Feb 24, 2025 - Food and Drink

Restaurants hate when I show up

Tyler Buchanan

Illustration of a knife and fork next to a plate in the shape of a grimacing emoji. — Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

👋 Tyler here. It's time I face facts: When it comes to restaurants, I'm a curse.

Driving the news: The Eclectic Diner & Sweeterie on Route 23 recently closed, less than a year after my complimentary review called it "the real deal."

I'm sensing a pattern. Hoagie City in Hilliard served up "the best [cheesesteak] I've had since moving to Columbus," but went out of business last December.

I liked Species X Brewery and its AI-concocted drink recipes. It lasted seven months.
In 2022, I predicted the new "sober bar" on 4th Street would soon be packed with customers. It went kaput by the end of the year.

Reality check: Restaurants come and go. Thin profit margins and rising costs make it a notoriously tough business.

The bottom line: It's a reminder to support your favorite places and cherish them while you still can.

But perhaps they'd have better luck if I just stayed home.

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Restaurants hate when I show up

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