AKRON, Ohio – Lanning’s Restaurant, an Akron institution, has been sold.
The sales closed today, and the restaurant will remain open. Few changes are in store for the iconic fine-dining spot located less than a mile from Interstate 77.
The steak and seafood restaurant prides itself on a romantic setting and its formal service. Waiters wear tuxedos but serve without pretentiousness. The restaurant’s wine list has been consistently solid – nothing crazy, just very good, reasonable and approachable bottles.
In 1972, Jess and Sue Cecil bought the restaurant from original owner Frank Lanning Barnett. Next-generation owner Chris Cecil Darnell and her husband Jeff were not looking, but the opportunity came up suddenly.
“Quite honestly my children work for corporate America, and my husband and I didn’t have an exit plan,” Chris Cecil Darnell said. “We felt the timing was right. He’s ready to retire. We had just started remodeling in February, then Covid hit in March. It was our plan to hire a (general manager) and continue on.”
Along came Bethany and Dean Martin, who were in the market to buy a restaurant. They backed off another deal, their broker reached out to the Darnells, and the timing meshed for both parties.
“They decided to retire, and we decided it was a great opportunity. While this is challenging times right now, this chapter (Covid) is going to end, and we’re all going to move on,” Bethany Martin said. “It’s a great restaurant with an amazing legacy, and we’re going to get things rocking and rolling again.”
The name will remain, the staff will stay on, and the menu will continue to offer the classic dishes Lanning’s is known for - from Oysters Rockefeller to scampi, steaks, lamb chops and more. And, yes, the waiters will continue to wear tuxedos.
“We’re going to stick to the tried and true,” Martin said, adding “The reason people come to Lanning’s, we want to keep that exactly the same.”
Note: Lanning’s is at 826 N. Cleveland-Massillon Road, Akron. It is about 27 miles from downtown Cleveland. The restaurant is offering a deal through Dec. 31: For every $100 purchased in gift cards, a $20 gift card will be given to use next year.
I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 8:05 a.m. Fridays for “Beer with Bona and Much, Much More” with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler.
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December 12, 2020 at 04:17AM
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Iconic Akron restaurant Lanning’s sold - cleveland.com
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