CINCINNATI — Many around the Tri-state and the country have waited in long lines for a COVID-19 test, then waited even longer for the results. Now that Ohio has accepted 2 million rapid COVID-19 test kits, that wait could be drastically reduced.

Health departments in Hamilton County and Cincinnati already have received 2,000 kits each from the state's allocation. The at-home test kits, made by Abbott, give results in about 15 minutes. A spokesman for the Hamilton County Health Department told WCPO it gave its allocation of test kits to the Hamilton County Educational Service Center. The district supports several educational entities including Early Childhood Services and Head Start.

“I think we did receive about 2,000 last week that we’re going to process in our inventory and then work with a couple entities to say okay now we have them, are you ready to receive them," said Dr. Melba Moore, health commissioner for the Cincinnati Health Department.

Moore said the increase in testing is part of a complete strategy to combat COVID-19. Social distancing and vaccines are other necessary elements.

Courtesy, eMed

“We have long needed a comprehensive testing strategy. And a strategy that makes sure there are multiple access points,” said Dr. Patrice Harris, chief executive officer of eMed, the Miami-based company that partnered with the state of Ohio to provide the rapid tests.

“Folks who are taking these tests will have that information," said Dr. Harris, a former president of the American Medical Association. "They will know if they are positive or negative, and then make decisions about their healthcare.”

“And there’s pros and cons with the rapid test, but it’s an opportunity to make it readily available,” Moore said.

She expects the Cincinnati Health Department will ensure the tests are made available to schools, federally qualified health centers and possibly, agencies with connections to underserved communities. One of the goals of the partnership between Ohio and eMed also is to make the tests available to those with challenges with mobility or other obstacles.

Courtesy, eMed

“People who find themselves more at risk, more to being exposed, it’s an excellent tool so they know their status before they make a move,” said Dr. Moore.

Meanwhile, Harris said there is also the benefit of having someone walk you through collecting the sample and conducting the test. Tester will use a mobile app and the eMed website to complete the process.

“There is a live person that will come on, and walk you to open the box, lay the card flat, drops, nasal swab, so it is a live, virtually guided session,” Dr. Harris said.

The idea is to make sure people feel comfortable that they are correctly carrying out the steps of the test. Harris said it's about five swirls around each nostril. But, for those who think they may have COVID-19, it can be a scary.

Courtesy, eMed

“There’s certainly, in all seriousness, a lot of worry and anxiety," said Harris. "I mean this is a life-or-death situation and, in some cases, and certainly, we want to be able to add confidence.”

Ohio is the first state to work with eMed on rolling out the rapid tests, according to Harris. They will also share data on their findings.

“We will through our reporting system, which is a part of our testing platform, we will be sending the data up to local and state health departments. And, also to the CDC,” Harris said.

There is no cost to get the tests distributed by the local health departments. The tests are also offered for purchase on the eMed website for $25.

CINCINNATI — COVID-19 hit those who run local businesses hard, as seen by multiple daily news headlines over the past 19 months.

The chaos created by the pandemic's effect on the economy also highlighted some of the disparities Black business owners face.

RELATED: Here's how Black-owned Cincinnati businesses are faring one year into the COVID-19 economic crisis

That was true for the owner of GO(O)D Co. Apparel, which closed its doors as quickly as it opened in March.

"And we were shut down until July 1," said Danny Harper, owner of GO(O)D Co. "It really impacted our brand because our online sales aren't quite where we want them to be."

That doubly hurt Harper's business, because 80% of his sales had been face-to-face.

"Figuring out how to market online to get the brand out there, it was really difficult because, during that time, nobody could really be outside to do guerrilla marketing, and I love guerrilla marketing," he said.

Harper was able to bounce back, though, with the help of MORTAR, an organization known for helping and providing resources to Black-owned businesses throughout Greater Cincinnati.

"A lot of our alumni were not doing online e-commerce, so when the pandemic hit, we had to figure out how do we help them to understand the differences between all of these different platforms and your POS (point of sale) and how to get your website ready to go so that you could accept payments," said Allen Woods, co-founder of MORTAR.

And when Black-owned businesses struggled to secure federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, the group stepped in with funding from the city and community partners in the form of grants.

The Confetti Room, located at 1531 Race St. in Over-the-Rhine, was one of the more than 350 businesses that got that vital grant money.

