A growing fast-casual restaurant chain is preparing to expand its footprint in Central Ohio with a new location set for Polaris Parkway.
According to Columbus Business First, Roots Natural Kitchen is slated to take over the former Giordano’s location at 2137 Polaris Parkway. The Chicago-style pizzeria vacated the space after nearly a decade of operations.
The upcoming restaurant will mark Roots Natural Kitchen’s fourth location in the Central Ohio market, continuing the brand’s steady regional expansion.
Founded in 2015 at the University of Virginia, Roots Natural Kitchen first entered Columbus in 2022 with a location at 10 E. 15th Ave. in Ohio State University’s University Square development. Since then, the brand has opened additional locations in Dublin and Grandview Heights.
Speaking to What Now Columbus, CEO and co-founder Henry Borgeson said the Polaris site fits the company’s strategy of following its growing customer base.
“This will be our fourth location in Columbus,” Borgeson said. “We love university towns and do really well with students, but we also grow with our customer base. Polaris is a very popular area for people after graduation, and there’s a strong mix of hospitals, retail, and busy professionals. It just made sense for us.”
He added that Columbus continues to be a key growth market for the brand.
“Columbus is really on a roll,” he said. “There’s strong job growth, a growing population, and a lot of people who want healthier, quick, affordable food options. We think Roots fits that need really well.”
Roots Natural Kitchen specialises in customizable grain bowls and salads built around fresh ingredients and bold flavours. Popular menu items include the El Jefe, featuring brown rice, kale, black beans, corn and grilled chicken; the Balboa, made with sweet potatoes, avocado, corn and Frank’s Red Hot chicken; and the Pesto Caesar, which combines kale, bulgur, tomatoes, parmesan, pesto vinaigrette, Caesar dressing and chicken.
Borgeson said menu innovation has also been a key part of the brand’s evolution.
“This year we introduced steak as a limited-time offer for the first time,” he said. “It’s been really successful, and we’re working toward making it a permanent part of the menu, including in Columbus.”
He also noted that El Jefe remains the brand’s most popular item system-wide.
“El Jefe is our most popular bowl in Columbus and across all Roots locations,” he said. “It’s our Southwest-style bowl with grilled chicken, avocado, pita chips, cilantro lime dressing, it really represents what we do best.”
The chain has experienced significant growth since arriving in Columbus. At the time of its local debut, Roots Natural Kitchen operated nine restaurants nationwide. Today, it has expanded to 23 locations across several states, including university markets such as Ohio State University, the University of Maryland, the University of North Carolina and Penn State University.
Borgeson said Columbus remains central to the brand’s long-term strategy.
“We’ve seen strong momentum here,” he said. “There’s still a lot of opportunity, and we’re excited to keep growing in the market.”
An opening timeline for the Polaris Parkway location has not yet been announced, though Borgeson said the team is currently aiming for a November opening.
