CUYAHOGA FALLS
STROLL THE NEW RIVERLOOP
PARTY ON THE NEW PEDAL PUB REFRESHED CRAVE BRINGS BACK FAVES
Waterfront Refresh
CUYAHOGA FALLS’ NEW RIVERLOOP AIMS TO HIGHLIGHT THE CITY’S NATURAL BEAUTY.
There’s a bit of treasure in the Cuyahoga River.
“I hosted a gold panning event two summers ago,” says Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters, “and four people found gold flakes.”
The discovery inspired Walters to create Prospector’s Point, one of various stops on the city’s brand-new RiverLoop project — an attraction that will soon allow visitors and residents to stroll along the river on an upper walkway running alongside the lower, restored boardwalk area, encountering various educational and entertaining points of interest along the way.
“It’s going to talk about prospecting, and we are going to have these huge gold rocks that have glitter on them,” Walters says of the spot, which will include an informational sign and natural area for panning. “They’re going to sell the pans at the local stores.”
Slated to be finished by Labor Day, the
RiverLoop project is both rebuilding the lower boardwalk and adding a new upper walkway that will run from the Cuyahoga Falls clocktower to the intersection of Front Street and Oakwood Drive. It connects with Front Street at Broad Boulevard and Oakwood Drive to form a complete loop. The new 2,200-foot section of the loop has been under construction since May 2025.
“We knew we had to rebuild the boardwalk. It was made of wood, and it was very old and falling apart. ... I started looking around, walking around down there, and I said, Well, it’s going to be really nice to redo the boardwalk, but we’re missing an opportunity,” Walters says. “I saw an upper walkway that would give that same beautiful experience with full ADA accessibility, where you would still have the beautiful view, and it would form a continuous loop with downtown.”
The city has invested around $7 million in the RiverLoop, which was formed with community input. A city conceptual video takes viewers through a rendering of the new construction, which includes wide, accessible walkways with swirling patterns in the concrete, metal riverthemed railings, string lights crossing above the pathway, swinging benches and more.
Encounter about 10 points of interest along the RiverLoop. Walkers can learn about kayaking at Kayaker’s Cove — which will include a sign with photos and a kayak — and, at Eagle’s Bluff, the local bald eagle population. The area will include signs discussing their habitat and models of eagles.
Otter Overlook will boast a familysize swing to look out over the river, signs about otter habitats and models of otters, and the Sounds of the River area will invite visitors to appreciate the auditory marvels all around them.
Fishermen’s Pier will tell visitors about the health of the Cuyahoga and the fish that live within its waters.
“It’s not polluted any longer. It’s very healthy, and most of the native species have come back,” Walters notes.
“There’s all kinds of wildlife that a lot of people haven’t seen.”
A space with existing built-in seating along the riverbank will play host to a new RiverLoop stage, perfect for
{ by Cameron Gorman, photos by Natalia Griffiths }
Mayor Don Walters
{ by Kelly Petryszyn, photos by Erin Gulling }
THROW BACK
REDISCOVER BELOVED CLASSICS AT CRAVE ON FRONT STREET.
Crave has been a cornerstone in Akron since opening in 2001 in the Northside District — and its counterpart, Crave Cantina, opened in 2017, serving Latin-inspired fare in Cuyahoga Falls. After eight years of the Crave Cantina, co-owners Aaron and Dana Hervey felt the concept needed a refresh — so they looked to Crave’s rich history. “I kicked around the idea of some retro old dishes that we used to do and then it kind of took steam. … So it’s very much like Crave in downtown Akron, but the dishes have a little bit of a twist,” says Aaron, whose Akron location is now in the Bowery District. “This kind of took inspiration from some old menus from the early 2000s. … It was a fun way to put a spin on it.”
In early 2026, Crave on Front Street opened in the former Crave Cantina space. The Front Street menu has many favorites that have rotated off of Akron’s menu, which Aaron describes as eclectic and globally inspired. They brought back the bacon double cheeseburger soup, fried green tomatoes and blackened catfish po’boy. Some dishes on Akron’s menu got reworked from their original iterations, so Front Street brought back
the originals — such as baked goat cheese with Puttanesca sauce.