"Our numbers were scarce, and so grants like those basically helped to ensure that we were able to take care of our overhead expenses, make sure that the staff that we did still have were able to be able to make a living," said Simone Charles, founder of The Confetti Room.

The pandemic hit the wedding and event industry hard in 2020. Now with the delta variant looming, Charles said she is worried ... but prepared.

"As a business owner, I think COVID has added to what we know that we can now do, and our ability to be able to shift in and basically make it through," she said.

SHARONVILLE — Are you looking for new work?

WCPO just co-hosted one of the biggest job fairs in the Cincinnati area, the Superior Career Fair, with more than 100 local employers.

And if you missed it, you still have opportunities to apply.

"Help wanted" signs were everywhere at the Sharonville Convention Center on Friday, where companies from across the region were hoping to hire people like Jackie Brooks of West Chester.

"I just left Macy's after 28 years and am starting a new career path," Brooks said.

It's a good time for her to start a new career.

Among the companies hiring:

• Jeff Wyler Automotive Group

• Standard Aero jet engine repair.

What job fairs like this show is that it's not just restaurants that are desperate to hire right now.

If you are looking for work, the opportunities are almost endless here in the Cincinnati area, from high tech to health care to automotive to office support work.

For hopefuls like Alex Hernandez, it was a great break from months of Zoom job interviews.

"I've been applying for jobs online and it just doesn't have that same feel," he said.

Plus, you get to go home with some great swag from many of the companies.

So if you are thinking of a career change, now is the best time in years to reach out to some of these companies.

Jackie Brooks says the fair was well worth her time.

"I was able to talk to a lot of people," she said, "and I hope something works out for me."

If you missed it and want to apply to some of those companies, CLICK HERE for more information on Superior Career Fairs, or visit the website of the companies listed above.

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COVINGTON, Ky. — The upcoming school year will look different than last year's, and if some districts don't fill staff vacancies, the schools could be more difficult.

"It's been extremely challenging," Ken Kippenbrock, executive director of human resources and operations at Covington Independent Public Schools, said. "There is a lot of competition, not only from other school districts, but also from other sectors within the economy."

The district needs to fill a lot of positions, and the largest needs are bus drivers and food service workers. However, competitive wages and benefits from other operations are making it difficult to get people in the door.

"Our transportation, we're competing against Amazon and FedEx and UPS," Kippenbrock said. "Food service, you know, we're competing against restaurants."

Loveland City School Superintendent Mike Broadwater said his district has the opposite problem, though.

"We've had many more candidates," he said. "Last year, it was very, very difficult because we were all, we didn't know, we didn't know what the future held... It was a lot more unknown when it came to COVID. With the vaccine being available, it really seemed to put a lot of the unease at rest with some of the staff members."

Cincinnati Public Schools are hiring, but it is focusing efforts into hiring social workers as part of a three-year plan the district was working on before COVID-19 hit. The district is set to double its social worker staff.

"We had around 27 school social workers for 50 to 60 schools," Dr. Carrie Bunger with CPS said. "They were spread very thin. We know for our students to be able to learn and thrive, we also need to be able to support their behavior and social, emotional skills."

Back in Covington, though, Kippenbrock hopes people will consider applying to work in education.

"Please give education a chance," he said. "There's something for just about everyone. So please look through and give us a consideration."

Anyone interested in a position with Covington Independent Public Schools can learn more here.

CINCINNATI — Paul Montgomery had high hopes for Pig Candy Barbecue after COVID-19 restrictions began to lift last month.

He even saw a silver lining when he opened his restaurant with limited seating at 5901 Kellogg Avenue in the California neighborhood in March.

"It really worked out a lot of kinks and got a lot of processes and procedures down while not having hundreds of people at the door," Montgomery said.

As capacity restrictions lifted, Montgomery and the staff at Pig Candy were able to scale up their service without being overwhelmed.

RELATED: Pig Candy BBQ blends good food, neighborhood history

Fast forward to today: Montgomery could not predict the crisis his restaurant is facing — a crisis that has nothing to do with seating capacity.

"Yeah, uh, supply chain has been — right now that's our, that's our biggest hurdle," he said. "We've been open three months Saturday, and the meat prices have gone through the roof."

