The Patio Restaurant in Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio is owned by Brent and Heidi, who purchased the business in 1991. That ownership story comes straight from the restaurant's own website at patiolakeside.com, which describes how the couple met in Lakeside in 1987, married in 1991, and bought the restaurant that same year. The place is located at 182 Walnut Ave, Lakeside Marblehead, OH 43440, and you can reach them at (419) 798-9144. That's your direct answer if you were looking for this specific venue.
Who Owns the Patio Restaurant? How to Verify the Owner
Kira Carver
27 May 2026
First, make sure you're looking at the right Patio Restaurant
"The Patio Restaurant" is one of those names that shows up in a lot of cities, so before you dig into ownership details, confirm you've got the right place. The one documented here is specifically in Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio, a lakeside resort community on the shores of Lake Erie. The official website is patiolakeside.com, the address is 182 Walnut Ave, and the phone is (419) 798-9144. If those don't match the location you're researching, you'll need to run the same process below for your specific city and address.
A quick signal that you're on the right site: patiolakeside.com also references "Patio Donuts" as part of their brand concept, which is a distinctive detail you won't find at a generic patio restaurant. If the website or menu you're looking at doesn't have that branding, you may be dealing with a different location entirely. Always anchor your search to the physical address and phone number before assuming any ownership information applies.
Fast checks: the restaurant's own site, menu, and social media
The quickest ownership information almost always lives on the restaurant's official website. For The Patio Restaurant, the Visit Us page on patiolakeside.com is where you'll find the clearest ownership disclosure. It states directly that Brent and Heidi purchased The Patio in 1991 and includes the personal backstory that gives the claim credibility. This kind of first-person narrative on an official site is a strong primary source, even if it still needs cross-verification.
Beyond the about or visit-us page, check these spots on any restaurant's site for ownership signals:
- Website footer: often lists the legal entity name, copyright holder, or a parent company name
- Contact page: sometimes lists an owner or GM by name alongside general contact info
- Menu page headers or PDFs: occasionally include the business's trade name or LLC name
- Press releases or news sections: mention owners by name when they've done expansions or renovations
- Social media bios (Facebook, Instagram): many independent owners list their name or tag themselves in posts
For The Patio Restaurant specifically, their consistent branding across the home, menu, and Visit Us pages all point to the same principals and the same location. That consistency is itself a reliability signal. When a site has matching contact details across every page, you're almost certainly on the official source rather than a directory clone.
Verify ownership legally: Ohio business registries and LLC records
Self-reported ownership from a restaurant's website is a good starting point, but the strongest verification comes from state-level business records. For any Ohio restaurant, the Ohio Secretary of State's Business Search at ohiosos.gov is your go-to tool. It lets you search by entity name, trade name, or registered agent, and you can pull filed documents as PDFs directly from the database.
- Go to the Ohio Secretary of State Business Search at ohiosos.gov and select the Business Search tool
- Search by the trade name 'The Patio Restaurant' or try variations like 'Patio Restaurant Lakeside'
- If that doesn't return results, use the 'Search by: Agent/Registrant' option to look up the registered agent for any entity tied to the address
- Review any matching entity records for the principal office address (182 Walnut Ave, Lakeside Marblehead, OH 43440) to confirm you have the right filing
- Download the filing PDF to see the legal entity name, organizer or incorporator names, and registered agent details
- Note whether the entity is an LLC, sole proprietorship, or corporation, since that affects how ownership is structured and disclosed
One thing to keep in mind: the restaurant may operate under a trade name like 'The Patio Restaurant' while being legally registered under a different LLC or corporation name. Ohio does require trade names to be registered and distinguishable, so if you search the trade name and find it, the filing will link back to the underlying entity. That entity filing is where you'll see the actual legal owner of record.
Cross-check with liquor permits and local government data
Ohio's Division of Liquor Control maintains a permit lookup tool that's genuinely useful for restaurant ownership research. The OPAL system (opal.ohio.gov) and the permit lookup at apps2.com.ohio.gov/liqr/PermitLookup include 'Permit Applicant / Holder Information' for issued and inactive permits. Because a liquor permit is tied to both the premises address and the permit holder, searching by the address at 182 Walnut Ave will tell you whose name is on the permit, which is typically the legal entity or individual recognized by the state as the operator.
Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4303, any change in legal or beneficial ownership that affects a liquor permit must be reported to the Division of Liquor Control. That means the permit holder record tends to stay current with actual ownership changes, making it one of the more reliable secondary verification sources. If the permit holder name matches the LLC or individual name you found in the SOS database, you've got solid corroboration.
Beyond liquor permits, you can also check Ottawa County's local government resources for business licenses, zoning permits, or health inspection records tied to 182 Walnut Ave. Those records sometimes include the applicant's name, which can add another layer of confirmation.
Owner vs operator vs franchise vs management: reading the results correctly
Once you have results from a few sources, it's worth taking a moment to interpret what you're actually looking at. You might also be looking for Roxy from the Fireplace and Patio Place, and that requires checking the same kind of official ownership and permit records who owns it. Not every name attached to a restaurant is the legal owner, and not every legal owner is the day-to-day decision-maker.
| Role | What It Means | Where You'll Find It |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Owner | Holds the registered business entity or property | SOS business filings, property records |
| Permit Holder | Name on the liquor or food service permit | Ohio Liquor Control permit lookup, health dept records |
| Operator / Manager | Runs daily operations, may not own the entity | Restaurant website bios, LinkedIn, press mentions |
| Franchise Owner | Licensed to use a brand but owns their unit | Franchise disclosure documents, SOS entity filings |
| Management Company | Third-party firm hired to run the venue | Contract arrangements, sometimes disclosed in press releases |
For The Patio Restaurant in Lakeside Marblehead, the website presents Brent and Heidi as the owners who purchased the business directly in 1991. There's no indication of a franchise structure or third-party management company. This looks like a classic independent owner-operator situation, where the people who own it also run it. But if your research turns up a different entity name in the SOS filings or a corporate permit holder, it's worth digging into whether there's been a more recent ownership transfer that the website hasn't caught up with yet.
When ownership info isn't public: alternative sources and how to corroborate
Some restaurants, especially privately held LLCs, are structured specifically to limit public-facing ownership disclosure. If your searches come up thin, here's where else to look:
- Local newspaper archives: regional papers in smaller markets like Lakeside Marblehead often cover restaurant openings, sales, or anniversaries that name the owners directly
- Ottawa County Auditor records: property ownership records for the building at 182 Walnut Ave may list the deed holder, which could be the same entity or individual as the business owner
- LinkedIn and Facebook: many small restaurant owners in Ohio communities are active on social media and identify themselves publicly as owners
- Chamber of Commerce membership directories: the Ottawa County or Marblehead area Chamber often lists member businesses with owner names
- Review site owner responses: on Google Maps or Yelp, the person responding to reviews sometimes identifies themselves as the owner in their replies
- Local business journalists or food writers: reach out to regional media covering the Lake Erie tourism corridor for background on well-established venues
When you're piecing together ownership from multiple sources like this, look for three-way corroboration: the same name appearing in the SOS filing, the liquor permit record, and at least one editorial or directory source. Two matching sources is decent; three is solid enough to work with confidently. If sources contradict each other, the most recent official filing (SOS or liquor permit) should take priority over older press mentions or an outdated website bio.