That includes the steak skewers, which are now topped in Akron with a chimichurri roja sauce — but were originally topped with a Guinness sauce. Front Street’s steak skewers ($16) go back to that sauce, in which Guinness is reduced for stronger flavor and combined with roasted garlic. That mixture is basted on chargrilled steak seasoned with Monterey, and it’s all served with smoked Gouda fondue.
“The big hit was bringing back that Guinness sauce,” says Raymond Trice, who is the head chef at Front Street and has worked at Crave for 12 years. “When you pair it with the fondue, it’s one of those melt-in-your-mouth things.”
A returning summertime classic, the Roma tomato salad ($13) melds Italian and Greek influences. Field greens are tossed in oil and balsamic vinegar and topped with red onions, Kalamata olives, quartered artichoke hearts, Roma tomatoes and feta. For an extra cost, finish it with a grilled protein.
“It all works well together. It’s salty. It’s zesty,” Aaron says. “The feta really pops in it, and it’s great if you add on chicken, steak or shrimp.”
“We can’t keep it in house because it’s that popular,” Trice adds.
Walleye has been on the menu in many different iterations, so Aaron told Trice to come up with his own way to reinvent it. Trice landed on coating a 6- to 8-ounce piece of walleye in crushed pretzels and dried potatoes, searing it and baking it.
The walleye pairs with Southernstyle grits, made by sauteing onions, adding cream and water to the grits, salt, pepper, cheddar and bacon. He created an Aji panca pepper sauce that also combines heavy cream and Modelo. It’s served with a house vegetable, such as snap peas.
“It came out, and it was like, Wow,” Trice says of the first time he cooked it. “It came out nice. That is our weekend seller.”
The drink menu has callbacks to Crave Cantina with a margarita and a paloma, but also plenty of Crave
Akron iterations such as the Crave Tini and the Smashed on Front Street bourbon cocktail. For warmer weather, try the Amalfi Afternoon ($14), which has Malfy blood orange gin, Aperol, Sicilian lemonade, lemon juice and honey.
“The drink was inspired by being on the Amalfi Coast drinking an Aperol spritz,” says Dana. “It shouts summer.”
Crave on Front Street has been a welcome addition for regulars who remember and miss beloved dishes over the years. That includes the grilled steak wrap — topped with cheddar, bacon and black pepper aioli — which evolved into a chicken wrap on the Akron menu.
“People who would come in here, if they knew the old Crave, they’d be like, I can’t get that at Crave anymore, but I can get it here,” Dana says.
2097 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-931-4119, eatdrinkcrave.com
Co-owner Dana Hervey
Give Local
FIND YOUR DREAM GIFT AT REVERIE.
Uncover a Sasquatch-themed glassware collection, burger-flavored dog treats or a cannabis cookbook. At Reverie in Cuyahoga Falls, you will not only leave with handcrafted gifts for your loved ones — you will leave chuckling.
“We often have people laughing throughout the store,” says owner and founder Kristin Hadari. “People will say they’ve had a bad day at work, and they come in here just to feel better.”
Meaning a state of being lost in your daydreams, Reverie is Hadari’s lifelong passion for creativity and community realized.
“I was always trying to find an outlet to express myself,” says Hadari, who was inspired by her grandmother — a seamstress who handmade dresses and other clothing.
Following several years of working for a corporate company, Hadari began experimenting with various artistic mediums, leading to the launch of her brands eleven:eleven and Itsy Bitsy Booty, which sold infinity scarves and infant clothing, respectively.
“Art was always present,” she says. “It was what I was going to listen to and what path that was going to take.”
After success at local markets and festivals, Hadari was in search of a home for her art — one that could platform other artisans as well.
“When I first looked at the location, there weren’t many places open on the street yet, but it was an energy that I could feel. It just felt right,” says Hadari. “It was electric.”
Reverie officially opened in 2019.
“The community here in the Falls has been so small business-oriented,” Hadari says. “We all share our challenges and our successes, and they’ve been very supportive.”
{ by Sydney Stevenson, photos by Natalia Griffiths }
Seven years later, the store has become a Cuyahoga Falls community staple, with another brick-and-mortar location in Medina.
“We want to make sure we have our eye on the prize and are connecting with the community,” Hadari says.
“We started an online shop, and we’re looking for growth there to capture some of that market and really try to capture people still shopping small while shopping online.”
