The new owner of Old Mohawk is considering expanding and upgrading the historic German Village restaurant as part of a long-term vision for the Columbus establishment.
Rick Doody, owner and CEO of the restaurant and Cleveland-based NCR Ventures, told WhatNow Columbus that the company is evaluating plans to expand the existing space while addressing extensive maintenance and structural needs.
“We’re in this for the long run,” Doody said. “We want to bring this building up to our standards. The restaurant deserves that.”
NCR Ventures acquired Old Mohawk this summer from longtime owner Michael Reems. Doody said Reems wanted to preserve the restaurant’s existing jobs and employees, and NCR has committed to keeping the restaurant operating.
“We’re running it as it is with slight modifications to improve,” Doody said.
NCR Ventures and Columbus-based architecture firm Design Collective have submitted conceptual plans to the city for an addition and other improvements to the property.
The proposal calls for nearly 1,000 square feet of additional space, including roughly 600 square feet on the ground level and an expanded basement. Plans also include approximately 400 square feet of additional patio space.
The expansion would use a partially vacant lot on the south side of the restaurant that currently contains dumpsters, old air-conditioning units and unused restaurant equipment.
“It’s really kind of an unsightly dumpster area right now,” Doody said. “And that’s where the dumpsters are, and that’s where there’s old air conditioners there, and there’s some old restaurant equipment there, and it really needs to be cleaned up.”
The proposed addition would allow the restaurant to increase its dining capacity by roughly 20% to 30%, according to Doody. Plans previously submitted for conceptual review envision a total of approximately 198 seats, including indoor and outdoor seating.
The restaurant’s entrance and host stand are also proposed to be moved to the new addition. Doody said the change would allow the restaurant to create more seating along its front windows, which he considers some of the property’s most desirable tables.
“We would like to increase the front window tables,” Doody said. “The tables on the front windows seem to be the most popular.”
The plans also call for new lighting, awnings and other decorative elements, with the new façade designed to complement the existing building.
Before expanding, however, Doody said the property requires significant work. The building, which is more than 125 years old, has issues ranging from roof and foundation leaks to structural and mechanical problems.
“The building has leaks in the roof,” Doody said. “The foundation leaks. It has structural issues. It has issues with all the systems, the mechanical systems, the plumbing, the heating, the air conditioning, HVAC systems.”
The extent of the repairs has prompted NCR to carefully consider the overall scope of the project and how much work to undertake.
Doody said the company wants to determine whether the city and the German Village Commission will support its proposed expansion before moving forward with the larger investment.
“I want to make sure the city is in support of this,” he said. “And if they are, then we go from there.”
While the future concept of Old Mohawk remains under consideration, Doody said the restaurant’s existing menu will continue for now.
“We’re not going to change much,” he said.
NCR has already begun making smaller changes focused on improving food quality. Doody said the restaurant has reduced its reliance on frozen products, introduced fresh buns from nearby Lindy’s and is working to improve its burger programme.
The company has also removed roughly 15% of menu items that were not selling well.
“We’re trying to improve every little probably cut, removed, maybe 15% of the menu items, items that weren’t selling,” Doody said. “We’ve reduced, and items that we think we can improve, like the burger program, we’ve upped the game.”
Doody said NCR has not yet determined what the restaurant’s eventual concept will look like. The company could potentially adapt one of its existing restaurant brands to the German Village space rather than creating a new concept.
“We’re not in the — we’ve developed enough brands that we don’t think we need to develop anymore,” he said.
Despite the conceptual plans, there is currently no firm construction timeline for the expansion.
Doody said the project is not a short-term priority for NCR and that the company must first determine whether the city will support the proposed changes.
“We do not have a plan to do this in the short term,” he said.
If the plans receive approval, the company will then need to determine how to complete the work within the required timeframe or potentially seek an extension.
For now, Old Mohawk will remain open while NCR evaluates its options.
The project is part of NCR Ventures’ broader expansion in Central Ohio. The company is also preparing to open Arlington Grill in the former Houlihan’s space in Upper Arlington this fall. NCR also operates Bar Italia at Easton Town Center.
Doody said the company is excited about its growing presence in Columbus and hopes to create something that builds on Old Mohawk’s existing appeal.
“Columbus is a boom town,” Doody said. “We’re glad to be a part of it.”
Ultimately, he said the goal is to develop a restaurant that generates even more interest while respecting the character and history of the existing establishment.
“We hope that we can put something together that has even more interest than what we do now,” Doody said.
WhatNow Columbus will continue to follow the project and update the public as more details become available, including the restaurant’s final concept, menu, expansion plans and anticipated opening date once the project moves forward.
