EDWINS and EDWINS Too are soon to leave Shaker Square for the former Nighttown space in Cleveland Heights.
Leaving Shaker Square feels bittersweet, owner Brandon Chrostowski said, but Nighttown gives EDWINS the room it needs to continue growing.
"Our base is not getting smaller, if you know what I mean," Chrostowski said. "The goal was to be able to have a place that could accommodate more students with a better education and have a way to crawl, walk, run with the growth in real speed in the real restaurants."
EDWINS, which trains formerly incarcerated people in culinary and hospitality industries, spent the last 12 years in Shaker Square. As the business has continued to grow, Chrostowski said he had to consider other options.
"It's been in my head now for about two years as we are growing, but the question was what could become available within a reasonable distance from our campus?" he said.
The move will bring a fresh design and revamped menu for his restaurants, which will shut down in Shaker Square on February 18, Chrostowski said. The new location is set to open the week of February 24.
The space and layout of the new location offers allows Chrostowski to provide visitors with a variety of experiences, from fine dining to drinks to cigars.
"The whole purpose is there's different concepts in one roof that a student can also see and a neighbor can also enjoy," Chrostowski said. "So, it's a place Cleveland deserves that spoke to me. It's a place that our education and students deserve."
Though the space is known for its contributions to the music scene, live music will not be a major part of EDWINS operations, Chrostowski said.
He’s working with Cleveland Neighborhood Progress to sublet the spaces in Shaker Square. Chrostowski said he will continue paying rent on the former location until a new tenant is found.
"Neighborhood Progress made it super easy," Chrostowski said. "We came to a fair agreement that was fair for the square and fair for the neighborhood and fair to our mission."
The move is coming at a the best possible time for Shaker Square, said Cleveland Neighborhood Progress President Tania Menesse, as the square prepares for its next chapter.
"It's all about inviting people to the square," Menesse said. "Really making sure that everything from the parking lot to the promenades in front of the square to the public green space are places where people feel comfortable."
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress will debut plans for this next chapter at Atlas Cinemas on January 23 at 5 p.m., Menesse said.
When it comes to the potential new tenants, Menesse said the hope is for businesses that align with the square's mission.
"Businesses that are really excited about, understand the value of Shaker Square, want to be part of the broader business community [and] maybe are bringing a type of culinary experience that doesn't exist today," she said.
The square could benefit from a fast-casual restaurant taking over one of the two locations, Menesse said, or one that offers lunch service.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said his administration will support Cleveland Neighborhood Progress during this transition and continue to support Shaker Square and its long-term transformation.
"I'm confident in the leadership of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Burten, Bell, Carr [Development]," Bibb said. "They've done a fantastic job creating a compelling vision for Shaker Square."
Nighttown had a nearly 30-year run as a music venue and restaurant operated by Brendan Ring, who sold it in 2021 after the pandemic hit. Nighttown reopened in 2023 under new management with the same concept, but it was closed in August 2024.
