Urban Chophouse has been open for less than a year but it has since received some notoriety due to the actions of co-owner Urban Meyer. Now, the former Jaguars head coach will add an even shorter stint as a restaurant partner as the Corso Ventures-owned steakhouse will rebrand away from the “Urban” name.
The Comeback’s Ben Koo revealed that the restaurant has been sold to Shawn Shahnazi, owner of the Monarch Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge in Columbus. (In 2020, Monarch was in the news following shootings and a stabbing near there, with Columbus city attorney Zach Klein getting involved in discussions with the club about how to “control the violence.” )
Under the new management for Urban Chophouse, the name, signage, and menu will change, and there will be a new executive chef and general manager.
Regarding Urban’s Meyer’s Chophouse, it’s being sold to Shawn Shahnazi.
Signage and menu will change in a few weeks. GM and Executive Chef out.The longue will become a members only club.
Meyer brand and fine dining didn’t mesh, wallpaper of him in Jax especially lol.
— Ben Koo (@bkoo) February 11, 2022
After opening in May 2021, Urban Chophouse was the location of Meyer’s wild night in October where videos showed him dancing with a young woman at a nearby bar. Meyer was reportedly with a group to celebrate Chophouse co-owner Chris Corso’s birthday, and some reports indicated they may have been drinking before arriving at the restaurant. That incident helped set off the chain of events that eventually led to Meyer’s firing in December.
It’s been a rough year for Meyer, but perhaps he’ll be able to navigate his way back to a media job ahead of the 2022 football season.
