ROOTED IN OHIO
A Restaurant Shaped by Place
The State House is a celebration of Ohio: its farms, flavours, people, neighbourhoods, and traditions. Located in downtown Columbus inside the historic Bonnier Building, the restaurant brings those influences together through seasonal food and thoughtful hospitality.
OUR STORY
Celebrating Ohio’s Culinary Tapestry
The State House began with a simple idea: create a restaurant that feels unmistakably connected to Ohio.
That means looking close to home for inspiration. The farms and growers that shape the seasons. The familiar flavours that carry memories. The neighbourhoods and communities that give Columbus its character. And the people who continue to build an exciting food culture across the state.
Our approach is rooted in those connections, but it isn’t about recreating the past. The State House takes familiar ingredients and regional influences and brings them into a contemporary downtown dining experience that feels welcoming, thoughtful, and distinctly its own.
“Ohio is more than where we are. It’s the starting point for everything we do.”
AT THE TABLE
Thoughtful food. Genuine hospitality.
SEASONAL BY NATURE
We let the seasons guide the kitchen, building menus around ingredients when they are at their best rather than asking them to behave according to a fixed calendar.
CLOSE TO HOME
Whenever possible, we look to Ohio farms, growers, makers, and producers first. Local sourcing is not simply a talking point; it is part of how The State House connects the restaurant to the place around it.
REFINED, NOT PRECIOUS
The food is considered and carefully prepared, but the experience should always feel comfortable. Great meals don’t need ceremony for ceremony’s sake. They need flavour, warmth, and people around the table.
The People Behind The State House
The State House is shaped by people who care deeply about food, hospitality, and the community around them. From the vision behind the restaurant to the kitchen and day-to-day guest experience, each member of the team brings a different part of that idea to life.
Meet Austin Lucas-Mattox
Austin Lucas-Mattox helps bring The State House vision to life through an approach grounded in hospitality, community, and the details that turn a restaurant into a place people want to return to.
His role connects the day-to-day experience of The State House with the larger goal behind the project: creating a welcoming downtown destination that feels genuinely connected to Columbus.
Together with Tora and the wider team, Austin is helping build a restaurant shaped as much by the people around the table as the food served on it.
General Manager
Meet Tora Bonnier
Tora Bonnier is the driving force behind The State House and the broader vision for the Bonnier Building.
A proud Ohio advocate with a passion for fresh food, local enterprise, and community-building, Tora has approached the project with a simple philosophy: create places that contribute something meaningful to the neighbourhood around them.
The State House brings those interests together. Local ingredients, independent producers, inclusive community, and thoughtful hospitality all have a place at the table.
“A great restaurant should feel connected to the place it calls home.”
Owner & Visionary
Head ChefMeet Trudy King
Trudy brings a seasoned culinary perspective to The State House, shaped by years of working in professional kitchens and a strong understanding of how to balance consistency, creativity, and service. Her experience informs a practical, confident approach to the menu, with an emphasis on letting strong ingredients speak for themselves while keeping the overall dining experience polished and approachable.
Trudy brings those same values into the kitchen. Seasonal ingredients, local producers, thoughtful preparation, and a strong sense of place all come together in the food she helps shape at The State House.
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