Surrounded by white roads and heaps of shoveled snow, a new tropical-themed restaurant is bringing a splash of bright colors and Asian fusion flavors to Ithaca.
Modern Ohana opened Feb. 8, during one of the coldest weeks of the year, and is a newly-rebranded establishment replacing what used to be Mix Kitchen and Bar. The restaurant is located on the same address as before, 205 Elmira Rd., and continues to be operated by couple Mix and Shayne Johnson.
Reason for rebranding
Amid a wave of bar and restaurant closures in Ithaca, the Johnsons are taking a different approach to sustaining their business: a rebrand.
“We’re trying to get more of a relaxed feel to the restaurant,” Shayne Johnson said. “Before we were trying to be more of an upscale kind of thing, but we’re trying to just be a fun family-oriented place that you could come to.”
Over the past year, multiple eateries in Ithaca have shut their doors.
Shayne Johnson said Mix Kitchen and Bar started out as a multi-ethnic, small plates restaurant, and the purpose of the rebrand into an Asian fusion cuisine restaurant is to be more consistent with a theme and attract more customers.
Community reactions
Scott Hamula, professor and chair of the Department of Strategic Communication at Ithaca College, said a rebranding can have downsides like loss of existing brand equity, but can work in Modern Ohana’s favor. Hamula said he had never been to Mix Kitchen and Bar but is more likely to go to Modern Ohana.
“I heard good things, it’s just that I’m not a big tapas fan,” Hamula said. “I like to go in and get whatever I love. I want it. Lots of it. That’s why I’m ordering it. I would be more open to going to Modern Ohana now. I can wrap my arms around what it is.”
About 80 people attended the opening brunch on Feb. 8. Shayne Johnson said he was happy with the turnout, but has hosted up to 300 people in the past at Mix Kitchen and Bar.
“Our goal is, obviously, to increase numbers,” Shayne Johnson said. “It’s just that tough out there for everybody right now. The purpose was to get everything under one theme. Refresh, get the price point down.”
Fernando Ramirez was one of the 80 people who attended brunch at Modern Ohana on Feb. 8 and said he is excited about the change. Ramirez said he was a regular at Mix Kitchen and Bar, going there with his wife consistently for the past eight years, and has already been to Modern Ohana about four times since it re-opened.
“I think this is one more thing that’s going to come through,” Ramirez said. “I’m sure it’s gonna take a little while to get it grounded correctly. But there wasn’t anything to me that came across as ‘Oh, my God, how did you screw this up?’”
Goals and what to expect
Shayne Johnson said the goal is to earn $300,000 over the year in revenue, with hopes to get DoorDash delivery running soon and utilize the two patios on the property when it gets warmer. Modern Ohana continues to employ about 25 people but plans on expanding staffing.
While Modern Ohana’s menu might look different from Mix Kitchen and Bar’s, it retains fan-favorite items like the Silver Dollar Oreo pancakes. Shayne Johnson said that because the breakfast menu was such a hit, he tried his best to hang onto it.
Ramirez said he will miss the Parmesan truffle fries the most but likes the new menu so far.
“There are things that I’m definitely going to miss,” Ramirez said. “But at the same time ,this is a whole new world for me.”
New items like the Char Siu-style pork chop and the tuna Benedict have been received well by customers, according to Shayne Johnson. With ingredients like the coffee blend being shipped from Kona, Hawaii, Mix Johnson said authenticity and freshness help the food stand out.
“Everything we make is in-house,” Mix Johnson said. “Some people might not believe how we’re going to pull it off, but we don’t have an issue in pulling it off. Everything is fresh, everything is good, everything is homemade.”