Montgomery said he modeled his business to be able to handle fluctuating prices on certain items. If he had to pay more for one item, the sale of another menu item that is cheaper to purchase would make up for profit loss.

Now, everything is more expensive and, therefore, is reducing profits overall on food items, he said.

"You know, we're paying almost triple for pork that we did when we opened in March and, you know, we're a barbecue restaurant," Montgomery said. "That's our number one seller."

Josh Bolan, owner of the 859 Taproom and Grill at 8720 Bankers Street in Florence is experiencing the same high prices as Montgomery.

Bolan said the price of cooking oil has jumped from $14 to $40 an order in recent weeks.

"When you have to change the oil every two days and spend upwards of $600 dumping oil out, it does make it tough on you," he said.

Neither Bolan nor Montgomery have raised menu prices yet. But Bolan said the price increases have forced him to consider menu changes at the 859 Taproom.

The changes involve fewer fried foods on the menu that will help Bolan save on the cost of cooking oil.

Unlike Montgomery, Bolan faces an additional hurdle to keeping his business afloat right as the economy begins to reopen.

"Current state is pretty dire," he said. "It's, uh — we got a very, very tiny crew. I believe I have eight employees when we need twenty."

Bolan cites a mix of additional federal unemployment money in Kentucky, uncertainty in the restaurant industry as vaccination rates remain low, and people finding new work at places like Amazon for his inability to find enough workers.

This is why, in part, Bolan has limited the 859 Taproom's hours during the week, and he asks guests to be patient when they visit.

"Most of the customers understand that come in, bring some patience with them," he said. "Can't overwhelm our staff or they'll just walk out the door and you can't replace them right now."

Montgomery said the fact that, unlike the 859 Taproom that opened years before the pandemic, Pig Candy has managed to tweak staffing to keep up with customer demand as a new restaurant.

"We could use another person or two, but it's not dire right now," Montgomery said.

Another advantage restaurants in Cincinnati such as Pig Candy have at the moment over those like the 859 Taproom in Northern Kentucky is additional financial support.

Last year the city of Cincinnati allocated millions of dollars through a program called "Taste of Cincinnati: All Winter Long" to assist small, independently owned restaurants within city limits.

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber administered the program for the city.

"These restaurants and bars and the women and men who run them and take a risk to open them in neighborhoods, they need our support because they are the life blood of our local economy," said Brendon Cull, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for the chamber.

Cull said the program helped more than 200 Cincinnati restaurants. They used grant money to expand things such as outside patios and supplement income lost due to closings and limited capacity seating.

The Chamber and the city announced in June a second wave of financial assistance under the "Taste of Cincinnati: All Summer Long" program. The Chamber was accepting grant applications through the first week of July.

The second wave of funding also was expanded to include food trucks, walk-up windows and some Findlay Market vendors.

"The most I've heard this time is being able to do hiring bonuses, being able to keep people on staff," Cull said. "Guarantee hours is I think really important."

While Bolan's restaurant is not able to apply for the Taste of Cincinnati grants, he agrees expanding hours, lowering supply chain costs and stabilizing the employee market are important.

"We all have hope that it's going to get better. Um, but you just never know," he said.

CINCINNATI — Many of our pets have loved the extra one-on-one time the COVID0-19 pandemic brought with working from home. So much so that, as some start to return to the office, they may notice their furry companions are feeling a little more stressed than usual.

Veterinarians say it's normal for your pet to experience separation anxiety in your absence because they don’t really know when you are coming back. The staff at Red Dog Pet Resort and Spa say they notice a lot more puppies coming for daycare to their facility.

“A lot of people during COVID, they got lonely and so they're spending all this time at home, so they went out and got puppies,” said Chelsey Davis of Red Dog Pet Resort and Spa.

Davis said the resort is a place where your pups — especially those newly adopted puppies who have never been around other humans, let alone other animals — can get some human interaction when you have to go back to the office during the day.

“This is uncharted territory,” Davis said. “So, with the puppies coming in, they're like, oh my goodness, there's other dogs here. How do I act, how do I be a puppy when I'm not with mom?”

Davis has noticed a number of people bringing in their pets because they are showing signs of separation anxiety.

“Anxiety and behavior disorders are one of the most common things that we hear from pet owners in general,” said Dr. Britt DeNuzio, a veterinarian at Kings Veterinary Hospital. “Not just the separation anxiety, but just dogs being anxious. So definitely a thing, and definitely very common.”

