Cafe Zupas is renovating a space at 1161 Polaris Pkwy for its fourth Central Ohio restaurant, according to plans and permit applications filed with the city. The new 4,129 square foot restaurant will occupy a building that previously housed an Applebee’s, which closed this summer after 27 years, leaving the chain with eight remaining Central Ohio locations. Improvements at the site include adding a drive-thru, a feature the building never had under its previous tenant.
The chain launched in Provo, Utah, in 2004, branding itself around “slow food served fast,” with a rotating seasonal menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and bowls made from fresh ingredients. Every meal comes with a complimentary chocolate dipped strawberry, dipped fresh daily, and the chain also offers catering. Cafe Zupas has grown to nearly 90 locations across nine states.
The brand first arrived in Columbus in 2017 with an Easton Town Center restaurant, its first in Ohio, followed by a Hamilton Quarter location in 2023 and a spot across from Ohio State University that opened last year in part of a former Wendy’s space.
According to the Columbus Business Journal, this new Polaris location adds to a wave of restaurant activity in the area, joining a recently opened Cava and upcoming additions from Flour & Fetty’s and Simply South at Polaris Fashion Place Mall. Across I-71 along Ikea Way, Mikey’s Late Night Slice opens this week, with Brassica and Lox Bagel Shop also planned for the corridor.
