Orange Leaf asks for end to Commons lease

The Orange Leaf yogurt shop in The Commons is terminating its lease with the city of Columbus. The Columbus Redevelopment Commission approved a request from the restaurant owners to end the lease at its meeting yesterday.

The shop, operated by Devour LLC, was first closed by the pandemic, but remains closed while renovations are underway in the neighboring city playground area. Because of parts and labor shortages the playground remains closed and the city can’t yet set a date on when it will reopen, officials said.

Although all The Commons tenants have been under a rent abatement since last year, the owners still must pay utilities on their space. Redevelopment commission staff will work with the owners to make sure the utilities are paid until the lease is set to expire at the end of the year.

The Orange Leaf lease, signed in 2019, was originally set to expire in 2023.

Photo courtesy Carol M. Highsmith, from the Library of Congress collection.