She describes some of those symptoms being as simple as pacing and whining to more severe cases where the animal begins to become destructive.

“It's basically a panic attack,” DeNuzio said. “They don't know when you're coming home, and they don't know how else to deal with their anxiety, and so a lot of people think that the dog was bad when they left and shredded up the couch or shredded, you know, some object. And that's not it at all. They weren't trying to be bad.”

Instead, DeNuzio believes the animal is usually just panicking without their owner. She advises her pet families to start establishing a routine when they’re getting ready to leave for the day.

“Try to offer the dog exercise before you leave, and then do what we call an inverted triangle of activity,” she said. “So we start with exercise and then maybe do a few minutes of training to get them mentally kind of stimulated, and then a few minutes of just cuddling.”

If your animal is up for being around other animals, DeNuzio recommends trying to take them to doggy daycare.

Red Dog offers evaluations of your pet so you can see how well they will interact with other people and animals.

“We just go slow and steady,” Davis said. “We don't want to make it too overwhelming to where they're scared to come in. After a couple of times of doing that slow and steady, it ends up winning the race, and then they come in and they're more excited and so they'll do better. It's suggested you reach out to your pet's veterinarian if you have concerns that your pet may be suffering from separation anxiety."

"The Rebound: Finding a New Normal" includes reports that will run throughout all of WCPO 9 News' broadcasts on Thursday, July 8.

As COVID-19 cases across the Tri-State continue to decline and more of us get vaccinated, you may be excited about re-entering the world. Or, you might be feeling nervous, or maybe somewhere in between.

Whatever you're feeling, WCPO 9 has devoted a full day of coverage trying to pinpoint what our "new normal" might look like once we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.

Family reunion

Perhaps one of the most profound impacts of the pandemic has been, for some, spending months or more than a year away from even their closest family members.

WCPO reporter and anchor Kristen Swilley looked at what families can do to make sure they remain safe as they begin to reunite and also spoke with a family psychiatrist who explained how, for some, the prospect of returning to family obligations can feel draining.

Back to work

Another question for the thousands of workers who have worked from home for the last year and a half: Do I have to go back to the office? Reporter Lisa Smith spoke with a legal expert to determine what office workers' options are and what employers are legally allowed to require as health orders and social distancing recommendations lift.

Consumer reporter John Matarese also has these tips for how to talk to your employer about establishing a more flexible schedule that could allow for more time at home.

With so many beginning to go back to work and summer break upon us, child care will become a whole new kind of challenge. Reporter Monique John explores how, while parents are scrambling to find child care as they return to work, providers are also tasked with persistently making adjustments and innovations prompted by the strains and limitations of the ongoing pandemic.

And it's not just children workers whom will be leaving at home: Reporter Whitney Miller takes a closer look at what pet owners can do to make sure humans' return to work isn't too traumatic for our four-legged friends.

Seeing a new world

It's not just work and family life that will balance into a new normal: With travel restrictions easing all around the world, many are engaging in what some are calling "revenge travel" — taking a trip for the trip's sake, since it's been more than a year since many have had the chance to do so. Anchor and reporter Evan Millward walks through what travelers need to know as different states and countries — and modes of transportation — have different rules.

Not out of the woods yet

With all this in mind, though, it's also critical to remember that, while Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana have lifted virtually all health orders and business and social restrictions, COVID-19 is not gone from our lives.

Some industries — most notably the restaurant and bar sectors — are still struggling to rebound from more than a year of tight restrictions on their business. Reporter Brian Mains looks at how your favorite bar or bistro is probably still fighting shortages in both staff and supplies, even as more and more are going back out to eat.

And for people like WCPO alumnus and comedian Michael Flannery, the fight to recovery from his severe case of the disease is still ongoing. WCPO anchor Julie O'Neill held a touching interview with her former colleague and life-long friend — who is what some are calling COVID "long-haulers" — in which he described his "invisible syndrome" that came from spending six days in a medically induced coma and a month away from his family and his home.

For WCPO's full coverage of "The Rebound," click or tap here.

CINCINNATI — Monique Colbert of Westwood got the bug to get better nutrition into the bodies of her friends and neighbors a couple of years before the health scare called COVID-19 hit, inspired to switch from baking to juicing as she was taking care of her sick mother.

