Nighttown, a beloved jazz club and restaurant in the historic Cleveland Heights neighborhood, is closing this week, according to Red Restaurant group. The last day of service will be this Sunday, Aug. 25.
"The management and ownership of Nighttown have made the difficult decision to close the restaurant," says managing partner Gregg Levy. "While we enjoyed the journey of preserving the spirit of Nighttown and greatly improving and enhancing the underlying infrastructure and facilities, while attempting to usher in the new era of patrons, the challenges brought upon by delays, construction difficulties and unforeseen circumstances made it clear to us that it was time to pass the baton to a new stewardship."
The eclectic spot, which built its reputation on live jazz and serving elevated Irish-American pub fare, closed in 2020. The brand reopened last year with new ownership, which revamped the menu and renovated the space.
“From the very beginning of this renovation project, the new ownership group prioritized maintaining the spirit, look and ambiance of the Nighttown that has been a cornerstone of the Cleveland food and music scene for so long,” said Red Restaurant Group in a 2023 press release.
The club has called Cleveland Heights home since 1965, hosting legendary talents in the world of jazz and greater music. The restaurant was opened by John Barr, while its second owner, Brendan Ring, brought the restaurant into the modern age. In addition to a jazz club and acclaimed restaurant, it was known as a neighborhood hangout, a notable art gallery and a meeting space for local journalists, displaying plaques for the Press Club Hall of Fame.
While the future of Nighttown deems uncertain, its spirit will continue to live on, through years of loyal patrons and through the ownership group's other thriving restaurants.
"We are working with several interested parties in hopes of finding a new author to write the next chapter of this James Joyce script," Levy says. "In the meantime, we will concentrate our efforts on our flagship fine dining restaurants, Red, the Steakhouse in Downtown Cleveland and Red, the Steakhouse in Pinecrest. While we hope to find the next operator in due time, rest assure that many of the experiences, recipes and even staff from our time at Nighttown will be shared with our Red restaurants."
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