Reverie functions as a marketplace where shoppers can purchase handcrafted products from independent artisans such as local business Three Bees Decor — which supplies many of Reverie’s wooden signs — and Colorado-based business Naked Goat Farms, which produces homemade spreads, including a peach habanero jam. Also shop for
stuffed animals, wine glasses, jewelry, tea towels and more. Overall gift categories include clothing, mugs, candles, bath and body wares, accessories, bar and kitchen items and home and office products.
“We really try to be personalitydriven — finding that gift that you’re like, Oh, that’s that person,” she says. “Humor is a big part, and then obviously we’re handmade focused.”
Hadari also works firsthand with businesses to create original products only sold at Reverie. One of these businesses is the Social Dept., located on the same street as Reverie, which produces custom T-shirts for the store. Snag one that says “I’d Love to But I Have Plans With My Cat,” complete with the Reverie logo, or one with the Cuyahoga Falls map coordinates.
“We do try to partner with a lot of local artisans to customize what we make, so it’s a little bit of us and a little bit of them,” she says. “[We] really like to collaborate, because I think that makes very unique, one-of-akind pieces.”
Cuyahoga Falls native and general manager Madison Marshall is proud of the area’s tight-knit community.
“We all support each other on the street. I walk into any other store, people are going to know me, and I know them,” she says.
Hadari hopes that Reverie — and shopping locally — can help people relate more closely to one another.
“The experience of feeling like you made a connection,” she says, “is really the difference maker.”
2152 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls. 330-212-3303, reveriegifts.com
Owner and founder
Kristin Hadari
FUN ON WHEELS
{ by Cameron Gorman, photos by Erin Gulling }
FRONT STREET PEDAL PUB BRINGS THE PARTY TO DOWNTOWN CUYAHOGA FALLS.
Playing high-energy music and flashing LED lights, the new Front Street Pedal Pub is hard to miss as it makes its way through Cuyahoga Falls.
“A lot of people wave at us,” says co-owner Armand DiDonato. “It’s kind of contagious — people see us having a good time, and our passengers having a good time, and they light up, their faces light up, and they’re not even on the bike. So, it’s been super cool to see the reaction from the city.”
An open-air multi-person bike vehicle, the Pedal Pub is centered around a bar and lined with barstools — each complete with a set of foot pedals. Passengers can pedal to help power the vehicle, which is equipped with an electric assist system, as they enjoy outdoor bring-your-own wine and beer, as well as music — all with an ever-changing scenic backdrop.
“You get to see different aspects of the city,” Armand says of traveling on the Pedal Pub, which runs two-hour tours with stops. It travels from around HiHo Brewing Co. to around Moe’s Restaurant, spanning an about 1-mile stretch.
“You see different business types, landscapes, you see different groups of people out and about.”
Armand and his wife, Nikki, first got the idea for the pub after riding a similar party bike at Oktoberfest in Cincinnati.
“It was very interactive, you’re very close and intimate with a group of people, the music playing — it kind of feels like a party bus,” Armand says. “We just had pure fun and didn’t really even look at our phones.”
The couple thought a similar business would be great for Front Street.
“I said, You know what? Just for kicks of it, I’m gonna ask the city if it’d be something they would entertain or allow us to do,” Armand recalls. “They were super excited about the idea, so we just kept taking those next steps. … The city’s done a great job with the downtown here, so we just thought it would be added fun to the area.”
Front Street Pedal Pub opened for business in early June. Now, private rides, in which the entire Pedal Pub is rented out, are available — as well as public ones, in which single customers or small groups of riders can join others for a spin. It operates rain or shine, except for during inclement weather.
“The canopy is covered, and even in the wintertime, we bought clear curtains that’s gonna wrap around the bike, and we’ll have heaters in the middle of it, so that way we’ll try to do some Christmas-themed stuff,” Armand says.
Up to 14 riders — the bike has 10 pedaling seats and four nonpedaling ones — can also choose to hop off, usually at two points of interest, to grab DORA drinks. One popular stop takes riders near Burntwood Tavern, allowing them to choose from options also including Cashmere Cricket and the Workz. Other stops include Tiki Underground and HiHo Brewing Co. Kids will love a spot behind Pav’s Creamery, where they can also patronize Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop and Metropolis Popcorn.
