Hangry Brands Expands with Edison’s Pub Purchase

Hangry Brands, the rapidly expanding Cleveland-based hospitality group, is once again making moves. Jason Beudert, the group’s CEO, has announced the purchase of Edison’s Pub, one of Tremont’s most enduring and beloved watering holes. This latest news comes mere weeks after the company’s acquisition of Danny’s on Professor (2258 Professor Ave.) located in the same neighborhood.

But in contrast to the whimsical revamping of the concept at Danny’s, Beudert pledges to make no such modifications at Edison’s Pub (2373 Professor St.).

“Edison’s is a landmark,” says Beudert. “It’s been there 40 years and we’re not messing with it. We’re just honored to continue the tradition.”

Danny Grim, founder and now operating partner at Danny’s on Professor, will assume a leadership role in the bar’s next chapter. Edison’s Pub joins a stable of Hangry Brands concepts that include STEAK, also in Tremont, Jolene’s, Society Lounge, Geraci’s Slice Shop, Lionheart Coffee and The Yard.

Tremont entrepreneur Mark LaGrange has owned Edison’s Pub since 1989, but the bar actually opened three years earlier, he says.

“They treated it like a speakeasy,” he says of the original operators. “Nobody had glass on the streets; it was a double door with a peekaboo window. People had to knock and be let in.”

LaGrange says that after 36 years in business, it was time to start exploring exit strategies.

“I’ve been looking at people for a while,” he states. “I wanted to make sure that my employees were fine, that I was fine.”

Edison’s opened at a time when Tremont’s bar and restaurant scene was vastly different, consisting of a handful of places like Sokolowski’s, Miracles, Dempsey’s Oasis and the Literary Café. Named after inventor Thomas Edison, the pub quickly garnered attention thanks to its laid-back vibe, secluded rear courtyard, and massive-for-its-time beer selection.

The official handover takes place on Halloween and Beudert says that the transition will be swift and seamless. Other than giving the place a good scrubbing and changing a few burnt-out bulbs, little will be done to the timeworn pub, he adds.

For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.

Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, publishing 12 times a year with immersive features, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.