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Chef partner Marlow’s Cheesesteaks opens March 5

COLUMBUS, Ohio (February 26, 2024) – Budd Dairy Food Hall is welcoming a new, permanent chef partner. Marlow’s Cheesesteaks, a locally beloved cheesesteak shop known for its Philadelphia-style menu, is joining the food hall as a chef partner on March 5. This switch is the first permanent vendor swap in three years since Budd Dairy Food Hall’s grand opening.

“Our Budd Dairy Food Hall team is thrilled to welcome Marlow’s Cheesesteaks to the ‘flavorhood’,” said Jeremy Hughes, general manager of Budd Dairy Food Hall. “It’s important to us that we continue to freshen up our offerings and provide raving fans with a variety of delicious cuisines to try. Our newest chef partner does just that with exceptional flavors and unique menu items. Notably, Marlow’s is returning to the food hall after being one of our most popular Hatch partners last year, and their continued success demonstrates our commitment to fostering growth of restaurants we welcome. This addition allows our team to continue uplifting local business owners, while creating an unforgettable dining experience for our guests.”

Marlow’s Cheesesteaks is a fast-casual concept created by husband-and-wife duo Jomar and Shanika Sheppard. The sandwich shop currently operates a brick-and-mortar shop in Gahanna, serving traditional Philadelphia cheesesteaks and favorites along with chicken, salmon and veggie options and a unique cut of fries only found at Marlow’s. To achieve their goal of bringing authentic Philly-style cheesesteaks to Columbus, they have bread and meat shipped in from Philadelphia daily. The menu also includes Water Ice, a hometown favorite for the team, described as a creamier Italian ice- similar to sorbet.

The Sheppards were born in the Germantown & Logan areas of Philadelphia. A job transfer brought them to Columbus in 2017, and the couple transitioned into the food industry in 2021 with the opening of the Marlow’s Cheesesteaks food truck. Due to the success of their mobile business, they opened their brick-and-mortar store in 2022. Their mission is to provide the best quality cheesesteaks in central Ohio, deliver a quality product and provide exceptional customer service to their guests.

Marlow’s Cheesesteaks is taking over the chef vendor kitchen previously held by Alphabetical Comfort Kitchen, which left the food hall on February 19. Their departure was due to growth plans to launch their own brick-and-mortar shop, Alphaburger, in April 2024. This concept will focus on Alphabetical’s burger offerings, which have received raving praise from guests at Budd Dairy Food Hall.

Budd Dairy Food Hall opened in April 2021 in Italian Village, offering a venue for restaurant incubation, culinary exploration and entertainment. The food hall, operated by Cameron Mitchell Restaurants (CMR), includes nine permanent chef vendor partners and one rotating kitchen, in addition to three bars and event spaces. This model invites guests to try something new on every visit, in addition to positioning the chef partners to develop and grow their concept with support from CMR and the Columbus community. In 2023, Budd Dairy Food Hall was named one of the best food halls in the country by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

View and Download Photos from each chef partner.

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About Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
Founded by Cameron Mitchell in 1993, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, LLC (CMR) has built a diverse portfolio of varied concepts, ranging from multi-location upscale destinations to single neighborhood favorites. Today, CMR operates 49 restaurants company-wide under 21 different concepts, with 25 restaurants located in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, the premier catering and event planning company in Central Ohio, oversees three venues in Columbus. The national Ocean Prime concept has 18 locations in 14 states plus the district of Columbia, with future locations opening in Sarasota, Florida and Nashville, Tennessee in 2024-2025. The Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern, a sister company of CMR, currently operates 21 locations in five states. CMR is partnering with Crawford Hoying to open a luxury boutique hotel in Dublin, OH in 2026. CMR and the various concepts have received numerous culinary, leadership, entrepreneur, community service and readers’ choice awards.

As seen on CNN, Forbes and Smart Business, Mitchell shares his story and the wisdom he has gained through the years in his new book “Yes is the Answer. What is the Question?”, available now — www.shopcameronmitchell.com.

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