Over-The-Rhine restaurant expanding to the suburbs

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - The Eagle is the latest restaurant in Over-the-Rhine to expand to the suburbs. Co-founder of Thunderdome Restaurant Group, John Lanni, says the fourth location of The Eagle will open in about a year in Anderson Township. It's the latest in a series of restaurants that are expanding after becoming big successes in OTR. Senate is expected to open a new location in Blue Ash this year. It seems like the neighborhood that's struggled with crime and blight is now at the top of the food chain. "I think there's just so much synergy down here in Over-The-Rhine, but that's happening across the country, so really we're kind of riding this urban renaissance that's happening everywhere across the country," says Lanni. Among his group's restaurants in OTR are Bakersfield and Krueger’s. Bakersfield is now in six major cities. Taste of Belgium is another OTR original that's expanding. Owner Jean-Francois Flechet is set to open the restaurant's fourth location at The Banks in the next month. Here's his recipe for success: "For us it's really building the team and it's trying to hire good people and people who can do things that I can't do and building of the team so that we can grow and repeat it in another part of town or another city." OTR is ground zero for a cultural and culinary revival that shows no signs of slowing down. "There's great community on this street. It's lots of great people and they all do amazing things whether it's Senate, Bakersfield, others, so it's great to see them grow," says Flechet.