Ramen eatery Ampersand leaves Short North, remains open in Westerville

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- After more than six years in the Short North Arts District, Ampersand Asian Supper Club served its final bowls of ramen at its original location on Sunday.

The restaurant, known for its Japanese-inspired dishes including ramen, miso and rice bowls, opened at 940 N. High St. in June 2019. Less then a year later, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted operations -- a challenge owner Megan Ada said the business never fully recovered from at that location.

"We were busy, it was great," Ada told NBC4. "Then COVID happened eight months later, and it never came back. We didn't gain enough momentum to get people to know us."

Ada, who owns the business with her husband and culinary director Joshua Cook, said she believed strongly in the concept and decided to expand to Uptown Westerville, where the restaurant opened a second restaurant earlier this year at 32 W. College Ave. That location remains open.

The restaurateur expressed gratitude to customers, and described the challenges of attracting new diners in the Short North.

"All day long, I see a line out the door across the street," she said. "I'm like waving my hand across the street, 'Come over here, try something new.' But seriously, people are afraid to get our their routine or only want to go to trendy places."

Ada emphasized that Ampersand is not gone for good, pointing customers to the Westerville location, which offers the same menu and is performing well, she said. The couple also operates Asterisk Supper Club nearby.

"The amount of love we have received has been so amazing and reassuring," she said. "So many people are genuinely sad we are closing. We just didn't get enough of them."

The Short North restaurant closed after a final week of service from Sept. 17 through 21.

Ampersand's Westerville location if open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Free parking is available across the street.