In what feels like an endless wave of restaurant closures across Greater Cincinnati, another Covington restaurant has announced it will shutter permanently.
Opal Rooftop opened in the Republic Bank building on Madison Avenue in October 2023 and quickly became a popular dining destination, even being voted as the Best New Restaurant in CityBeat’s Best of Cincinnati Readers Poll in 2024. The restaurant offered a chef-driven, casual fine-dining experience centered around its open-fire cooktop Grillworks Grill, the only one of its kind within a two-hour radius of Greater Cincinnati.
On Thursday, owners Bill and Morgan Whitlow shared on social media that Opal would be closing due to “insurmountable” obstacles.
“If you’ve visited Opal, you’ve experienced the love and effort poured into every detail of this space. However, during your visits, you may have also encountered the barriers we’ve faced on-site—barriers that have ultimately hindered the long-term viability of Opal on this rooftop,” the Whitlows wrote. “As owners, we have worked tirelessly to address these challenges while our team operated Opal at the highest level, creating memorable experiences for our guests and each other. Despite Opal’s many strengths, the obstacles we’ve faced over the past three years in building and sustaining this space have become insurmountable.”
The Whitlows add they’ve explored every possible solution to keep Opal open, but the cost to continue is too much given the current climate of the restaurant industry. They also thanked their team, diners and the community for being a part of their journey.
Opal’s last day in operations will be Saturday, Jan. 18.
In December, the Whitlows also closed their restaurant Rich’s Proper, as well as the Covington Yard location of their slider concept, Hangry Omar’s Slider Shack. The one at Oakley Greens remains open.
This article appears in Dec 11-24, 2024.
