What Happened to Cray Eatery and Drinkery? (Columbus, OH)

Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) visited Cray Eatery and Drinkery in Columbus, Ohio, for the episode "Ambush: Cray, Cray," which aired April 27, 2016, as part of season 13. Chef Robert Irvine arrived unannounced under the season's ambush format to confront an inexperienced owner and a kitchen operation the show described as disorganized. As part of the renovation, the show rebranded the business, relaunching it under a new name, Factory on 4th, alongside the usual physical overhaul of the dining room and kitchen workflow. The rename did not translate into a lasting turnaround.

Columbus Underground, a local news and culture outlet, reported that the business -- by then operating as Factory on 4th -- was closing pending a sale, citing ongoing financial strain in the months following the show's renovation. Coverage described a mix of rent pressure, staffing turnover, and inconsistent reviews after the reveal as contributing factors. The closure took effect within months of the April 2016 episode airing. A different, unrelated restaurant and bar, City Tavern, later opened in the same building -- described in other coverage as the historic Wonder Bread Building in the Italian Village neighborhood -- and has operated there since 2017.

Yelp's listing for City Tavern, last updated in July 2026, shows it as an active pub serving food and drinks seven days a week, with no indication that its ownership has any connection to the original Cray Eatery and Drinkery or Factory on 4th operation. Because Cray Eatery and Drinkery's run under both names ended within about a year of this episode, and because the current occupant of the address is a separate, later business, this record is logged as closed rather than as a renamed or new-ownership continuation. The closure is documented through a single named outlet rather than two independent sources or an official statement.