The building in downtown Columbus that once held the restaurant Milestone 229 is slated to get new life as a Mediterranean eatery.
Josh Dalton, the Columbus restauranter behind Veritas, Speck Italian Eatery and several other local concepts, plans to bring a new restaurant to the space at 229 Civic Center Drive in Bicentennial Park.
Milestone 229 occupied the spot on the Scioto Mile for 14 years before closing at the end of 2024. The building has sat empty since then.
Dalton said he didn't really choose the location for his next venture, saying that it chose him. He said Downtown Columbus, Inc., asked him to come look at the space.
"There's no doubt it's a cool space, but things for me don't hit until I know what concept I want to put in there," Dalton said. "When it hit me, 'we should do Mediterranean there,' I just thought it just has a perfect feel."
The unique oval-shaped building has lots of windows and a large patio. Dalton said there's already a pizza oven, which he anticipates using to cook pitas and roasted fish and duck.
His yet-unnamed Mediterranean concept promises tastes from all across the region and will likely include small plates, dips and spreads, along with reimagined entrees.
"When you think Mediterranean, you can go anywhere from Barcelona to Lebanon to Istanbul and Turkey and the Amalfi Coast all the way down to Morocco. So, it encompasses a huge area," Dalton said.
He said the menu and the atmosphere will be inspired by his own travels.
"I feel like if done right and we pay the proper respect to the food and the culture, I think it's going to be something that's just really beautiful," Dalton said.
Dalton admits that opening a new restaurant is a scary venture, especially as costs are up for food and labor.
"But I mean if you open a new business and you're not scared, something's wrong with you. There's always a risk to it," Dalton said.
Dalton said he wants to embrace the "vibrant life" of that corner of downtown Columbus — the park, the river, the Scioto Mile Fountain.
"It's almost like, I don't know, the city music kind of in the background," he said.
Dalton said he wants the new spot to be a "shining beacon" for the city that people want to visit. He hopes to make the menu relatively affordable while offering good value and quality food.
"I think that's where I'd like to think restaurants really shine, their quality," Dalton said.
Dalton's Mediterranean restaurant is expected to open next spring.
