By Ken Alltucker
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The popular Over-the-Rhine bar and eatery Jump Cafe has shut down, and all of its contents were sold at auction this week.

The auction was ordered by Fifth Third Bank, which won a court judgment of more than $435,000 last month against Jump owner Queen City Restaurant Group.

Queen City Restaurant Group - which operates high-profile restaurants such as downtown's Bella, Teller's in Hyde Park and Watson Bros. Bistro and Brewery in Blue Ash - also faces numerous lawsuits from suppliers and vendors claiming non-payment for services.

Queen City president Vincent Bryant didn't return phone calls Wednesday. His lawyer, Christopher Cathey, declined comment.

Fifth Third Bank filed the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas lawsuit in mid-December after the restaurant owner defaulted on a $435,000 loan approved Nov. 1. The court order allowed the bank possession of Jump Cafe's assets as well as assets at Queen City Restaurant Group's Erie Avenue office.

Now, several suppliers that have lawsuits against the restaurant group worry they won't be paid.

Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems claims Queen City owes it almost $25,000 for work performed at Jump, Bella, Teller's and Watson Bros.

"It looks like it may be a race to the courthouse," said Tim Heather, Jan-Pro's lawyer.

Linda Glaser, who owns Intra-Design in Silverton, planned and arranged lighting, fixtures and other design work at Jump Cafe, Teller's and Bella. She says Queen City owes her about $58,000.

"It's definitely put a cramp in my business, but I'm surviving," she said.

Jump opened in 2000, replacing the company's Queen City Brew Pub on Main Street. In early 2002, the national Zagat Guide ranked Jump among the best restaurants locally and in Ohio. But it ended restaurant service in September 2002, after suffering declining business following the 2001 disturbances in Over-the-Rhine and other city neighborhoods.

The upscale Teller's is one of the most popular eateries at Hyde Park Square, and the microbrewery Watson Bros. consistently draws large crowds.

Queen City also owns Scalea's, a contemporary Italian restaurant in downtown Covington, but it was not mentioned in any of the Hamilton County suits.

Bryant is pursuing a controversial plan to build a midrise retail, office and condo project at the site of an abandoned Shell gas station in Hyde Park. Cincinnati planners have given preliminary approval to the Michigan Terrace project at Hyde Park Square. The project would be built by the design-build firm Al Neyer Inc.

E-mail kalltucker@enquirer.com