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Restaurant planned at Highland Square
By Lisa Abraham
Beacon Journal food writer
Published on Thursday, Nov 13, 2008
The new owner of the building in Highland Square that used to house Two Amigos Mexican Grill and Dodie's Cafe said his plan is to renovate the building and eventually to have a new restaurant as a tenant.
Gint Strautnieks, of the NGS Development Group LLC of Cleveland, purchased the building at 804 and 806 W. Market St. last month at a sheriff's sale for $423,000, according to Summit County records.
''We're looking to move ahead with full renovations of the building,'' he said. ''We want to keep the architectural integrity of the building.''
A Cleveland native, Strautnieks moved back to the area two years ago from Colorado, and has been working to establish his development company. This is NGS' second venture, with another project of residential development ongoing in Michigan, he said.
Strautnieks, 35, said he and his wife and children relocated to Ohio to be closer to family, and because the home building company where he had worked in Denver was hit hard by the current economic downturn.
He purchased the Highland Square building because the neighborhood reminds him of the City Park neighborhood in Denver, which had become a magnet for renovation.
''I saw buildings get converted all the time to nice restaurants, galleries, boutiques and coffee shops,'' he said.
For the restaurant, Strautnieks said the space is promised to his longtime friend, David Haynes, an Elyria native and chef who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America's campus in Napa Valley, Calif.
Haynes, who currently works at Dante in Valley View, hopes to open his first restaurant in the spot, he said.
Strautnieks said he hopes to restore more of the building's original look, replacing the street-level facade, which wasn't part of the original building, with glass.
His intention is to begin as soon as possible. ''I'm not going to wait for any rebound in the economy or anything like that. I want to use the winter as a good time to do any renovations [on the interior],'' he said.
Two Amigos closed in January and Dodie's, which had been open under different names since the 1930s, was closed in 2007.
Lisa A. Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.
The new owner of the building in Highland Square that used to house Two Amigos Mexican Grill and Dodie's Cafe said his plan is to renovate the building and eventually to have a new restaurant as a tenant.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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akron, oh
Posted 04:59 AM, 11/13/2008
What don and his buddies didnt buy it for 800 grand just to let it sit and rot.... ? Its a historic building. A local land mark dont you know.... Guess a friend didnt own it that could kick back a bunch to don for it to sell for only 423k
Akron, OH
Posted 08:53 AM, 11/13/2008
Good for Mr. Strautnieks. Though the property isn't worth what he paid for it, he should be commended for attemptin' to bring in business to Highland Square.
Frankly, I think a small mom & pop grocery would make a killin' there as opposed to another restaurant. Albrecht certainly has no plans to bring one to the area.
Akron, OH
Posted 10:12 AM, 11/13/2008
Sad.
Posted 12:02 PM, 11/13/2008
It was sad what the two bonheads who bought the place did to highland square, it's nice to see someone doing something with that building!
Akron, OH
Posted 12:55 PM, 11/13/2008
Good Luck, Mr Strautnieks
Green, OH
Posted 01:46 PM, 11/13/2008
Good luck, indeed, Mr. Strautnieks. You are really going to need it! A rookie developer has overpaid for a property that he will now renovate for a first-time restauranteur, and all this in a tanking economy.
I wonder if either has met the Highland Square Neighborhood Association gang yet?
Posted 03:36 PM, 11/13/2008
You almost sound as if you want him to fail Sharen.
Green, OH
Posted 04:04 PM, 11/13/2008
scott - Nope. I don't. The last thing any neighborhood needs is empty storefronts and business failures. But how many times do you see a new business fail because the planning was bad, the timing was bad or the skill set needed to succeed was inadequate?
Neither of these guys are familiar with the area or have a track record of success. What does the area need? Does the area need - or will it support - a moderate-to-fine-dining restaurant?
Or is Beta correct - a Mom & Pop corner store (with a deli, perhaps) might better fit the local demographic.
San Francisco, CA
Posted 07:51 PM, 11/13/2008
More money wasted.
Posted 11:55 PM, 11/13/2008
I hope they let the music school located on the upper floors stay. My children love the teachers and are learning alot.
Posted 04:57 PM, 11/14/2008
Sharen:
Quite a few assumptions on your part given the limited information presented in the article. Do you know them well enough to make the comment "Neither of these guys are familiar with the area or have a track record of success"? Did you know that both have over 12 yrs experience in their respective fields? Did you know that Mr. Strautnieks has graduate degrees in Business and Real Estate Development? Did you know that he has led and successfully managed real estate projects across the country? Did you know that Mr. Haynes does in fact live within the area? Last I checked, Akron and Northeast Ohio was not doing so hot. Instead of the negativity based on no knowledge of the situation at all, congratulate them on investing and trying to revive a sagging community.
Posted 12:03 AM, 11/15/2008
i hope this new guy is against paying a hoodie tax
Posted 01:29 AM, 11/15/2008
I'm just curious, what's a hoodie tax?
