On Valentine's Day we catch up with Rico Grant, owner of club LoVe on Fourth

For years entrepreneur Rico Grant has heard his friends say they were saving special outfits for when they would go clubbing in other cities like Houston or Atlanta.

So when Grant was considering opening a second bar − he opened Cinema OTR in 2022 − he wanted to create a space where those special outfits are worn right here in Cincinnati. He did just that when opened LoVe on Fourth at Fourth and Race streets, where the decor is love-related and the vibe definitely upscale.

Grant, 38, has brought to life the art gallery/barbershop Gallery at Gumbo, and then, through his company Paloozanoire, the Juneteenth Block Party and the Black and Brown Faces art exhibit. Cinema OTR is dedicated to 90s R&B, hip-hop and classic Black films.

This Valentine's Day, The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast caught up with Grant to learn more about his latest venture.

LoVe on Fourth was inspired by D.C. club

"There was a club in (Washington) D.C. called Love. It was owned by a mentor of mine, Marc Barnes, who now owns Park at 14th (in Washington D.C.), which is one of the top nightclubs in the country. I kind of subliminally paid homage to what he created with that energy."

Wear your best outfit here

"I created Club LoVe because I knew we needed something. I've got friends, specifically women, friends of mine who are saving outfits for other cities. They say 'I'm going to Houston in March and I'm saving this dress for Houston.' And I'm like, 'why not wear the dress tonight?' A lot of times people feel like they're overdressed here. But you have to look like you came from somewhere other than the gym, right?"

In Cincinnati, 'We can do these really cool things'

"I just think that our city is on the up and up. I know everybody says that, but I want to be a part of that. I want to be a part of proving the model that we can do these really cool things that are innovative and bold. You think about the art gallery/barbershop collaborative space that we have on Main Street, Gallery at Gumbo. The reality is that if we were in Brooklyn, we would run into spaces like that all the time. I enjoy being behind these kinds of cool concepts and ideas."

Miss last week's episode? No problem. Listen here. Follow Cincinnati.com editor Beryl Love on X @beryllove and City Hall reporter Sharon Coolidge @SharonCoolidge.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Rico Grant give the inside scoop on Cincinnati's club LoVe on Fourth