“I felt bad about giving a lot of the sweets and things away," Colbert said. "I felt like it wasn’t good for people… especially in our community where we got a lot of food deserts and things like that, and people not getting a lot of fruits and vegetables and healthy organic items and things like that so... I was juicing for myself and then other people just started asking if I would juice for them.”

But Colbert’s side-hustle “juicing” fruits and vegetables has all but stalled after scammers hacked her unemployment benefits.

Colbert told WCPO she lost her primary job in customer service for the medical field in March, and it appears the website she went to in order to apply for unemployment benefits was fake.

Provided

“On June 1, I went to go look, and it said that it was paid out, and I kept going, 'Paid out where?'" Colbert said. "So I kept checking my account. I’m like it’s not in my account."

Colbert is one of thousands defrauded amid the pandemic in Ohio who have little recourse.

“They’re just saying that ‘Hey you know you got hacked and there’s really nothing else we can do,’” Colbert said.

Colbert was directed to file a fraud complaint with the FBI, and now she must wait to see if agents can locate the fraudsters who are likely in other countries.

Ironically, Colbert says the $3,000 she had stolen from her would have been enough to buy her “dream juicer” and get her closer to her dream career of juicing full time.

Instead, as Colbert looks for other work, she is churning out what juice she can from a small machine, hard pressed to recover the money meant to help her. But, she's hopeful.

“There’s still hope for that and everything," Colbert said. "It’s just making me have to look at things differently and find other ways to get it done. I know I’m not the only one. I’m just wondering why is that OK? Why is it OK for us to lose such a big chunk of money like that and people walk away with it, and there’s nothing else that we can do?”

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services issued a warning in April about two particular fraudulent websites that look just like the state’s (ohio-gov.com and ohio.gov). The State of Ohio’s actual unemployment website is jfs.ohio.gov and the state has issued these warnings:

To avoid potential fraud Ohioans should:

• Ignore all unsolicited text messages and never click on hyperlinks in emails or text messages that look suspicious.

• Log in each week to your account and review personal information such as physical address, email address, and banking information.

• Remember that ODJFS will not contact you to ask for your username or password.

If individuals notice a change in their account information, they should:

• Report immediately by calling 833-658-0394. ODJFS will then work with you to verify your identity and provide you with next steps, such as changing your Personal Identification Number (PIN) and reporting the theft to law enforcement.

ODJFS officials have said they are continuing to work closely with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Cyber Crime Unit to stop fraudulent activities and find the criminals behind them.

If you need help with your unemployment benefits and are willing to go on camera, email Julie O'Neill at joneill@wcpo.com.

If you drive by a hotel in Butler County this weekend, take a look at the number of cars in the parking lot. Chances are, there won't be many spaces open.

“We have U.S. Soccer bringing in their President’s Cup regional event," said Mark Hecquet, CEO of the Butler County Visitor's Bureau. "So, we have over 160 teams from 16 states. We expect over 10,000 people coming into town for five days.”

The youth teams begin arriving in town Wednesday for the five-day event, June 17-21, at the Voice of America Athletic Complex in West Chester. The winners go on to compete for the National President's Cup in Des Moines, Iowa.

But as those teams are playing, with family and friends cheering them on, there will also be cheers coming from Butler County hotels. Leisure travel is helping to jump-start Butler County's travel economy.

Whether it's a quick weekend trip, a stay-cation or youth athletic event, those visits equal hotel stays, meals at restaurants and retail purchases as the region looks to rebound from the pandemic.

“There’s definitely been a marked uptick in the hotels, probably in the last two months, probably since middle of March, particularly on the weekends,” said Hecquet.

In June 2020, hotel occupancy rates in Butler County were around 30 percent, he said. So far this June, the occupancy rates are at 55-60 percent, nearly double the number from a year ago. In 2019, before the pandemic, occupancy rates were at 70 percent. Hecquet said the expectation is that the number will continue to grow through summer and into the fall, thanks to a full schedule of large youth tournaments.

Lisa Smith

“We have an AAU Girls Basketball World Championship that’s in for another five days. That will bring in teams from around the country," he said. “We have multiple of these events going into July. We have an archery national championship, then we have triathlon junior national championships coming back."

