The campaign helped the Cleveland Public Theater, a champion of new and local plays, turn a Romanian Orthodox church into a rehearsal and classroom space. It also built the Near West Theater, a community theater, contributing to Gordon Square’s reputation as an entertainment district. Photo“The neighborhood was going to be there with or without the show,” said Jonathon Sawyer, the chef and owner of the Greenhouse Tavern and other restaurants in Cleveland who appeared on “Cleveland Hustles” as a mentor to one team of entrepreneurs. Not all of the “Cleveland Hustles” winners were commercially successful: The owners of Cleveland-made Old City Soda, a soft drink company, competed and won financial backing to open a cocktail lounge, Old City Libations. PhotoSince the one-season “Cleveland Hustles” aired, Theater Ninjas, a performing arts company, City Breaks Cleveland, a hip-hop dance studio, and Astoria Café & Market, a Mediterranean restaurant and grocer, have opened in the neighborhood.

Source: New York Times November 15, 2017 04:52 UTC