“Some of them have done little partnerships with us,” Nikki notes.
“HiHo, they do $1 off your first pint when you come in. We have wristbands, and Tiki does $1 off of drinks.”
The Pedal Pub is a perfect choice for those celebrating birthdays, graduations, bachelorette parties and more. On private rides, guests can choose their music.
“People love to do karaoke,” Nikki says. “Get a fun group of people, and it kind of makes its own fun. … Get a good playlist ready and then just be ready to have a good time.” Pickup and drop-off: Sheraton Suites, 1989 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-236-3870, frontstreetpedalpub.com
Co-owners Nikki and Armand DiDonato
CUTTING EDGE
Those looking to live in the heart of Cuyahoga Falls’ bustling downtown scene can find housing, dining and more on South Front Street — currently being revitalized by the city of Cuyahoga Falls and redeveloped by Testa Companies.
“Front Street in general has been in high demand since the city took out the pedestrian mall and opened up vehicular traffic, giving the spaces along Front Street exposure that they haven’t had since the ‘70s,” says Joel Testa, CEO of Testa Companies.
While North Front Street (north of Broad Boulevard), Testa says, was a mix of commercial and retail buildings, South Front Street held more opportunity.
“The south side had some brownfield sites, some industrial properties, larger portions of land that were better suited to redeveloping for housing and for restaurants,” says Testa. “Our vision for Front Street was that South Front Street would predominantly be culinary and residence.”
For Testa Companies, the revitalization of South Front Street started in 2012, with the completion of the Watermark building, a mixed-use new development that was the first new construction on South Front Street since the building of the Sheraton Suites in 1989.
The project consisted of ground floor retail spaces, restaurants, offices and bars — as well as three floors of apartments for those 55-plus and a top floor consisting of market rate loft condos. The Watermark includes Testa’s Butcher & Sprout, a farm-to-table restaurant with a great patio; Mattioli’s Pizza, a pick-up and delivery only Italian restaurant featuring ingredients from Italy; the Watson, a hidden speakeasy celebrating the golden age of invention; and Oak & Olive, a speakeasy with the full Mattioli’s menu. Oak & Olive, the Watson and Butcher & Sprout boast new cocktail menus this August.
The second Testa Companies project on South Front Street was Riverwalk, featuring businesses such as Hibachi Japan, Boss ChickNBeer and Vivo Beauty Bar. The development includes space for both retail and housing.
Testa Companies’ latest development in the area
is the Glens. These townhomes range from a twobedroom with a home office/den at 2,040 square feet to a four-bedroom with a rooftop patio at 2,724 square feet. Sales start at $415,000 and leases start at $4,200 a month.
“Watermark was designed architecturally to bridge the gap between the Sheraton and the existing architecture in the Falls, whereas Riverwalk brought a California Asian modern architecture,” Testa says. “The Glens plays up on that a little bit with continuing that modern Californian style.”
When the Glens is finished, it will contain 51 threestory townhomes with two-car garages. The first four units are already completed, and the first resident has moved in. The next four-unit building is currently under construction. A partial grand opening is slated for the second half of August.
Plus, the city is currently beautifying South Front Street, redoing the streetscape by improving lighting and sidewalks, installing landscaping and more — set to be done by Labor Day.
“The street aesthetics needed upgraded to match what we had done on the northern two blocks,” says Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters.
Next to the fire station, the area adjacent to the city-owned parking lot will become Pedal Park. It will feature seating, a solar-powered charging station for e-bikes, a bike repair station, decorative bike racks and more. Walters also describes a large, lit arch that will welcome drivers entering from Broad Boulevard to the south end and more.
“The idea of walking down a street that’s got sidewalks that are clean and wide and level and don’t heave and have landscaping and trees with lights in them in the evenings and underground utilities … flowers and baskets hanging from poles with banners on them, all of that creates a sort of sense of space that is enjoyable,” Testa says. “It’s incumbent on cities to invest in those streetscapes, and fortunately, Cuyahoga Falls saw that value.”
The Glens has units available for sale or lease. Contact 330-819-0090 or cassietesta@ testacompanies.com or visit testacompanies.com.
SOUTH FRONT STREET’S REDEVELOPMENT IS BRINGING FRESH LIFE TO THE AREA.