What to actually do with this information
Finding ownership is useful for a range of practical reasons: confirming a listing for a directory, reaching the right person for an event inquiry, verifying details before writing about a venue, or just satisfying your curiosity about who's been running your favorite lakeside spot since 1991. Here's a quick action plan depending on your goal:
- To confirm current ownership today: call (419) 798-9144 directly and ask to speak with the owner or manager. For a small independent restaurant like this one, that's often the fastest and most reliable method
- To update a listing or directory: cross-reference the name from the restaurant's website with the Ohio SOS filing before publishing. If the legal entity name differs from the trade name, note both
- To plan an event or private booking: reaching Brent or Heidi directly (via the contact info on patiolakeside.com) is your best bet for getting a real answer quickly
- To verify ownership has not changed recently: pull the most recent SOS filing date and check the Ohio Liquor Control permit to confirm the same holder is still active at that address
- To fact-check a claim someone else made about ownership: run the full checklist above and require at least two official sources to agree before treating any claim as confirmed
If you're researching other named patio venues across the region, the same process applies whether you're looking at who owns The Patio at Horsham, Nathan's Patio Bar and Grill, or any other branded outdoor dining spot. If you're instead asking who owns the patio at Horsham, you can use the same verification workflow: confirm the exact venue, then check the official website, state business registry, and liquor or licensing records.
If you want to know who owns Nathan's Patio Bar and Grill, use the same approach: check the venue's official site first, then confirm with state business records and local licensing. If you're planning The Patio at Horsham events today, it's still worth checking the venue's latest announcements to confirm hours and any outdoor seating details.
The tools change slightly by state (Pennsylvania vs Ohio vs wherever), but the sequence stays the same: official website first, state business registry second, licensing records third, then corroborate with local sources. Each state has its own SOS business search and liquor licensing database, so bookmark the right one for your region.
The bottom line: for The Patio Restaurant at 182 Walnut Ave in Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio, the ownership story is unusually well-documented for a small independent restaurant. Brent and Heidi have run the place since 1991 and their own website says so plainly. Verify it against the Ohio SOS and the liquor permit lookup if you need official confirmation, but you're unlikely to find anything that contradicts what they've shared publicly.
FAQ
How do I make sure I’m not looking at the wrong “Patio Restaurant” in Ohio?
Start by confirming the exact match for address and phone (182 Walnut Ave and (419) 798-9144), then verify the website domain matches the venue (patiolakeside.com). If a directory page shows a different contact number or a different city, treat the ownership claim as unverified until the SOS and permit records line up.
What if the owners listed on the website don’t match what I find in state records?
If the restaurant’s website is outdated, the Ohio SOS filing and the liquor permit holder record are usually more current. Compare filing dates and, when there’s a mismatch, treat the most recent SOS or permit document as the better indicator of who owns or controls the business now.
Why might the SOS results show a different name than “The Patio Restaurant”?
You may see multiple names, one for the trade name and another for the LLC or corporation. Use the trade name search in the Ohio SOS tool, then open the related entity record to identify the legal owner on file, not just the operating name.
How do I use the liquor permit lookup to confirm the operator at the specific address?
For liquor permits, check the permit holder section and look specifically for the premises address tied to 182 Walnut Ave. The permit holder name can be an individual or an entity, and it is often the most useful “operator” identifier when ownership details are otherwise private.
What should I do if SOS and liquor permit records conflict?
If SOS filings and the permit holder names disagree, it can indicate a recent transfer, a change in beneficial ownership, or a corporate reorganization. In that case, look for the latest filing or the newest permit status, and consider calling the restaurant to confirm whether management has changed recently.
Who should I reach out to for event planning, is it always the listed owner?
If you’re trying to contact the owners for an event or sponsorship, the owner name on paper may not be the person running bookings. Use the restaurant’s listed public contact channel first, then request the appropriate decision-maker role while referencing the permit-holder or entity name if they ask for confirmation.
Is “two sources match” enough to trust the ownership information?
If you only find one match across sources, that may be enough for general curiosity but not for publishing or formal verification. For stronger confirmation, aim for alignment across at least the SOS entity name and the liquor permit holder, ideally with additional consistency from the restaurant’s official site.
Can the restaurant be owned through an LLC even if the website lists people by first and last name?
Yes. Some LLCs are structured so the public-facing “owner” story is personal, but the legal ownership is held through an entity. That doesn’t mean the website is false, it means you should expect a different layer of names in SOS and permit records.
How can I tell if ownership changed recently and the records are still catching up?
When a business is for sale or recently transferred, you might see an “active” and “inactive” permit record or a permit with a later effective date. Prioritize current permit status and the newest posted documents rather than older history pages.