BrewDog continues its expansion across central Ohio with a new brewpub in Franklinton.
BrewDog continues its expansion across central Ohio with a new brewpub in Franklinton.
Taking over a former mechanic's garage, the two-story facility of concrete and steel is about 8,200 square feet -- an even split between the two floors -- with a strong urban vibe that matches the neighborhood.
" 'Industrial but finished' is what we call it," said Keith Bennet, special-projects manager for the company.
The Franklinton storefront at 463 W. Town St. will be the site of the Scottish brewery's first stateside sour beer aged in wine barrels.
Bennet said he isn't sure when the first sour beer would be tapped, per the unpredictability of sour-beer fermentation, or the name of it.
To be sure, BrewDog is very much about beer, as it has 24 taps at the ground-level bar and the rooftop patio. Half will be dedicated to BrewDog suds while guest breweries -- Wolf's Ridge, North High and Fat Head's, to name a few -- will claim the remaining handles.
Bennet said some of the BrewDog products that are brewed in Scotland are on tap in Franklinton, including Vagabond (saison pale ale), Kingpin (lager) and Native Son (West Coast Double IPA). Patrons can expect additional Scottish-brewed beers to make the rotation.
The pub will seat about 280, but it has no dedicated parking lot.
"We're not too concerned about it," Bennet said.
The downstairs features rolling garage-door walls leading out to a spacious patio with a firepit. The upstairs, which has a commanding view of the downtown Columbus skyline, also has a firepit, a bar made from a discarded shipping container and slatted wooden flooring that prevents puddling.
The menu will include mostly burgers, salads, sides, appetizers and a few desserts. One feature is the Identity Crisis burger -- a half-pound patty topped with pulled pork, tortilla strips, chipotle cream, a sunny-side-up egg and avocado cream.
"It thinks it's a taco," Bennet said.
BrewDog's growth has been aggressive since opening a 100,000-square-foot brewery and brewpub called DogTap last February in Canal Winchester.
It serves as the headquarters of its U.S. operations, and a hotel is under construction there.
The company opened a smaller pub last month in Columbus' Short North, and it still is looking for additional sites across Ohio and nearby states, Bennet said.
As for the newest brewpub, he said, company officials were impressed with Franklinton and the renewed interest from developers in that area. The pub joins other watering holes that have opened in the neighborhood.
Bennet said BrewDog has been welcomed by Land-Grant Brewing Co., located across the street at 424 W. Town St., and other businesses in the area.
"It's great to see the transformation of the neighborhood," he said.
Hours for BrewDog's Franklinton pub are 11 a.m. to midnight daily.
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Bottoms Up Coffee Co-Op is changing hands but not missions.
Virginia Nunes Gutierrez and her sister, Victoria Calderon, are selling the business, 1069 W. Broad St. in Franklinton, to Joshua and Meghan Boone.
Gutierrez said she is taking an undetermined period of maternity leave but plans to stay involved with the coffee shop's initiatives to reduce infant mortality in Franklin County.
Part of the transaction involves the adjacent co-working space, where entrepreneurs can sign short- and long-term leases for an office.
Joshua Boone said he and his wife would rename the business Bottoms Up Coffee and Cova Cowork.
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Buns & Brews, beset by months of construction delays, has opened in south Columbus.
The restaurant, owned by Kevin and William Hightower, serves custom-made hot dogs and craft brews, among other offerings, at 970 Parsons Ave., just south of East Whittier Street.
Basic dogs start at $5 and custom dogs are $6, but the price can go up as toppings are added. Sides are $3 each.
Buns & Brews uses all-beef, turkey and vegan dogs and has several signature choices, including the Carolina, topped with pulled chicken, gold barbecue sauce and coleslaw; the New Yorker, with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard; and Jamaican Me Crazy, with jerk chicken and coleslaw.
Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and closed Sundays. Kevin Hightower said lunch hours soon would be added.
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