Downtown Akron’s long-quiet O'Neil's Building is about to get loud. Crafty Steere is rolling out a two-story mashup of market, restaurant and full bar just steps from Lock 3, taking over a long-vacant corner of South Main. Owner Brian Steere says this downtown outpost will be the company’s largest location, pulling together a walk-in shop, grocery-style shelves, private event rooms, games and a full bar under one roof. For a stretch of downtown where storefronts have sat dark for years, it is one of the biggest new retail plays in the latest wave of redevelopment and is expected to put fresh, daily foot traffic on the street.
As reported by Cleveland.com, the space at 222 S. Main St. will come in at roughly 18,000 to 20,000 square feet and will stock West Point Market products, locally sourced beef, Pandora’s Cupcakes and other regional staples. The downtown address previously held Damon's Grill and then sat empty for about 12 years while the historic building underwent renovations. Cleveland.com also notes that plans call for a catering commissary in the building and retail shelf space dedicated to local makers.
What’s Inside The Two-Story Spot
Crafty Steere’s own locations page currently lists the downtown Akron address as “coming soon” and outlines a lineup that includes a market counter, deli selections, grab-and-go meals, private dining rooms and family-friendly games, according to Crafty Steere's website. The company has already brought back West Point Market recipes at its Fairlawn and Tallmadge locations, and those same signature spreads, triple-layer brownies and Pandora’s Cupcakes are slated for the downtown shelves. Beyond the markets, the brand also runs a cafe at Springside Athletic Club and operates catering and food-truck services across the region, all of which feed into the new downtown hub.
Timeline And Renovation
There is still some wiggle room on an exact opening date. In June, local development coverage said the team was aiming for mid-to-late July, the Akron Beacon Journal reported, while later coverage shifted the target to mid-to-late August, according to Cleveland.com. Renovations have been extensive, and Steere told reporters that a major pipe-replacement project has been one of the biggest pieces of the build-out as crews retrofit the historic O'Neil's space for a full kitchen and market. City records show that a new Type D5/D5J liquor permit has been filed for Crafty Steere at 222 S. Main, signaling plans for a full bar alongside packaged beer and wine sales, according to the City of Akron.
Downtown Context
Crafty Steere’s arrival lines up with a broader push to plug a longstanding grocery and everyday-retail gap in downtown Akron. Local outlets have pointed to The Mercantile and a separate 159 Main market as nearby concepts that, together, could finally give downtown residents and workers somewhere close to grab basics without getting in the car. Coverage and city officials say that more day-to-day retail, not just big weekend events, is central to keeping people in the core longer, and community leaders are banking on these openings to make that happen. If the multi-use Crafty Steere model clicks, it could reset expectations for how restaurants and markets operate around Lock 3 and the Akron Children's Museum, with a steady flow of both daytime shoppers and evening bar traffic, Signal Akron and News 5 Cleveland reported.
For now, Steere and his team are finishing the build-out, and Crafty Steere’s locations page keeps the downtown spot tagged as “coming soon.” The company says official opening dates and events will be posted on its website. Until then, city filings and local reporting point to a sizable, two-story market and bar at 222 S. Main that will serve as an early test of whether everyday retail and nighttime hospitality can truly share the same address in downtown Akron.
