My Life At Arnold's

12/04/2025

Hi everyone! Over the weekend I'm gonna be reposting my first videos so I can get them all over to this page! My sis is coming into town and that's where I'm spending my time this weekend! See you next week as I begin a series onKeith Baker !

12/03/2025

Well I talked way too much during this podcast but check it out!
https://youtu.be/d_dOChDthec
It's a new podcast, I'm the third or fourth person to be interviewed. The podcast is very interesting with local food topics.
Anthony Jordan
Arnold's Bar and Grill

A heartfelt conversation with Ronda Breeden, the longtime owner of Cincinnati's oldest bar, Arnold's Bar and Grill. Exploring legacy, resilience and the powe...

12/02/2025

My Life at Arnold’s – 11/02/2025 The Covered Courtyard – Part Two

As I stated in Part One, I should have gotten a permit for the courtyard roof and I didn’t. That mistake made life very difficult during an already low point for me. I was trying to buy my partner out, I was required to install a new exhaust hood over the stove, and after the riots, no one was coming downtown. It was a hard, uncertain time.
Once the plans were finalized and the new roof was approved, the real work began. I truly thank the city for working with me to make that structure happen. I didn’t feel that way then but I do now.
What started as the “tent revival” plastic covering evolved into a permanent structure with beams strong enough to withstand winter winds, summer storms, and most importantly decades of memories. Under that roof we’ve seen laughter, marriages, proposals, divorce parties, and everything in between.
We brought in an architect who understood the quirks of old buildings, the realities of Arnold’s, and the importance of keeping the courtyard authentic, not fancy, not modernized, not over-polished.
I got through that dark time because of the people who showed up for me. My lawyer never sent a bill. The architect didn’t either. The person who provided the proper roofing materials never invoiced me. Also to the city person that was instrumental in working with me to achieve what we all wanted, the future of Arnold’s.

11/28/2025

My Life at Arnold’s 11/??/2025
Y2K Tent Revival – Part One

The year was 1999 and we were getting ready for our first New Year’s Eve celebration as the new owners of Arnold’s. There was all this buzz about Y2K and how the computer world was supposed to crash at midnight when the clocks flipped. People were half laughing, half nervous, and fully curious. Back then the courtyard didn’t have a roof. And we got this bright idea that we should have a Y2K Tent Revival. And that’s how the covered courtyard was born.
At first, everyone involved thought it was crazy. Then we started figuring it out. The first few years, I had a business partner and we were both married at the time. We built the frame out of wood and used thick, heavy plastic for the roof. We installed an infrared heating system along three sides of the courtyard. Since heat rises, we didn’t have to worry about insulating the roof, and because Arnold’s courtyard was surrounded by four taller buildings, wind wasn’t an issue. It created a naturally protected pocket. It was ingenious!
The covered courtyard officially opened on New Year’s Eve, 1999 — and it paid for itself that very first night.
We knew it was safe because of the person who designed and engineered it. Building permits might should have been talked about, but weren’t.
Join me on Monday when I talk about how, three years later, I found myself asking for forgiveness rather than the permission I probably should have gotten. This will be a three-part series because there is just too much to cover in one episode! Tomorrow, I make blueberry bread pudding with a white chocolate sauce!

11/27/2025

Please excuse the barking dog!

11/26/2025

11/25/2025

Oh the gratitude!

11/20/2025

11/17/2025

It’s funny how the people we work beside can become part of our family without us even realizing it.

My Life at Arnold’s – 11/14/2025
Tribute to Chef Kayla Robison (2018–2023)

Starting to write this tribute, I thought it would be a piece of cake, but it wasn’t. Just like our first interview that lasted over two hours. I offered her the job right there, and she said she wanted to think about it. I told her even if she didn’t take the job, to make sure her next employer paid her what she was worth. I think there might have been a tear or two in that interview.

When I began gathering photos for this post, I realized just how many moments we shared. Us at work, with the girls, at football games, on vacations, and at charity events—so many charity events. That’s who Kayla is to me: someone who understands that to receive, you first have to give.

Kayla worked hard at Arnold’s, as anyone in the restaurant world knows you must. But she brought something more—heart, laughter, and an energy that lifted everyone around her. Our shared love for food, and the bond of being independent single moms, created a connection I’ll always cherish.

She became family. Not only Arnold’s family, but my family.

We always knew Kayla wouldn’t be at Arnold’s forever, and we didn’t want her to be. While she was here, she had already found her way onto the Food Network, local TV, and the Travel Channel. Wherever her path leads, she’ll succeed. She has the confidence that comes from believing in herself, and the attitude that she can do anything she sets her mind to.

And she’ll have fun doing it—just like always.

11/14/2025

11/14/2025