COLUMBUS, Ohio — After 23 years, G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar in German Village has closed.
In a message posted to the restaurant’s website, co-owners David Tetzloff and Jeff Benson said they were not able to come to terms on a new lease with the building owners.
“While we are very sad about our closing, we also know that we are so lucky to have had so many great nights with you,” the message said.
You can read the full message below.
To all of our friends and family at G. Michael’s, Jeff and I want to thank you for an incredible 23 year experience. We have had so many great times with everyone through the years, and it is your support from the very beginning that made us successful for so long. Unfortunately, we have come to the decision we are going to close the restaurant. We were unable to come to terms with the building owners on a new lease that would ensure our continued success. While we are very sad about our closing, we also know that we are so lucky to have had so many great nights with you.
Throughout our run we have been blessed with wonderful guests, many of whom have become like family to us. We are proud and grateful to have been part of so many of your birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, and graduations. It’s really humbling how many times you allowed us to celebrate with you.
To all of our front-of-the-house staff through the years, it was simply amazing to work with all of you. Since the time we opened G. Michael’s, I have said that our service staff has been the best in Columbus. The welcome and attention you gave to all our guests was consistently exceptional. Jeff and I really were lucky to have you in our restaurant. Working nights with you was such a wonderful part of the work. Many of the best people we know have worked on the floor at G. Michael’s.
To my line cooks in particular, a special thanks to you all. So many of you throughout our tenure have brought so much to the kitchen. Thanks for your patience, dedication, and loyalty as I developed and matured as a chef and we developed and matured as a restaurant. You all were the true heart of the restaurant, and I’m lucky to have been your chef.
For our assistant managers and sous chefs through the years, thanks for being the glue that held us together and far too often the outlet for us to vent to in our more difficult times. We really wouldn’t have survived the hardest challenges without you on our team. Late nights and long shifts form strong bonds, and we had plenty of those shifts with all of you. To my sous chefs in particular—thank you for all you did for me. Your time with me made me a better chef, better business owner, and better person and parent overall. There are many places to learn life lessons, but you could do far worse than learning on the hot line with you at G. Michael’s.
Although we are closing, we do not view it as a failure. We are lucky to be going out on our terms, successfully. The future of the industry is cloudy, and the costs are getting more challenging. At the end of our time, the decision is purely financial as it pertains to our lease. After all the wonderful years and so many fond memories, there is no way to think of our years in German Village as anything but a success.
We will miss all of you, but we look forward to seeing you around Columbus so that we can share in our memories of G Michael’s together.
Again, thanks for all the wonderful years we got to spend with you.
Sincerely,
David Tetzloff and Jeff Benson
