Two of Shaker Square's sit-down restaurants have closed since the start of summer, one of them in early October, and the replacement announced for one of those spaces has not opened yet. The Square's Saturday morning has not changed at all. The farmers market is still on the brick plaza from 8 a.m. to noon every week through mid-December. The grocery store opens at 8 a.m. and has a lease running through 2029. Breakfast and carryout spots are still listed around the circle. For the next several weeks, the Square works best as a morning stop. Evenings are where the turnover is.
One Closing in Summer, One in October
The first came quietly. cleveland.com reported on September 22 that La Casa de Luchita's, at 13133 Shaker Square, had closed temporarily over the summer. Rey Galindo opened it in July 2025 as a revival of the Luchita's name his family started in the early 1980s. The same report said his business partners would take over operations and that no reopening date had been announced.
The second was more abrupt. Sazani Oceana, the seafood restaurant Akin Affrica opened with former Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs, closed after service on Sunday, October 4. In a social media post quoted by cleveland.com, the restaurant said "the economics over the last four to five months have been very tough to sustain." It had officially opened in March 2026.
The Sazani space at 13220 Shaker Square has changed hands more than once. Before the renovation that added booth seating, chandeliers and an updated patio, the space had been home to Edwins Too and Fire Food and Drink.
The Next Tenant Is Already Named
One of the two empty spaces already has a replacement. Crain's Cleveland Business reported on October 15 that Gordozz Tacos and Bar will take over the former Luchita's and Coyoacan spaces on the Square. Until it opens, dinner in that corner of the Square is on hold.
The Sazani storefront shows the same pattern. Its space has held several restaurants, and the Square's restaurant spaces keep getting new tenants.
What's Holding Steady Around the Circle
Some of the Square's businesses have stayed put through all of this. The listings below come from each business's own site or the Square's directory. A directory listing shows a tenant is on record, so checking hours before a special trip is worth the minute it takes.
| Address | Business | What the current listing shows |
|---|---|---|
| 13130 Shaker Square | Dave's Market | Open daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| 13225 Shaker Square #2314 | Zanzibar Soul Fusion | Mon–Thu 4 to 10 p.m.; Fri–Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| 13228 Shaker Square | Cleveland Breakfast Club | Listed in the Square's directory |
| 13202 Shaker Square | Captain Tony's | Listed in the Square's directory |
| 13120 Shaker Square | SASA | Listed in the Square's directory |
| 13107 Shaker Square | Subway | Listed in the Square's directory |
| 13220 Shaker Square | Former Sazani Oceana | Closed after service Oct. 4, 2026 |
| 13133 Shaker Square | Former La Casa de Luchita's | Temporarily closed; Gordozz announced for the space |
Dave's Market is the most settled tenant on the list. Signal Cleveland reported in July 2024 that Dave's agreed to renew its Shaker Square lease through 2029, with plans for new flooring, signage and an upgraded prepared-food section backed by a city loan. That lease runs three years past this fall.
Zanzibar Soul Fusion is the Square's other full-service dining room on the current list, and Affrica owns it too. Its posted weekend hours start at 11 a.m., which makes it the one sit-down option on the circle that covers both a late Saturday lunch and dinner.
Some names residents may still connect with the Square have moved on. EDWINS now operates its restaurant at 12383 Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights. Café Indigo opened at 13201 Shaker Square in late February 2025, serving coffee, ice cream and light food, according to Cleveland Scene. Since then, it has had little coverage.
The Market Is the Most Reliable Thing on the Square
The North Union Farmers Market has been on the Square every Saturday since April 4 and keeps the same 8 a.m. to noon hours into December. North Union's Shaker Square page lists the season running through December 19, 2026.
Here are the November market Saturdays:
- Saturday, November 7, 8 a.m. to noon
- Saturday, November 14, 8 a.m. to noon
- Saturday, November 21, 8 a.m. to noon
- Saturday, November 28, 8 a.m. to noon, two days after Thanksgiving
December brings three more on North Union's calendar, on the 5th, 12th and 19th. The Square's own events calendar also lists a market on Saturday, December 26, which North Union's schedule does not show. The 19th is the safer bet for a last visit, and anyone planning around the 26th should check with North Union first.
Put those hours next to the table above and a full Saturday morning lines up. The market opens at 8 a.m., the same time Dave's opens. Cleveland Breakfast Club is a few doors down. The market closes at noon, and Zanzibar's weekend hours start at 11 a.m. The busiest stretch of a Saturday on the Square still comes before lunch.
The Bigger Plan Behind the Storefronts
The closings are happening while the Square's owners carry out a long-term plan. According to Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, CNP's New Village Corporation and Burten, Bell, Carr Development have owned Shaker Square jointly since August 2022, putting in more than $5 million in capital investments and following a community-driven Vision Plan.
When Ideastream outlined that vision in January 2025, it covered a renovated Dave's, new lighting, signage, seating and programming, and possibly businesses on the second floor. The larger public-space upgrades were described as three, five or eight years out and dependent on fundraising. The owners also planned to find developers for mixed-income housing on parcels behind the Square and on its northwest and south sides.
The plan moved forward this summer. Crain's reported on August 7, 2026 that the Shaker Square transformation plan received Planning Commission approval. The larger plaza and housing work is measured in years, and the restaurant changes this fall are happening alongside it.
Holiday Lights Are Still Unscheduled
Last year the Square hosted Sparkle on the Square, a holiday lighting celebration on November 28, 2025, from 4 to 7 p.m. That date was the Friday after Thanksgiving. The November and December 2026 calendar on shakersquare.com currently shows market dates and no lighting event. If the event returns on the same schedule, it would land the evening before the November 28 market, which would be a good weekend to visit the Square twice.
For the rest of this fall, the plan is simple. Come Saturday morning for the market and Dave's, have lunch at Zanzibar, and watch for news on Gordozz. More updates on the East Side and the rest of the city are on our Cleveland neighborhood page.
If you live near Shaker Square and want to know how the plaza plan and new tenants could affect values on your street, The Recker Team tracks those changes block by block. Experience the Difference. Request a Free Consultation, and we'll show you what nearby sales are saying right now.