The only problem: Leisure travel is only a portion of the equation to return hotels and some retailers to pre-pandemic levels. Business travel is the other piece.

“We’re just waiting on the corporate travel to come back,” said Steve Rue, general manager at the Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn in West Chester.

He said the leisure travelers are getting them through the pandemic, but they need to see corporate and business travelers return.

“We’re purposely built for that. So, definitely, we are looking for that to come back,” Rue said. The two West Chester properties and three others in the region are operated by Lexington Management. Rue suspects consumer confidence to financial hesitancy are impacting the return of business travelers.

"I think once businesses feel confident that it makes sense for their people to travel. I think that’s when you’ll really start to see them return," he said

Another challenge is a lack of workers. Rue said there are about 18 positions open at the Courtyard. Other businesses are experiencing the same.

“All industries in our county are really struggling with this workforce side of things, and it is a concern,” said Hecquet.

Rue said some of his staff members are working double shifts, taking an eight-hour break and are back on the job. He has also been working to fill in the gaps himself.

“I’m cleaning rooms, stripping beds. Doing whatever it needs to take, but we are looking for people actively,” he said. “Currently my Bistro is really only part time because I can’t find necessary staffing to keep it open like it should be.”

Rue said it was difficult at the start of the pandemic to have to let workers go and even close the hotel for more than two months. But, he said, they are offering incentives, like increased pay, to get staffing back to pre-pandemic levels. He said he believes business travelers will be back soon, too.

“All indicators look like the corporate travelers are going to be starting back. But I don’t see it really hitting pre-pandemic levels until Q2, Q3 of 2022,” said Rue.

Meanwhile, you can expect to see a marketing push to visit Butler County in magazines, on social media, billboards and radio. In March, the Butler County Commissioners approved $250,000 for the visitor's bureau to roll out a marketing campaign aimed at leisure travelers. It's actually a re-start of marketing the county.

“We stopped all advertising, all promotion, because it just wasn’t appropriate," said Hecquet. "People weren’t ready to travel.”

But now he said there are definite signs that many are ready.

“The weekend traffic is back. No doubt about it. Those leisure travelers are coming back."

CINCINNATI — As part of our coverage called The Rebound, which is meant to help our viewers and readers rebound economically from the coronavirus pandemic, we've been trying to find ways to help you get back to work.

One of those ways is through our Getting Back to Work in Greater Cincinnati Facebook page, where multiple employers post openings daily. If you're looking for work, definitely join the page and keep an eye on daily postings.

We have also partnered with several agencies to bring you job fairs. One of those is Cincinnati Works, a nonprofit agency that provides free lifetime career coaching and support services.

The other is Superior Career Fairs, which hosts virtual job fairs across the country and has had several local fairs since the pandemic began.

Next week, both of these agencies will have job fairs on Wednesday, April 14. If you're looking for work, mark your calendars. Here is more info about each job fair and how to sign up:

CINCINNATI WORKS

• Date/time: Wednesday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Cost: Free
• Virtual or in person: In person. Location: The Care Center at 11020 S. Lebanon Rd., Loveland, Ohio
• Employer(s): Meridian BioScience, a Cincinnati Works employer partner who is looking to fill multiple full-time positions
• How to register: Fill out this form

SUPERIOR CAREER FAIRS

• Date/time: Wednesday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Cost: Free
• Virtual or in person: Virtual
• Employer(s): This diversity and inclusion career fair includes more than 30 employers including Cincinnati Bell, Metro, St. Elizabeth and more.
• How to register: Go to this website

CINCINNATI — East Walnut Hills restaurant Branch will reopen with a new head chef for limited indoor dining starting Saturday, May 1.

Jared Bennett will oversee the kitchen for the restaurant located at 1535 Madison Rd. Bennett previously worked at Maplewood Kitchen and Bar and also worked as Executive Chef for Metropole at 21c Museum Hotel Downtown before leaving there to help open the restaurant in Karrikin Spirits distillery in Fairfax.

Branch's new menu created by Bennett will feature "farm-fresh ingredients and bold flavors with a modernist bent," according to a press release announcing the restaurant's reopening.

Shane Kirkland will continue to oversee Branch's cocktail program.

Branch's new dining room hours will be 5-10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for brunch and 5-9 p.m. for dinner on Sunday.

For more information visit www.eatatbranch.com.