The former Branch restaurant space in a converted East Walnut Hills bank building is getting new life as a Southern-style breakfast and brunch spot moves in.
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Kenwood’s 6 ‘N The Mornin’ is relocating to the heart of the neighborhood in the spring of 2024. The space, located at 1535 Madison Road, used to be home to Branch, which shuttered in October 2023. Owner Trey Graham, of 6Enterprises, hopes that the new 6,582 square-foot restaurant will be a better spot for his employees and customers.
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He’s been at his current space, a carry-out located at 7714 Montgomery Road, since opening in July 2022. It’s been a massive success, he said.
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Graham’s business has outgrown its 1,200 square feet. He said that due to the small kitchen, his staff are having trouble keeping up with all the orders. Despite his success in the Kenwood area, he plans to shut down the location completely by the end of this month and focus on getting everything ready for the new space.
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The bigger kitchen will allow him to expand his menu. He plans on adding steak and eggs and lamb chops, along with mimosas and other cocktails for customers to enjoy in a sit-down setting.
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His vision for the space extends beyond Southern comfort food. Graham wants 6 ‘N The Mornin’ to reignite the movement for Black-owned businesses in the area.
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“This space will allow 6Enterprises to establish a safe, close knit and open community that harbors Southern-style comfort foods paired with cocktails in a central location within the city of Cincinnati,” he said in a news release.
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6 ‘N The Mornin’ will take over the top floor of the building, and Graham plans on opening a speakeasy in the basement level. He’s not ready to speak too much on this concept just yet because he wants it to be a surprise to his customers. However, he did say he plans on being open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. for a late-night vibe that will include a full bar and hookah.
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“I envision pioneering a unique space in which two business models under the same umbrella are operated out of the same location,” he said.
Between the two concepts, Graham plans on hiring at least 20 to 25 new employees.
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Gabriela Costantini and Rachel L. Thompson of 3CRE Commercial Real Estate represented Graham in the lease.
“It was love at first sight before I even stepped into the space,” Graham said.
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The former Branch restaurant was first marketed for sale or lease in spring 2023 by OnSite Retail Group’s Josh Rothstein. It was billed as a turn-key opportunity, and that, along with its corner location, drew Graham to the space.
There’s also a courtyard Graham plans to activate.
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Rothstein believes the East Walnut Hills revitalization effort has hit a new level now that the space is leased. Tropical taco restaurant Solstice and Fix Coffeehouse & Bar are two of the latest concepts to open in the neighborhood.
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“Over the last year, the Walnut Hills area has been resurging with activity, and now that this landmark building on its main corner has been leased, the retail and restaurant landscape has officially been revived,” Rothstein said.
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Since the former bank is equipped for restaurant use, Graham said he won’t be utilizing a general contractor or overhauling the space. The building resembles many of its roots as the old Central Trust Bank: the original bank vault now functions as a cooler, and the bar is located where tellers used to dispense cash to patrons. However, Graham will work alongside designer Embress Latimer to design new murals, which will be executed by artists from Often Seen and Rarely Spoken.
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Graham, a Florida native, first moved to the Queen City back in 2019. His original plan was to utilize his business management degree that he received from Florida State. He had been working in retail management and was looking for a role that would give him steadier hours and better pay.
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“I just kind of took a leap of faith,” he said. “I thought I was doing what was going to propel my life going forward, and lo and behold, God had other plans.”
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He ended up working for Macy’s for six months before getting furloughed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a way, this was a blessing in disguise that led him to his true calling: entrepreneurship.
After another short stint in the corporate world as the district manager of sales for Campbell Soup Co., he realized he needed to commit 100% to his business.
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He planned on having his brother, Josh Long, run the location while he supervised.
“(But) the day I opened is the day I walked away from my job. And I never looked back,” he said.
At 31, the single father is a proud to be a business owner. He said he hopes his work will be seen as an inspiration to others.
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“I feel a lot of people have ideas and want to be entrepreneurs, but get complacent in their field due to comfortability,” he said. “This just goes to show that sometimes it takes a level of being uncomfortable in order to chase dreams.”
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