Short North's Goody Boy Diner closed for renovations

A Short North icon has closed, but will reopen later this year.

Michael's Goody Boy Diner, at 1144 N. High St., is shutting down for a few months as a new partner, Chris Corso, who owns the Pint House, Standard Hall and the Short North Food Hall, steps in to refresh the diner.

"I love that place," Corso said of the Goody Boy. "I am going to come in there with my team and keep that vibe going."

The renovations won't change the character of the restaurant, Corso said. There will be new furniture, a refresh for the facade and some improvements to the patio. Corso also plans to update the menu a bit. Jimmy Velio, who bought the Goody Boy about a decade ago, is still a partner in the restaurant. Velio floated plans to tear down the diner in 2010 and build a Jimmy V's on the spot, but never got those plans off the ground.

Corso hopes to reopen the diner in March, around St. Patrick's Day.

"We don't want to change too much," Corso said. "We can make something cool happen there."

Corso, who has lived in the Short North for more than 20 years, has made a business out of rehabbing the neighborhood's spaces and making new bars and restaurants.

The partnership with Velio came about through conversations about injecting new life into the diner, Corso said. Corso worried that as the Short North attracts more and more redevelopment, the Goody Boy would get bulldozed, or replaced with a chain concept.

"The Goody Boy is what a lot of people want the Short North to be, an iconic, neat venue with a non-commercial feel to it," Corso said. "It's a special place where we can keep things unique."

jmalone@dispatch.com

@j_d_malone