Jerzee’s Cafe has closed its downtown Canton location at Centennial Plaza, with owner Chris Maggiore saying the event-driven nature of the site made it difficult to generate consistent business throughout the year.
The restaurant and sports bar’s final day open to the public was Oct. 3. A private event scheduled for Oct. 10 will mark the final gathering at the location.
Maggiore told Jordan Miller News that the decision to close the Centennial Plaza restaurant is not indicative of the overall health of Jerzee’s. He said the company’s three other locations — in the Belden Village area, on Fulton Drive near the Pro Football Hall of Fame and in Green — are thriving and will continue to receive investment.
The downtown location, however, operated in a much different environment.
Maggiore described the Centennial Plaza restaurant as highly seasonal and dependent on events that bring people into downtown Canton. Concerts, First Fridays and other major downtown activities could generate strong crowds, but business was considerably slower when those events were not taking place.
That inconsistency ultimately made continued operation of the location difficult.
Jerzee’s opened at Centennial Plaza after the downtown public space debuted in 2021. The restaurant occupies an approximately 1,800-square-foot city-owned building at the plaza.
With the downtown location closing, Maggiore said the company will focus its attention and investments on its three remaining Jerzee’s locations.
That includes the Belden Village-area restaurant on Dressler Road, where M Bar Social, which is connected to Jerzee’s, recently underwent a complete renovation. The company also operates its Fulton Drive location near the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a location in Green.
Additional improvements are planned for the Fulton location.
Maggiore emphasized that despite leaving Centennial Plaza, his connection to Canton remains strong.
“I want to thank Mayor Tom Bernabei, Mayor William V. Sherer II and Hall of Fame President Jim Porter for allowing us to be in downtown Canton and be in Canton,” Maggiore told Jordan Miller News. “I’ve got a strong loyalty to Canton and will always love Canton.”
Employees from the downtown restaurant are expected to be offered opportunities to work at other Jerzee’s locations.
The city owns the Centennial Plaza building as well as furnishings, televisions, kitchen equipment and other items inside the restaurant, leaving the space largely equipped for another operator.
Canton officials are expected to seek another restaurant, bar or similar business for the property.
The closure ends Jerzee’s run at Centennial Plaza, but Maggiore stressed that the company remains strong and will continue investing in its three other locations.
