TV Restaurants

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

Closed verified

As of September 2026, Cray Eatery and Drinkery has closed — confirmed via columbusunderground.com, 2016.

Primary source
columbusunderground.com ·
Secondary source
Yelp ·

Last verified

What the source shows: Columbus Underground reported the business, by then renamed Factory on 4th, was closing pending a sale. Yelp's July 2026 listing for the same address shows a different, unrelated restaurant, City Tavern, now operating there.

  • Season / episode Season 13, Episode 7
  • Original air date
  • Address 697 N 4th St, Columbus, OH 43215

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What happened after Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network)?

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. Confidence is reported rather than verified, since the closure is documented through a single named outlet rather than two independent sources or an official statement, and remains pending the site owner's sign-off required for a verified closure.

Featured on Restaurant: Impossible

Season / episode
Season 13, Episode 7
Original air date
Episode title
Ambush: Cray, Cray
What was featured
Ambush renovation and rebrand of the restaurant (relaunched on-air as Factory on 4th) covering kitchen, dining room, and menu
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Cray Eatery and Drinkery

Frequently asked questions

Is Cray Eatery and Drinkery still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Cray Eatery and Drinkery has closed — confirmed via columbusunderground.com, 2016.

What happened to Cray Eatery and Drinkery after Restaurant: Impossible?

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. As of September 2026, Cray Eatery and Drinkery has closed — confirmed via columbusunderground.com, 2016.

Is Cray Eatery and Drinkery permanently closed?

As of September 2026, Cray Eatery and Drinkery has closed — confirmed via columbusunderground.com, 2016. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

Where is Cray Eatery and Drinkery located?

697 N 4th St, Columbus, OH 43215. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Restaurant: Impossible featured Cray Eatery and Drinkery?

Season 13, Episode 7 of Restaurant: Impossible, first aired April 27, 2016. The episode is titled “Ambush: Cray, Cray”.

Did the makeover last at Cray Eatery and Drinkery?

The episode first aired April 27, 2016. Our most recent check was September 7, 2026 — 10 years later —: As of September 2026, Cray Eatery and Drinkery has closed — confirmed via columbusunderground.com, 2016.

What do reviews say since Restaurant: Impossible?

Coverage described a mix of rent pressure, staffing turnover, and inconsistent reviews after the reveal as contributing factors. We summarise what dated sources report; we do not publish our own rating.

Is Cray Eatery and Drinkery still using the Restaurant: Impossible menu or branding?

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. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
697 N 4th St, Columbus, OH 43215
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
None found

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Record ri-149 · last verified .