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Another round of help is coming for Ohio’s beleaguered restaurants in the form of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which industry experts say is sorely needed despite an improving economy and widespread availability of coronavirus vaccinations. Congress created the more than $28 billion fund through the COVID relief package signed into law earlier this spring. The Small Business Administration is distributing the funds to eateries across the nation in the form of grants. Applications open May 3. But restaurateurs have concerns about the fund’s rollout. The pot of money set aside for...

Delivery-only restaurants rose in prominence during the coronavirus pandemic as patrons became increasingly wary of in-person dining and ate more meals at home. But these so-called cloud kitchens or ghost kitchens predate the pandemic by several years, and industry experts and restaurateurs think they have the potential to outlast it. Cloud kitchens appeal to prospective restaurant owners thanks to low overhead costs, and they provide the freedom to experiment with new concepts. “People have different definitions of ghost kitchen,” said Mark Kelnhofer, president and CEO of Return on Ingre...

The Grainery in Plain City needs more staff as customers return to in-person dining in greater numbers. But job openings at the bar and restaurant had few takers, even after manager Andrew Dawson offered sign-on bonuses. “I personally have scheduled 23 interviews in the past two and a half weeks and have had three people show up, only one of which accepted the position,” Dawson said. The lack of response was somewhat shocking. “Being in the industry for 15 years, I’m used to having people lining up at the door whenever we needed help or made (job) postings,” Dawson said. The Graine...