The vacated Panini’s at 540 East Washington Street in South Russell Village will soon be reincarnated as Tavern Six, a family-oriented restaurant offering a made-from-scratch menu, a rustic atmosphere and community involvement.
The vacated Panini’s at 540 East Washington Street in South Russell Village will soon be reincarnated as Tavern Six, a family-oriented restaurant offering a made-from-scratch menu, a rustic atmosphere and community involvement.
Jim Tekavec, of 540 Property Group LLC — part owner of the restaurant alongside Teanna and Dan Vitantonio and three others — requested to officially change the name of the restaurant to Tavern Six at the South Russell Village Planning Commission meeting Feb. 6. The commission unanimously approved it.
“We’re looking forward to it. Tavern Six has an even better reputation,” said South Russell Village Mayor Bill Koons. “They’re a class act and we’re looking forward to them being a part of the village very much and they want to get involved in the community. They have just the kind of attitude that we would like to see in a restaurant in the village.”
The new business will mark a second location for the popular Tavern Six at 7592 Chardon Road in Kirtland, of which the Vitantonios are also part owners, in addition to Sage Karma Kitchen in Willoughby.
The couple had no reservations about opening another spot.
“It will be the third restaurant I’ve helped open,” Teanna said, adding she feels confident about the move.
The former Panini’s touted 15 years at the South Russell location, according to a “thank you” sign in front of the deserted building.
The average restaurant industry turnover rate was nearly 80 percent over the past 10 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Kirtland’s Tavern Six defied those statistics by remaining open for a decade, including through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Teanna attributes their success to finding a niche.
“We’re family friendly and we are really and truly a restaurant that has a craft and a cocktail list, as well, but our main focus is fresh scratch-made ingredients,” she said, adding there’s something for everyone.
“Kids can come in and get mac and cheese and the parents can get a salmon entree or a steak or ribs, so we kind of cater to everyone, but I would say it’s more of an American menu,” she said.
The new restaurant will incorporate Kirtland’s Tavern Six concept, including the décor and menu, but with some new twists.
“Everything is made in-house like dressings, sauces … and we’re going to be doing a very similar menu to what we have in Kirtland, but obviously, we’re going to put some flairs on it … change it up a little bit, and just basically, put our flair on to the location,” Teanna said.
In addition, the new restaurant will incorporate Tavern Six’s flare for community support.
“We are very involved in the community and we definitely like to give back,” Teanna said. “I believe, really and truly, that’s the reason we’re so successful. We’re giving gift cards and baskets and donations all the time.”
The new restaurant’s hours will be similar to the other two, closing by either 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends, Teanna said.
She expects Tavern Six’s grand opening will happen in the next several weeks, after they hire more staff — for a total of 30 to 35 employees — and give the old Panini’s “a facelift.”
Shelly and Ken Kushner, patrons of Kirtland’s Tavern Six for over a year, sat at the bar on a chilly Saturday afternoon in early February. The restaurant was packed, with only the spillover room available for larger groups.
Bartenders and kitchen servers greeted patrons and knew many by name. The music was low, so people could have conversations without yelling, and several televisions featured various programming, from sports to news.
The Kushners were eager to share their excitement for the South Russell location, adding as grandparents, they are glad both Tavern Sixes are centrally located between their home and that of their grandkids.
Their favorite entrees include the tofu stir-fry for Shelly and the Buffalo mac and cheese for Ken.
The food “is always great,” Ken said, his wife chiming in, “We love coming here, the people are always so nice.”
