COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A vacant Franklinton home will soon undergo a dramatic transformation to become a Japanese restaurant with a black-and-red aesthetic.
The East Franklinton Review Board approved plans on Oct. 22 for Columbus developer Blake Compton to repurpose a two-story home at 494 W. Walnut St. into a “Japanese-focused, small plates” restaurant and whiskey bar. Renderings show the eatery is utilizing a black, red and white color palette, leaning into “a grungy, street-style Japanese” aesthetic, Compton said.
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“I personally like it being weird and different, I don’t want it to necessarily be the same cookie-cutter colors all the way across,” Compton told the board. While the Japanese eatery has signed a letter of intent to be the building’s tenant, the developer said they’re not ready to officially announce the restaurant.
The project, which is part of Compton’s larger effort to redevelop single-family homes along Walnut Street, was originally reviewed by the board in 2023 and included plans to paint the house green, with a ground-floor restaurant and a second-floor apartment. However, Compton said the project pivoted after the 2023 version “no longer became economically feasible.”
While the review board unanimously approved Compton’s Japanese restaurant plan, some members were reluctant to speak in favor of the proposed color palette…