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- Bobby George, 43, of Lakewood near Cleveland, was charged Friday with attempted murder, four counts of kidnapping, two counts of strangulation and one count each of rape and aggravated assault.
- George owns TownHall, REBoL and Barley House in Cleveland, as well as TownHall and Mandrake Rooftop in the Short North and REBoL in Dublin.
- George is the founder of Ethos Hospitality Group, a hospitality and marketing company headquartered in Cleveland.
A successful entrepreneur who owns at least six restaurants in Cleveland and Columbus (with plans for more), is the founder of his own company and the majority shareholder of over 40 companies, now faces charges of rape and attempted murder.
So who is Bobby George? Here’s what you need to know.
Bobby George charged with attempted murder, rape and kidnapping
Robert “Bobby” T. George, 43, of Lakewood near Cleveland, was charged Friday in Cleveland Municipal Court with attempted murder, four counts of kidnapping, two counts of strangulation and one count each of rape and aggravated assault, court records show.
According to records, the crimes occurred between November 2023 and July of this year and were reported to police on August 9.
The Akron Beacon Journal, citing its sister publication News 5 Cleveland, reports that George turned himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Friday.
Citing the arrest warrant, Cleveland television stations WOIO Channel 19 and WEWS News 5 reported that George is accused of strangling a woman and slamming her head into the ground after pinning her to the ground on November 14, 2023. Another time, George is accused of using a gun to force the woman out of a car and holding the gun to her stomach as he led her back inside. In another case, the woman claims George raped her as she was getting out of the shower.
Bobby George restaurants include TownHall, REBoL in Cleveland and Columbus, with plans for more
According to WEWS News 5, George owns TownHall, REBoL and Barley House in Cleveland, as well as TownHall and Mandrake Rooftop in the Short North and REBoL in Dublin.
He also has plans to expand his restaurant empire.
In January, George and his architects unveiled details for a three-building restaurant and entertainment complex in Cleveland’s Flats East Bank neighborhood, according to Cleveland Scene. The complex is scheduled to break ground later this year.
Bobby George is the founder of the Ethos Hospitality Group and owns shares in over 40 companies
George is the founder of Ethos Hospitality Group, a Cleveland-based hospitality and marketing company, according to the Cleveland Business Journal. Their LinkedIn page states, “Ethos Hospitality Brands are independent companies with the belief that a culture of love makes us better.”
He also owns majority shares in more than 40 companies, according to his bio for the Small Business Dealmakers Conference in Cleveland. George was a guest speaker at the conference in June. He holds a degree in finance and economics from Ohio University.
The same bio claims that George is the founder and CEO of Ethos Capital Partners, but this could not be verified. Ethos Capital’s website states that the company was founded in 2019 by Erik Brooks and Fadi Chehadé. Ethos Partners is a London-based company founded in 2017, according to its website.
Father Tony George named in HB 6 and in the FirstEnergy controversy
Bobby George’s father, Tony George, was involved in the House Bill 6 controversy, serving as a mediator between FirstEnergy and former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, who was convicted for his role in the bribery scandal.
According to lawsuits, FirstEnergy pumped $61 million in bribes through political dark money groups to help Householder gain political power in exchange for passing House Bill 6, a $1.3 billion bailout package for FirstEnergy and its former subsidiary, FirstEnergy Solutions.
According to a 2023 Columbus Dispatch article, Tony George, a Cleveland-area businessman, arranged for the FirstEnergy Corp. jet to fly Householder and his son to Washington, D.C., for Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. Records show the elder George also booked and paid the $1,557 hotel bill for Householder’s stay in D.C.
Tony George served as an intermediary between FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and Householder in the fall of 2016 as Householder was planning his political comeback in the Ohio House of Representatives. George was identified as Individual B in the dismissal agreement signed by FirstEnergy in July 2021.
George family supports Republican candidates
According to a 2023 Dispatch article, the George family publicly supports Republican candidates for public office.
In November 2022, Ohio Supreme Court Republicans held a fundraiser at a George’s restaurant in Columbus. And in October 2022, Bobby George hosted a fundraiser for state Rep. Jay Edwards in Cleveland.
In August 2022, Tony George and his wife co-sponsored a fundraiser for Lee Weingart, the Republican who ran unsuccessfully for Cuyahoga County Executive.
In April 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Tony George advocated for a full reopening of Ohio businesses, especially restaurants.
