Joya's Café, the Bengali-American daytime spot that's become an Old Worthington fixture since 2022, is about to get a lot bigger. The Worthington Municipal Planning Commission signed off on plans to expand the café from its current storefront at 657 High St. into the neighboring space at 661A High St., a move that will add roughly 60 indoor seats and, for the first time, put dinner on the menu.
What the Approval Covers
The commission approved the project on Sept. 10, according to NBC4i, clearing the way for Joya's to take over the space formerly occupied by Grid Furnishings. The station reports the new footprint will include a bar, waiting area, new kitchen, private dining space, additional restrooms, and prep and storage areas — a significant jump from the café's current handful of indoor tables.
Beyond the interior buildout, the plans call for a new accessible entrance, revisions to the front patio, new signage and screened mechanical equipment along the building's south side, the station's report notes. Per 614NOW, that mechanical work will require removing an existing window on the south side of the building to accommodate equipment and piping, which will then be enclosed behind a six-foot fence.
Same Storefront, New Hours
Joya's existing storefront isn't going anywhere — it will remain part of the expanded restaurant, while COhatch continues to occupy the second floor of the building, according to the same 614NOW report. The bigger change for regulars will be the schedule: NBC4i reports the expanded restaurant is planned to serve breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, then reopen for dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
That would mark Joya's first regular foray into evening service; until now, regular operations have focused on breakfast and lunch, though the café has also held special evening events. The dinner menu itself, along with whether the restaurant will use counter or tableside service, remains undecided, per NBC4i's reporting. Current hours have been described differently across outlets — 614NOW lists Joya's as open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, while an earlier account from the Worthington Partnership described the café as open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
No Firm Timeline Yet
Anyone hoping to grab a dinner reservation soon will have to wait. No opening date has been set for the expanded restaurant, and NBC4i reports that 2027 is only a broad construction estimate, since equipment availability and other parts of the project could still shift the schedule.
Chef and owner Avishar Barua, who opened Joya's in 2022 in the former Sassafras Bakery space, told NBC4i his goal through the expansion is preserving the restaurant's warm atmosphere and Bengali-American identity even as the footprint grows. Joya's is named after Barua's mother, and the café has built its reputation on a Bengali-American approach to coffee and daytime fare, according to Columbus Monthly, which also notes the café's culinary influences stretch to China, Korea, Thailand and Taco Bell.
A Chef With a Growing Footprint
Barua has occasionally teased the possibilities of a bigger dining room before. Columbus Monthly reported that Joya's has hosted periodic public dinner parties featuring tasting menus, special beverages and a reconfigured dining room — a preview, perhaps, of what regular evening service might look like once the expansion is complete.
The chef's profile has risen well beyond Worthington in recent years. He competed on season 18 of Bravo's Top Chef, according to the Worthington Partnership, and Joya's was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2024, per NBC4i. Barua is also chef and owner of Agni, located in Columbus' Brewery District.
