Rune Kitchen + Juicery has closed its Mariemont location at 6844 Wooster Pike after three years in business, with staffing challenges cited as a reason for the shutdown. The locally owned vegan cafe and juice bar will keep operating its Northside location, which the business described as thriving.
The closure was confirmed by Cincinnati Business Courier, which reported that Rune had closed one of its two locations. Local 12 reported that Rune was set to close the Mariemont spot after three years, citing staffing as a factor, though an exact closing date was not shared. The restaurant specializes in health-focused acai bowls, herbal teas, smoothies, juices and small bites, according to the station's report.
Per a business Instagram post, Rune said operating two locations was no longer sustainable and that closing the Mariemont space would allow the company to keep evolving. The same post described the closure as a stepping stone in the business's growth and said its vision had outgrown what the Mariemont space could accommodate. Rune owner Caleb Cornelius declined to comment further beyond the social media post, per the same account.
What Comes Next for Northside
According to the Instagram post, Rune plans to continue operating its Northside location and even expand its food offerings there. The business said it was looking forward to what comes next, framing the Mariemont closure as part of a broader shift rather than a retreat. As Cincinnati Enquirer noted, the business also cited seasonal slowdowns and the demands of running the Northside shop as factors behind the Mariemont closure.
Rune, which first opened as a plant-based eatery offering smoothie bowls, sandwiches and baked goods, built its Mariemont presence over three years before the shutdown. The bizjournals.com report also noted the business was focusing on its thriving Northside location, though that framing appeared in only a brief search snippet.
A Tough Few Years for Independent Kitchens
Rune's closure lands amid wider strain on Cincinnati's independent restaurant scene. A University of Cincinnati study examined 2,231 independently owned restaurants that opened in the city between 2008 and 2023 and found that 1,346 of them, about 60%, eventually closed, according to UC News. Closures spiked twice during that period, jumping to 13% in 2009 after the Great Recession and 11% in 2022, two years after the pandemic, the university's research found. At the neighborhood level, closures were also correlated with higher restaurant density and higher crime rates.
Rising labor costs, increasing food prices and intense competition are squeezing restaurant owners across the region, WLWT reported, noting that more than nine in 10 operators report rising costs for food, labor or energy. The station's report also pointed to a growing list of closures over the past year, including several Frisch's locations and longtime staple Allyn's Café in Columbia Tusculum, alongside recent shutdowns at Sweets and Meats BBQ in Avondale and Dee Felice Market in Covington. Even so, the National Restaurant Association projects the industry will reach $1.55 trillion in sales and add more than 100,000 jobs in 2026, and more than seven in 10 Americans say they'd dine out more if they had extra disposable income, per the same report.
For now, Rune's Mariemont storefront on Wooster Pike sits closed, while the Northside shop carries the brand forward. The business has not detailed what its expanded Northside offerings will look like, but its own messaging frames the Mariemont exit as a step toward something bigger rather than an ending.
