Old 97 — Restaurant in Akron

Hilariously pathetic attempt by hands off ownership and lying excuse for manager to cover their tracks after ruining a mostly fun surprise party by blowing the surprise, ending the party earlier than agreed upon, back tracking on stuff they agreed to and then blaming the party guests for things that were actually their hired bands doing. I was the guest of honor and was 100% in the dark about a surprise party there until walking into the bar only to be told by the main bartender we were not allowed upstairs because that was where the 40th birthday party was at. This definitely wasn’t the surprise my partner and family had worked for, as I already knew what was happening when I got to the top of the steps and heard surprise. This sucked. the manager Tiffany was pathetic. She showed up late. I only know this because my sister and partner were asking for her from the time I arrived until about 2 hours into the party. Tiffany showed up and apologized to us for being late. She drank with us and did shots with me for my birthday. the primary bartender guy who worked the night named Josh was awesome. He was kind, signed my birthday book, made tons of money on the outlandish bar tab our party racked up, not too mentioned tips. I do not want to blame Josh but he invited the fireball shot from the party bags be done in the bar. I gave a thank you speech in his honor and asked everyone to tip him extra well. This was loud and Tiffany was upstairs during this. This was at about 930pm. She had no problem with this. She pretends to now to cover her own behind. the marijuana was literally an invited thing from the bartenders and manager Tiffany. She told me I could smoke weed in the inside upstairs speak easy. She made is so way over the top clear and said repeatedly, she did not care. I cannot stress this enough - multiple times. We didn’t do that, as we preferred to smoke outside in the assigned smoking area where no one had any problem with it. Actually I dropped a pack of pre rolled joints earlier in the night and they were returned to me by a bartender. No manager or anyone said anything to us. the person who had their car in the driveway and was giving out beers was a member of the band that played. The band was hired by Old 97. We had no idea who they were. Side note, the band complained about the people in the crowd to us and said they (the band) weren’t buying beers from the bar. That’s why they were drinking out of the back of their car. We drank the cocktails we purchased from the bar. since the event night other guests have told me they were asked to start closing tabs at 1030. Whatever else the manager Tiffany says is fabricated. They tried to get rid of us because the downstairs bar was empty and they weren’t making money there and our group was slowing down. We didn’t rent the venue to have to drink like college students the whole time. We drank to have a nice time. They kicked us out earlier than expected or agreed on based on the conversations via text I was shown between my sister and partner who primarily planned the party. I didn’t first hand experience a lot of stuff related to planning. But I can say that people don’t go to the lengths that my family did to plan and surprise me only to make up half the planning details mid party to no gain of their own. Tiffany has been unprofessional and antagonistic throughout the entire process. the event was great IN SPITE on the staff aside from Josh. This place had a sparkling reputation but over the last couple of years and new operating management that came in, the rep overshoots the reality. Tons of potential but lack of follow through, lack of organization, lack of accountability most importantly in this case, will hold them back from being what they once were and could once again be.

Please reach out. I’d love to speak directly with ownership and give them the middle ground of a special night from a fellow local...

We hosted a surprise 40th birthday party at The Old 97 on May 16. While we had a positive experience at the venue in the past, this most recent event fell short due to significant miscommunication, broken assurances, and a lack of professionalism—most notably in our dealings with Tiffany Casanova, our primary point of contact.

Our planning began in February. We originally hoped for May 17, but Tiffany informed us that a band was scheduled for that date. Because having live music during our event would be a dealbreaker, she assured us that May 16 would be free of any live performances. Based on that assurance, we moved the celebration to May 16 and secured the French Barn and patio by submitting a deposit that same day.

However, just one day before the party, I reached out to request a tent due to the forecasted rain. I was surprised to be told we were booked for the Speakeasy—not the outdoor space we had toured, discussed, and paid for. To make matters worse, I was then informed that a band was in fact scheduled to play outdoors on May 16, contradicting everything we had been told. As the event was a surprise and rescheduling wasn’t an option, we were forced to pivot quickly—something that should never have been necessary with proper planning and communication.

On the morning of May 16, we arrived at 10:30 a.m. to begin decorating. Tiffany had explicitly given us permission to use crinkle paper for the table settings. However, we were disappointed to find the space had not been cleaned from a prior event. My husband, sister-in-law, and I had to remove balloons, cut down streamers, sweep confetti, and rearrange tables and chairs ourselves—tasks we did not expect to handle after months of coordination.

Despite repeated communication that this was a surprise party, the surprise was inadvertently ruined. The downstairs bartender, unaware of the circumstances, asked the guest of honor if he was there for the “surprise 40th” and initially denied him access to the upstairs space. While we understand this was unintentional, it undermined a moment we had worked hard to plan and protect.

Later in the evening, we encountered further issues with timing. We were told the venue would remain open until 2:00 a.m., consistent with The Old 97’s extended liquor license. However, by 11:30 p.m., guests were being told to close out their tabs, and we were informed that the bartender would be leaving by midnight. Guests began to leave early, and the event came to an abrupt and premature end. By 11:30 pm, Tiffany was actively encouraging guests to exit the space. The limited mess left behind was due to the rushed closure—not neglect on our part.

As a final note, the upstairs bartender permitted myself, my brother’s boyfriend, and several guests to take small farewell Fireball shots from our party goodie bags—and even participated in one himself. While this was a lighthearted moment, it only further highlighted the inconsistent management of the event and venue policies.

I have not yet received a clear resolution or acknowledgment of these issues. We are currently waiting to see how the situation will be addressed. What should have been a joyful, celebratory evening was overshadowed by logistical breakdowns and last-minute changes—many of which were directly the result of Tiffany’s lack of follow-through and attention to detail.

The Old 97 remains a beautiful venue with great potential, but that alone is not enough to compensate for disorganization and poor communication. As returning clients who entrusted the venue with another milestone event, we left feeling deeply disappointed and frustrated. We sincerely hope management takes this feedback seriously to improve the experience for...

My husband & I were married here in April this year. Absolutely AMAZING! Debbie, the owner is wonderful! The staff (Keefe & the other woman, forgive me I cannot remember her name!) are truly awesome! We had a small wedding, about 64 guests & we were definitely over the limit as far as how many people can fit but Debbie made it work beautifully! I loved having everyone together. This place is truly a hidden gem! So beautiful, classy & intimate! The inside is gorgeous & the patio is like a dream! The food was so delicious & the drinks SO, SO GOOD! What makes everything so perfect are the people that run this place! So many of our friends told us that it was the best wedding they’d been too! I never wanted the night to end! I can’t rave enough about the beauty of this place, the food or the drinks! I’m so happy we chose the Old 97 as our wedding venue, we will go back for years to come & reminisce on such a magical night! Thank you Debbie, Keefe & the rest of the staff for making our day so unbelievably special!

One more thing to add, if you’re looking for a wedding, shower or general party this place is amazing! Debbie had so many centerpieces/decorations! The place settings, linens & overall decor of this place is PERFECT! Our wedding photos from the reception turned out beautifully & that was because of Debbie’s outstanding taste. She was so, so helpful during the planning process & had so many amazing ideas! Highly recommend this place for a night out or an event! Amazing!! Thank you ALL!

♥️ The Orlando’s

Edit- I added some of our favorite photos from our reception! They turned out...