A Hilliard development firm is teaming up with the group behind The Clocktower in Plain City for a new restaurant in Old Hilliard.
Lira Italian Kitchen is expected to debut in early 2028 inside Old Hilliard’s former Chase Bank at 4056 E. Main St. The restaurant is a partnership between development firm The Westwood Collective and Around the Clock Hospitality.
“Lira will bring new life to a historic building with a modern, neighborhood approach to Italian dining,” according to a post from Westwood Collective. “Expect handmade pasta, wood-fired dishes, seasonal ingredients, European wines, craft cocktails and plenty of reasons to pull up a seat and stay awhile.”
Lira is just one piece of the redevelopment plans. In addition to the restaurant, a new mixed-use development is slated for the adjoining parking lot, which will feature retail space on the ground floor and luxury apartments on the upper level.
The project is just one of several throughout Hilliard and Central Ohio from The Westwood Collective, founded by Hilliard local Andy Warnock.
“We are thrilled to bring these exciting new additions to Downtown Hilliard,” Warnock said in a statement. “As a Hilliard local and business owner, it’s especially meaningful to invest in the community my family calls home. We believe this project will complement the character of downtown while creating new opportunities for residents, visitors and local businesses.”
The property at the corner of Norwich and Main Streets started as a bank when the structure was built in 1914. The building’s most recent tenant, Chase Bank, relocated to a different location on Cemetery Road, which led to the Hilliard Development Corporation’s acquisition of the property last year. HDC brought on Westwood Collective for redevelopment plans in April.
This is not the first historic property Westwood has redeveloped, nor is it the development group’s first time partnering with Around the Clock Hospitality.
The businesses were first introduced when they teamed up to open The Clocktower Kitchen + Bar in August of 2025 inside a restored clock tower building from 1902.
More information about Lira can be found at liraitaliankitchen.com/news
Photo by Ashley Kimmel
Dining and Cooking