Local restaurant abruptly shuts down, building for sale

A local restaurant unexpectedly shutting down last week has paved way for a new restaurant, sports bar or club near a busy section of Springfield.

Ohio Village Restaurant, which opened in May, went dark last week, customers of the restaurant told this news organization. Calls to the farm-to-table restaurant return a message saying the call cannot be completed.

Richard Tebbe of KW Commercial confirmed that the restaurant has closed and the owner has listed the property for sale, including all the machinery, tables, plates and equipment for $1 million. The Ohio Village restaurant, which rented the space, likely closed because it was under capitalized, he said.

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Three friends from Mexico opened the restaurant last year to offer a fresher experience than other processed food that can be found in Springfield, co-owner Gregorio Vilchis told the Springfield News Sun at the time. Dishes were prepared with homemade bread and vegetables grown at local farms.

The 10,600 square-foot building at 1805 W. 1st Street, near the Faifield Inn and Country Inn and Suites, has had trouble keeping tenants over the last several years. It had previously been a Ryan’s Steakhouse followed by Bay Breeze and Ohio Village Restaurant.

The corridor has been a struggle to fill, especially since Target closed down the street, said Michael McDorman, president and CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

“You’ve seen multiple restaurants close along that corridor there, so it continues to be a challenge, but the Bechtle retail area is very strong, so we’re hoping that something can be attracted to that area to be helpful especially to the hotels,” McDorman said.

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But the building should sell fast, Tebbe said. It’s large enough to seat 400 people and is ready to move into. It also has immediate customers from the hotels and its near other national chains like Bob Evans and Applebee’s.

“Hopefully we have something else in there really quick. He has it being sold at a really good price,” Tebbe said. “Ideally this is something that would be a turnkey whether you’re doing a restaurant or a bar.”

The area could use more restaurants, especially something that offers a unique experience that can will draw people in, McDorman said.

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