles an Eden Park structure, but adds a dual slide to appease toddling visitors. Plans include a climbing wall for youngsters—a replica of the wall at Eden Park that challenges older climbers.

Located just steps from the Emanuel Community Center on Race Street and blocks from the Peaslee Neighborhood Center just off Sycamore, the play area within Washington Park also includes an interactive stream and a miniature canal boat, hearkening back to the city's canal days in ways designed to engage and delight young guests.

In true democratic fashion, park and 3CDC representatives solicited design advice from those who would be using the facility the most—young children in the neighborhood. The result offers plenty of play space, soft ground with rolling slopes, the turreted castle and even musical instruments integrated into the structures as a nod to Music Hall's influence over the surroundings.

Best of all, though, the play space offers sweeping views of the park's renovated gazebo, performance space and blocks full of beautiful historic buildings that lined surrounding streets.

Slated to open in spring or summer 2012, the children's area provides a bright new spot of inspiration for all ages, whether visitors opt to slide, climb or simultaneously enjoy glimpses of the past, and the future, of the neighborhood.

By Elissa Yancey
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NOTE: Soapbox Media is a sponsor of The Requiem Project.

Local musicians, singers, artists and history buffs anticipate one day this month with a single, or make that a double, dose of expectation: 11.11.11.

That's the day The Requiem Project, also known as Tara Lindsey Gordon and Tina Manchise, opens the doors to the Emery Theatre in Over-the-Rhine. The space, built in 1911 with impeccable acoustics as the first concert hall in the United States to have no obstructed seats, will host a new generation of admirers determined to rebuild and restore it.

The weekend-long celebration begins with a Friday night fundraiser, a slate of building tours and performances. Headliners Over the Rhine will be joined by musician and composer Peter Adams, choreographer Heather Britt, members of the modern chamber group concert:nova, Exhale Dance Tribe and Madcap Puppet Theatre. In addition, last week Drew Lachey was announced to perform and his sister Lea Lachey will be dancing with Exhale Dance Tribe

"It's not just an Over the Rhine concert," says Gordon, who praises Karin Bergquist and Linford Detwiler for their help with the Emery Project. "They are the opposite of divas."

Gordon and Manchise attract talent, from Over the Rhine to a host of volunteers, led by Simone Broughton and her husband Darrin Kuzma, who scrubbed floors and cleared out spaces in preparation for the premiere event. From the 1,600-seat theater to nearly 120,000 square feet of artistic space (the first two of seven floors will be open for tours this month), the Emery captivates returning and new visitors alike. Somewhere in its long-forgotten hallways, inspiration remains as palpable as the passion of the people dedicated to its restoration.

When the building opens on 11.11.11, visitors can tour dozens of artists' work, including glass artist Margot Gotoff, Cedric Cox and photos by Soapbox's own Scott Beseler Michael Wilson,  the event honoree. Gordon calls the Norwood native Wilson, whose photography has graced many an album cover, "the first in the water."

She and Manchise contacted Wilson to gauge his interest before they knew he was based in Cincinnati. "He spent two days shooting the Emery," Gordon says. "There couldn't be a more amazing friend to this project."

After the preview celebration starts Friday, festivities continue through the weekend. Saturday includes a free 2 p.m. concert by the Cincinnati Boychoir, free Chipotle lunch for kid guests and a visit from Cincinnati Zoo to You animals. Sunday, the Cincinnati Children's Choir stops in for a free 2 p.m. show.

Friday night guests can tour the building, where dozens of artists' work, curated by ParProjects, will be on display, then see the concert, and enjoy a couple of after-party options that run until 2 a.m., all for just $75. Dinner and corporate sponsorship options remain available. 

By Elissa Yancey
Follow Elissa on Twitter.

An OTR couple is branching out from their day jobs to start a new food truck in Cincinnati.

Bill Stone, an English teacher at Roger Bacon High School, and Terri Wilson, owner of her own accounting business, ThinkQuick, have been researching food trucks for months. The couple almost entered into a partnership with a food truck out of Milwaukee, but a after the owner wanted too much of the pie, Stone and Wilson decided to make their own pizza pie truck, Pizza Bomba.

