Gahanna breakfast spot started by jailed Food Network chef set to close
GAHANNA, Ohio (WCMH) — SuperChef’s, a central Ohio breakfast spot launched by a Food Network chef who was arrested earlier this year on an assault charge, is closing after nearly 10 years of business.
The restaurant at 1376 Cherry Bottom Road is welcoming customers for the last time on Saturday, owner Ryan Bryson announced on social media. Bryson opened the Gahanna location in October 2014 after inventing the brand with Darnell Ferguson, a celebrity chef who hosted Food Network’s “SuperChef Grudge Match.”
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“While I debated back and forth, should I renew my lease for five more years, ultimately, I decided to go out on top rather than struggle through food cost uncertainties, labor woes, who’s going to be our next president, and ultimately a sector that may become obsolete within the next 10 years,” the social media post states.
Bryson’s post also thanks Ferguson, who was arrested in Kentucky earlier this year for allegedly strangling his wife and has been charged with first-degree burglary, fourth-degree assault and first-degree strangulation. The former Food Network star has pleaded not guilty and is set to face a jury trial beginning in February.
Darnell Ferguson pictured on Nov. 17, 2022. (Photo by Nathan Congleton/Getty Images)" data-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ka8OmYV.JTUSPEacXtZeww--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/wcmh_articles_195/2001467beac1e86b30dd92f594221859">
Darnell Ferguson pictured on Nov. 17, 2022. (Photo by Nathan Congleton/Getty Images)
However, since his arrest, Ferguson’s wife, Tatahda Ferguson, has spoken out and said her “words were twisted by certain law enforcement officials who are looking to make a name for themselves at the expense of my husband’s celebrity status.”
“Darnell and I have had our issues and we made every effort not to let it impact our family and loved ones, particularly our children,” Ferguson said an April news release. “I reacted in the heat of the moment after we had an intense argument, and called the police for a matter that really didn’t warrant their involvement.”
Bryson and Ferguson dreamed up SuperChef’s while working together at a gyro shop, the post states. The pair opened their first location in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2012, then expanded with restaurants in Ohio. Ferguson cut ties with SuperChef’s in 2020.
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“This idea … which was only supposed to be a temporary pop-up shop took us around the world, kid,” said Bryson in the post, referring to Ferguson. “No matter where we stand in life, no one can erase the foundation we laid when it comes to gourmet breakfast.”
The Gahanna restaurant temporarily closed for about six months in 2022 to swap locations with neighboring Mexican restaurant Los Guachos. The switch was a downsize for SuperChef’s, which moved from a 2,800-square-foot space to a 1,500-square-foot eatery.
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