Opal Rooftop, a casual-fine dining restaurant on the top floor of Covington’s seven-story Republic Bank building, will permanently close on January 18.
Owners Bill and Morgan Whitlow announced the news in a post to Opal’s Facebook account. In the post, the Whitlows said the restaurant faced many challenges, including rising costs, the current climate of the restaurant industry, and sustaining the rooftop space.
“Despite Opal’s many strengths, the obstacles we’ve faced over the past three years in building and sustaining this space have become insurmountable,” read the post. “We have explored every possible solution to overcome these issues, but the cost to continue this fight has grown too high given the current climate of the industry and our commitment to addressing these challenges in the most ethical way possible.”
Opal was well-known for its rooftop dining experience where customers dined on an open-air patio with unimpeded views of downtown Covington and Cincinnati. It opened in late September 2023 after the rooftop space underwent extensive renovations.
Opal will be the third restaurant owned by the Whitlows to close in the past two months. In December 2024, Rich’s Proper and Hangry Omar’s Slider Shack—both located in central Covington—closed permanently.
The Whitlow’s thanked Opal’s staff, customers and local community for their support.
“We are profoundly grateful for all you’ve done and remain dedicated to supporting you through this,” they wrote.