First WVKO, now Brownstone?

By Glenn Rondo, Jr.
Contributing Writer
Columbus Post

The lights are out at Brownstone on Main. Has Columbus’ upscale eatery closed its doors for good? The restaurant’s website announced it would reopen November 8, but the phone service has been disconnected and a recent trip past the building showed no signs of life. Will Brownstone on Main ever reopen? Only time will tell if the fine-dining establishment will again serve Columbus’ most discriminating diners. What happened to topple the culinary giant? That question has proven much more difficult to answer.
Brownstone on Main delivered a unique dining experience to Downtown Columbus. The restaurant had an elegant atmosphere, multiple levels of fine dining, and served succulent soul food. The building’s upper floor boasts space for classes and corporate meetings. Complete with a sound system and a big-screen television, the large, open area was perfect for movie screenings and birthday parties.
Brownstone on Main was important to Columbus’ Black community. Of course, the restaurant served diners of all colors, but this establishment seemed to cater to the Black community. For quiet dinners for two, business meetings, or a drink to wind down, the Brownstone was the place to go. Like radio station WVKO, African-Americans in this city could point to Brownstone on Main and say, ‘That’s ours.’ Now, it looks like Columbus may have lost that one, too.
What happened to Brownstone on Main? Some believe a struggle with city officials over a controversial patio took its toll on the restaurant. Others say bankruptcy loomed over the eatery long before the patio entered the picture. Perhaps, the restaurant suffered from a lack of support from our city’s Black residents. In fact, African Americans make up over one-quarter of Columbus’ population, so many wonder what went wrong. Could a top restaurant not sustain enough support to keep its doors open? That may be the first question to ask.
In paperwork filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court last November, Chapter 11 reorganization was sought by the restaurant’s owners, Brownstone on Main and JAG Group, LLC. According to the petition, “Brownstone’s sole asset is the building and its sole source of income is a lease to JAG, which operates the restaurant.” The document goes on to note that payments on the mortgage had not been made since the previous December and that real estate taxes had not been paid since 2004. The filing further states, “JAG’s monthly operating reports have not shown any significant increase in revenue,” and “the net income shown is not sufficient to meet any of the debt service that will be necessary.” Court records show the case was dismissed last month.
To add to the restaurant’s financial problems, Attorney Gordon Shuler is part owner of the parking lot behind Brownstone on Main. He says the restaurant’s owners had the city’s permission to use the street, but not close it off permanently. “The city can’t just take public property and allow a private party to use it to the exclusion of others,” Shuler says. He recalls that Brownstone’s owners initially tried to build a patio in 2005. That time, the City of Columbus sent out letters to area residents asking if the street could be closed off. Shuler says, “As one of the surrounding owners, we had opposed that. The City had said to them that they would not permit it.” Then, earlier this year, patio construction began without notice to neighboring property owners. “I became involved when I saw them beginning to construct the patio,” he explains.
Shuler wrote a letter to Brownstone co-owner Jeff Gilliam that stated, “My partners and I bought our parking lot; you bought your building. Neither one of us bought the street and we’re both entitled to use it along with the rest of the traveling public. You can’t build a patio there.”
Still, Shuler, who once worked for the City Attorney’s office, didn’t take any legal action over the patio. “The City basically agreed with that logic and said to the Brownstone, ‘You really can’t have that there.’ So in the end it was the City that instructed the Brownstone to take it back out,” he said.
Shuler admits the action was taken at the prompting of himself and his business partner. Still, until the restaurant’s owners tried to block off the street that bordered his parking lot, he said had no problem with them. He says this is despite the fact that Brownstone on Main employees and patrons often used his lot without paying, a problem Shuler calls a minor irritation. “We wanted to be good neighbors,” he said, adding that he didn’t want to have any cars towed. “I think in all the time they were there, we may have towed cars one time that I remember,” Shuler said. Although Brownstone’s owners declined his offer to rent parking spaces, he understands that they could not stop patrons from using his lot without paying. “I also recognize that it was a little difficult to keep their customers from parking there at night,” Shuler says.
Customer parking is no longer an issue, as Brownstone on Main sits empty. Did the patio problem have anything to do with the closing of the restaurant? Shuler says he doubts the two are connected. “If you check the public records, you will see that the Brownstone opened and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy a long time ago,” he said.
Despite the parking issue, Shuler, who dined at the restaurant on occasion, insists he bears no ill will toward the owners of Brownstone on Main. “It’s an unfortunate circumstance. I would like to see them still open,” said Shuler. He is not alone.
Marketing is another factor that determines the success or failure of a business. Troy Robinson, CEO of men’s clothing store T. Jazz, targets men of all colors, not just African-Americans. “I’m not trying to shoot for one ethnic background or race,” he says, adding that his goal is to make any customer look good. Robinson rejects the idea of focusing on any one race of customers. How did he develop a loyal customer base? Robinson explains that he wasted a great deal of money before finding the marketing plan that works best for his business. “I think the best advertisements for me are visual and word-of-mouth,” he said. Robinson credits much of the store’s success to repeat business, counting among his customers many local luminaries as well as college and professional athletes.
A problem some Downtown business owners face is that they do not get the support they need because of their location. City Center Mall, once the sparkling jewel of the Downtown area, is now a shell of its former self, with over half of the structure vacant. Many area shops and stores have moved away or gone under. With the opening of the Polaris and Tuttle Malls, many choose to go to these newer, shinier shops to spend their money. Downtown Columbus is somewhat unique in that there is a great deal of activity during the weekdays, but very little on nights and weekends. Robinson, whose shop is on East Main Street across from the Brownstone, knows this better than anyone. He points outside and says, “There’s nobody downtown right now. We’re on one of the main streets downtown. There’s nothing happening here. “
Robinson acknowledges that these are tough times for businesses, adding, “The relationships with banks are no longer, so if you don’t have someone that you know that can help you, you can’t get help. And then when times are hard and you can’t make it, that’s why you end up closing up.” He says he has spoken to City Council members, who promise to take action to assist minority business owners who are experiencing such difficulties.
When asked how a business owner can avoid these pitfalls, Robinson advises having strong faith, getting family support, and finding a mentor. Even so, he cautions, “You still may bump your head.” Robinson’s last piece of advice is to do what you love. “If you don’t love it, you cannot succeed,” he adds. If Brownstone doesn’t survive, what will take its place? Few Black-owned restaurants were on par with Brownstone, so it would be difficult to replace. However, investors and restaurateurs may look at the Brownstone on Main and pass on Columbus, believing such an establishment would not have the support it needs to succeed.
Is Brownstone on Main gone for good? Not so, according to Greg Provo, co-owner of the Brownstone on Main. “Brownstone is currently going through some hurdles, said Provo. “Moving forward, there are programming hurdles for some of the things that we were doing.” “In reformatting, we’re looking to bring in regional theatre and black music acts to the venue,” Provo said.
A major injection of capital is needed to get the restaurant up and running again. That is not an impossibility in a city populated by blacks with significant means. After that, it would be up to Columbus’ locals to regularly patronize the restaurant the way people support other restaurants like Mitchell’s in downtown Columbus. “There’s a lot of effort that goes into making a restaurant successful and there’s a lot more that we hope to do,” said Provo. “We may be down, but we’re not out.”

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