Owner talks why popular German Village restaurant will close

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Chapman’s Eat Market, a German Village eatery from the Columbus restaurateur couple behind Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge and Metsi's, is closing after five years in business.

Husband-and-wife duo B.J. Lieberman and Bronwyn Haines announced on social media last week that Chapman’s at 739 S. Third St., which opened in 2020, is permanently shuttering at the end of August.

"To our wonderful community here in Columbus, and specifically in German Village, this restaurant wouldn't be anything without y'all," Lieberman said.

Lieberman said that as he and his wife were faced with the difficult decision on whether or not to continue what they started, they inevitably chose to finish their story on a high note.

"All parties must end," Lieberman said. "And this is the last chapter of ours for this space anyway."

Chapman's Eat Market has been a passion project for Lieberman, who previously worked for a Michelin-star restaurant in Washington D.C.

"I just felt like we were getting reviewed by The Washington Post and the Washington City Paper and Michelin and Eater," Lieberman said. "And just every week there was something big going on, and I just wanted to cook without any of that pressure."

That's how Chapman's was born. Lieberman said he wanted to tap into his joy of getting other people's ideas onto the menu.

"When we opened Chapman's, I wanted this to be a reflection of everyone who is here, of all the individuals," Lieberman said. "I wanted the menu to literally be like holding a mirror up to the kitchen. So, we allowed all of our cooks to R&D dishes. We allowed all of our chefs to work on things. There were no rules. We could do dishes from Southeast Asia, from the American South."

According to Lieberman, his decision to close Chapman's was not made lightly.

"Every restaurant has a beginning, middle and an end," Lieberman said. "And it's kind of like this five-year mark is such a watershed moment for a lot of restaurants. And I just felt like it was the best opportunity that we'll probably ever have to go out on our own terms."

Chapman's first opened in German Village in 2020 during the pandemic.

"We were doing paint swatches on the wall when the pandemic started, when DeWine announced that everything was shutting down," Lieberman said. "We were just, like, looking at each other, my wife and I, just like, what are we doing? We're about to open a restaurant. I'm like, the world is shutting down."

Initially carry-out only, it served burgers to go before becoming a full-fledged restaurant.

"We announced that we were pregnant here," Lieberman said. "There are just so many life milestones that happened. And then winning The New York Times top fifty restaurants really changed our trajectory in a real way."

But now, Lieberman said it's time for him to pour his energy into the people he loves.

"Owning a restaurant is a lot of hours and it's something that my wife has been very understanding of for our entire relationship," Lieberman said. "And now we have a kid who loves being in the restaurants and everything, but I also want to spend time with him outside of the restaurants."

Lieberman said one of the hardest parts about his decision to close the restaurant is saying goodbye to his employees.

"Our ex-head chef and one of our servers who met here are about to get married on Aug. 2," Lieberman said. "And I think there's probably about 100 people on the guest list and over 20 are people who work in this restaurant. So talk about building families and building community."

Chapman's final day of service will be announced in August. Beginning the week of July 13, the restaurant will be open Tuesday through Saturday.