“I want to make my own mistakes,” Stone says. “There is a lot of push when you work for someone else. This will give me some more control. We’re going to have fun.”

The couple will run the truck and eventually hire employees if business goes well. When it starts, Pizza Bomba will operate in the evenings and weekends. With only some experience in restaurants, Stone and Wilson are using their business and accounting backgrounds to have a sound business plan and turn a profit on the truck. They are searching OTR for a commissary, and the couple has even thought about talking to other food trucks about sharing a space.

Several food trucks have had problems with legislation that prohibits trucks from serving in certain places and at certain times. Once up and running, Wilson and Stone plan on approaching city council about changing the legislation and making the city friendlier for food trucks.

With an estimated launch of the first of the year, Stone and Wilson plan to use the cold, slower months to work out kinks and have everything running smoothly by Reds’ Opening Day. They have been trying out pizza recipes and types in their own home. Using neighbors and themselves as taste-testers, they have been working hard to create their own style of pizza. The result will likely be a little thicker than New York style, with all homemade dough and sauce. Ingredients will be locally sourced whenever possible. Menu items’ names may well reference local politicians and places.

The large slices will cost $3.75, no matter the toppings, and full 18”-19” pies will also be available. The truck, white with a graffiti motif logo, is being built in Texas and should be ready soon.

By Evan Wallis
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The company that renovated Fountain Square and is in the process of recreating Washington Park, 3CDC, is about to start construction on the fifth phase of its building and renovation plan to get more people living in OTR.

Spanning from 13th to 15th and Elm to Walnut streets, 112 new housing units should be ready for occupancy by this time next year, with construction beginning in December or January. Most are renovations and rehabs, except for 17 new units in Mercer Commons, which sits between Walnut and Vine in the 1300 block. One sector, on 15th and Republic, will have 14 rental units. All others will be for sale.

Options range from 500-square-foot studios to a 1,900-square-foot, three bedroom flat. Prices will be set before the end of this year. All together, more than 100,000 square feet will be renovated or built in Phase Five. Around 8,500 square feet will be street-level, commercial space.
Since 2004, 3CDC has completed 186 units, which now have 81 percent occupancy.

Washington Park, which is not part of Phase 5, should be completed by June 2012. It adds eight acres of green space to OTR. While many historic aspects of the park will be reserved, there will also be new performance stages, a water playground and a 450-space underground parking garage.

Phase Five is the last step planned so far in the large-scale renovation plan for OTR. 3CDC owns property stretching from Walnut to Central Parkway and up to Liberty Street, which still needs to be scheduled for renovation. Over $162 million has been invested into OTR since 2004.

By Evan Wallis

Joan Kaup and Angela Morrow both live and work in OTR. On a fall day, Morrow struck up a conversation with Kaup about several silk workshops she was doing through her gallery, c4yourself, where people paint out their hopes and dreams for the city of Cincinnati. Morrow shared how hanging these silks in her gallery reminded her of the Gates installation in Central Park designed by Cristo and Jean-Claude, which consisted of more than 7,000 silk flags lining 23 miles of pathways.

During the conversation, Morrow said, “Wouldn’t it be great if something like the Gates could happen here in Washington Park?” Kaup quickly responded, “Why not?” and OTR Flags was born.

Morrow has been the project visionary since the beginning and is managing the entire process. Emanuel Community Center, known as a community connector, introduced Morrow to 3CDC and Cincinnati Parks board about creating the installation in OTR's Washington Park. The women caught the organizations in the planning phases of the renovation of Washington Park, and was able to secure permit 1 to celebrate the opening of Washington Park.

Since then, partnerships with ArtWorks, ArtsWave, Music Hall and the YMCA, just to name a few, have been formed to collaborate with as much as the community as possible. Which is the same goal OTR Flags is working towards. The flags will represent everyone who lives, works, plays and loves OTR.

“We want to celebrate this park as an inclusive landmark in the city,” Kaup says. “It’s everybody’s park, so everyone should be able to participate.”

