CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Tumbleweed Tex Mex Grill & Margarita Bar at 1150 N. Bridge St. closed abruptly Monday, leaving employees and regulars stunned after workers said they learned of the shutdown with little or no advance notice.
Staff members posted on social media that the closure came as a surprise. One employee blamed ongoing road construction along the Bridge Street corridor for driving away customers and making the location unsustainable.
The restaurant, part of a regional Tex-Mex chain known for mesquite-grilled steaks, fajitas, chimichangas and margaritas, sat on Chillicothe’s busiest commercial strip. It had operated for years at the North Bridge Street address amid a mix of national chains and local shops.
Tumbleweed traces its roots to 1975, when George and Linda Keller opened the first location in New Albany, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville. The original restaurant was called Tumbleweed Mexican Food. In 1978 the couple converted a family restaurant in Louisville into a second site that became the chain’s flagship. The concept later expanded under the name Tumbleweed Southwest Grill and, more recently, Tumbleweed Tex Mex Grill & Margarita Bar.
The company grew to dozens of locations across several states and even licensed units overseas before filing for bankruptcy in 2009. It later restructured and shrank. As of 2024 the chain operated about 15 company-owned and franchise restaurants concentrated in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
The Chillicothe closure comes as businesses along North Bridge Street continue to report steep drops in traffic and sales tied to a multi-year Ohio Department of Transportation reconstruction of State Route 159. Southbound lanes have been closed for months, with detours, lane shifts and heavy equipment disrupting access to the corridor.
Local merchants along the strip have told the Scioto Valley Guardian that sales are down 30 percent or more. Chamber officials have acknowledged the strain and launched efforts to promote remaining businesses and explore relief options while construction continues toward a targeted 2027 completion.
Tumbleweed corporate officials did not immediately return requests for comment on the Chillicothe shutdown or whether other locations are affected. The chain has closed underperforming restaurants in past restructurings, including a cluster of Dayton-area stores in 2014.
The empty building on North Bridge Street adds another vacancy to a corridor already navigating construction, reduced visibility and customer hesitation. Nearby operators say they hope the eventual rebuilt roadway will restore traffic, but several described the current period as the most difficult they have faced in years.
