Soho Chicken and Whiskey Reopens in Former Xinji Space in Ohio City: First Look

Last spring, Soho Chicken and Whiskey owners Nolan Konkoski and Molly Smith announced that they had found a new location for their restaurant, which had been a fixture on West 25^th Street for 14 years. Rising rents led to a decision to decamp as the landlord opted to welcome a future Chipotle location to the space.

In June, they ceased operations at their original home and began renovating the former Xinji space on Lorain, a process that took a bit longer than expected.

But tonight, after a roller coaster ride that began last February, Soho officially reopens in its new home at 4211 Lorain Ave.

“We’re very happy with the location, with the building,” says Konkoski. “I don’t think we could have ended up with a better situation.”

The beautiful new restaurant looks and feels like Soho, but in a mature, elevated sort of way. Overall, the restaurant gained a total of four seats, two at the bar and two in the dining room, but that was never a goal, Konkoski states.

“We didn’t want to be a lot bigger,” he says. “We liked our old size.”

Apart from the room, Soho reopens with the same concept, people and hospitality that diners have come to love since 2011. Keen regulars will notice a bit more variety on the menu, mainly with the addition of new appetizers, salads and vegetarian items.

The move comes at a time when West 25th Street continues to evolve in ways that crowd out the little guy, leaving small independents like Soho scrambling for new homes. For many local operators, Lorain Avenue has become that haven.

“We always stayed true to our neighborhood roots, but the neighborhood was changing over there,” says Smith.

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