The flags will come in two different sizes. Larger flags will be sponsored by companies or organizations, which will then coordinate with a local artist and facilitator. The groups will talk about the organization’s commitment to OTR, the park and the community. The artists will then tell the story of that involvement in a painting on the flag. Smaller flags, painted by individuals, will hang from wired lights that surround the park's gazebo. Once completed, there will be 25 large flags and 80 to 100 small flags.

While there is a fee to claim flags, the team realized if everyone had to pay, it wouldn’t be a true representation of the community. So OTR Flags teamed with OTR Community Housing to raise scholarships for community members who can’t afford their own flag. All proceeds from OTR Flags will go back to Emanuel Community Center to help create more grassroots community campaigns that give the entire community a chance to participate

Interested in being a paid artist to tell someone's story? Get more info here.

Interesting in painting your own small flag? Get more info on the workshops here.

By Evan Wallis

Photo by Brittany Skelton

Two OTR Brandery startups made the final cut in a continental quest to find the most innovative new ventures in the digital marketplace. The iMedia Breakthrough Summit, the most respected gather of brand leaders and agency executives in North America, named Receept and Keepio two of nine finalists in the Next Wave competition, a voter-driven contest in Las Vegas running through October 19.

Receept and Keepio are two start-ups by Dave Pfefferfle of Columbus and Dave Durand of Louisville, respectively. Both are ideas that give consumers a useful product or service and merchants a chance to gain more targeted consumer research.

Receept serves as an aggregation of receipts that doesn’t just email you receipts, which you then digitally throw away. Receept keeps them in an organized, separate place, which you can then print off if needed, keep for records and even use for consumer research.

Keepio is a “Facebook for products” that allows collectors of all sorts of items to share, discuss and sell their favorite products with a safe, interested community. Once interests and purchases are archived, Keepio will also target users with customized deals and incentives.

The next step for both start-ups is to align with brands to form partnerships to get their products off the ground. The iMedia summit, with representatives from American Express, Microsoft and Wal-Mart on hand, may be just the place to do that. Before the event begins, Pfefferfle already has meetings set up with representative from Coca-Cola and American Express among others.

While the grand prize of the Next Wave competition isn’t listed on the website, and Pfefferfle himself doesn’t know, being able to claim the title and attend the conference of more than 300 digital marketplace experts and brand representatives is a grand prize in and of itself.

By Evan Wallis

Tacos, Tequilia, Whiskey. This sign has been teasing those who walk by 1213 Vine Street for a few months. Well, the breaking news is good: Taco lovers, keep salivating. In only a couple of months, your patience will be rewarded.

Bakersfield, the anticipated OTR restaurant, has remained empty for the past few months, but construction is underway for a planned opening in early 2012. The same pair of Cincinnati-native brothers who own the Currito burrito chain, John and Joe Lanni, own the new Mexican-themed restaurant.

“We are hoping to fill a void of Mexican food in OTR,” says co-owner Joe Lanni. “Maybe at a hair less of a price point than you’re seeing the other restaurants in the area. We are going to be squarely in the $10-14 range.” He wants to create a restaurant where people feel comfortable going two to three times a week, not only on special occasions.

With a menu based on Mexican street food, six or seven different kinds of tacos will be available for around $3 a piece. Some other sides and Mexican street fare will be available, along with a full bar and specialty craft cocktails. Though Lanni doesn’t want to divulge too much just yet, he assures us it is going to be a very special drink menu.

The inside of the restaurant will hold up to 55 people and be modeled after the Bakersfield, California theme. “All of the partners in the venture love the outlaw vibe of Bakersfield,” Lanni says. “Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, they were hell raisers -- the inside is going to mimic that with a rock-country, rebel attitude.”

Once fully operational, Lanni hopes to add 25 new jobs to the already growing OTR. Lanni is also proud to be from Cincinnati and excited to be a part of the rebirth of his home city.

 “We found the right spot and pulled the trigger,” Lanni says. “We’re happy to be a part of the city and I think once we and a few more restaurants open, OTR will be the premier dining destination in Cincinnati.”

By Evan Wallis