Following kitchen fire and closure, this Short North restaurant is reopening

Following a December fire that shuttered the eatery for over a month, The Rossi Kitchen & Bar is returning this weekend with a new look and a new menu.

According to COO Charles Carter, the eatery will officially reopen on Feb. 11.

Carter said the fire was due to an electrical panel issue, and was likely the by-product of operating in an older building. While the blaze did set the Short North spot back, Carter believes it also helped motivate The Rossi staff to focus their efforts on improving the restaurant as a whole.

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“When an event like that occurs, it calls for a reset. You have to clean every square inch of the restaurant and remove all of the food products,” he said. “When we did that, the team immediately pivoted to reopening The Rossi better than it was before the incident.”

Included in these efforts is a refresh of the eatery’s interior. New art was added, several sections of the eatery were rearranged and a general update of The Rossi’s tiling took place as well.

The Short North restaurant’s menu was also overhauled, Carter said. New Executive Chef Alex Pita was brought on, and The Rossi’s team will be working to winnow out a handful of more complicated dishes with a new focus on “letting the food speak for itself.” Pizzas will also be returning to the menu.

“Six weeks ago, as a team we decided that we would choose leadership. We took a situation that wasn’t great and made something great out of it,” Carter said. “I think it’s just a testament to what happens when you have a bunch of people focused together on a goal, it’s exciting.”

Want to read more? Check out our print publication, (614) Magazine. Learn where you can find a free copy of our new February issue here!

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