We talk about one of the cornerstones of a successful business is the ability to evolve. Sometimes when talking to business owners I hear how if they don’t keep doing what people have come to expect from them, they will just confuse their customers. If they do something out of character in their area of expertise, their customers won’t know what they stand for.
I think that mentality is wrong.
True, consistency can be a good thing if a business has perfected its craft, but that percentage of business is very small.
The 915 Pub and Grill is making some changes that customers, and no doubt their bottom-line, were screaming for: a more family-friendly environment.
Starting September 1st, the restaurant will be going smoke-free during kitchen hours.Â
“We were excellent in the beginning,” said co-owner Kerry Owens. “Things started going downhill over time and we needed to make some changes. Our biggest complaint was the smoking, but I also saw the need to become more customer service oriented and to get the kitchen in order.”
The Yelpers and Urban Spooners would agree with Owens’ assessment. The 915 Pub and Grill opened 6.5 years ago and received high marks from both of the online rating communities early on. Over the past year, those ratings seemed to dip.
As noted on our site, the complaints about smoking, the restaurant running out of food and poor service seemed to be more of a pattern, amid rumors that the restaurant was for sale.
This announcement could make eating a burger at the 915 a “must do” again, as it was when it was  named in the 2011 Cincinnati Metromix’s 100 Things You Must Do in Cincinnati.
Owens is part of a 5-person ownership group. She and three other owners were silent, while one ran the day-to-day operations. That has changed and she and others have become more active.
“We’re kicking around the idea of having more entertainment. Karaoke or trivia nights. Possible a kids’ menu. We needed something to spark it up again. Hopefully this does that.”
