CINCINNATI -- Sushi burrito eatery Roll On In will open its new location in Clifton Heights on Nov. 14, said co-owner and CEO John Kallenberger.
The Lebanon restaurant will take over the space at 2504 W. Clifton Ave., formerly occupied by Gilpin’s, for its second location. Kallenberger and his business partner, Michael McCarthy, opened Roll On In’s Lebanon location in June.
The ordering line area at Roll On In in Clifton Heights. (Photo provided by Roll On In.)
Six weeks into the buildout, Kallenberger said with the exception of resurfacing the floor and painting the walls, work on the space is starting to wrap up.
“It took us four months to build out Lebanon; I’d say this has been a pretty easy one,” he said.
The final step will be an inspection by the health department. “We do have the advantage that six weeks ago this was a functioning restaurant,” he said.
The restaurant will seat 40 inside, with room for roughly 15 more outside. The menu and fast-casual format at the Clifton Heights location will be identical to that of the Lebanon eatery. Although there’s an existing liquor license, Kallenberger said he does not plan to immediately serve alcohol at the new location.
As plans progress for Roll On In’s second location, the crew also has made changes at both the original location and the eatery’s food truck.
In about two weeks, the Lebanon restaurant will debut brown rice as an alternative to white rice. The eatery also has added “gluten free” and “vegan” designations on the menu to better serve customers with diet restrictions.
Though a brunch program has not yet launched, it’s still something they intend to do, Kallenberger said, offering customers the ability to build their own bowls or flour tortilla-burritos with items like eggs, bacon and chorizo.
Since the arrival of Roll On In’s food truck in August, the crew has been busy tweaking the menu and operation. Deviating from the build-your-own format at the restaurant, the food truck offers a dozen different composed sushi burrito choices, ranging from the “surf and turf burrito” (steak, shrimp and sweet potato) to “dynamite burrito” (lightly coated with flaky breadcrumbs and flash fried), and four “bowls,” which do not have the wrap.
The food truck has been receiving two to three invitations a week to serve food at various venues. Kallenberger said they’ve thus far chosen smaller events to allow the chance to refine their operations, but he thinks they’re now ready to “hit it hard.”
While he doesn’t have a specific timeline, Kallenberger said they plan to continue to expand. They are actively looking in Oxford, Dayton and the Northern Kentucky University area. However, that doesn’t mean that’s where they’ll end up, he said, citing his soon-to-open store as an example.
“Clifton (Heights) was not my next location,” he said. “The availability came up and we moved on it."
He continues to be amazed by customers’ enthusiasm and loyalty. Many have joined Roll On In’s app-based rewards program, Five Stars.
“We have so many VIP customers, it’s crazy,” he said, laughing. “It’s really a remarkable experience.”
Roll On In Clifton Heights
Where: 2504 W. Clifton Ave.
Grand opening: Monday, Nov. 14.
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Roll On In Lebanon
Where: 44 E. Mulberry St.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Phone: 513-228-0069
www.facebook.com/rollonin
Grace Yek writes about food for WCPO Digital. She is a certified chef-de-cuisine with the American Culinary Federation, and a former chemical engineer. Questions or comments? Connect with her on Twitter: @Grace_Yek.
