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    Downtown Warehouse Transforming to Entertainment & Event Venue

    Part restaurant, part arcade, part entertainment venue, part art gallery…when The Kee makes its Columbus debut this spring, it will be many, many things.

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    But at the heart of all these experiences colliding in a 33,000 square foot warehouse on the north side of Downtown at 225 Neilston St., is a desire to build a space for the community. A social place where there’s always something new to do or see. A space for art and music. The place where you take the friend that’s in from out of town, so says Co-Owner Adam Nestler.

    Nestler and fellow Co-Owner Noah Morgenstern opened their first venue, Radio Social, in Rochester, NY in 2015.

    With three generations of bowling alley ownership in Morgenstern’s family background, the pair were inspired to create an entertainment and community space, but with a more modern twist. Radio Social offers bowling, indoor and outdoor games, dining and more, all under one roof.

    Not only did the concept prove popular, but Nestler says the business helped to revitalize an underdeveloped area of the city.

    “Our thought coming out of Rochester was we wanted to basically double down on the things that worked well in Rochester, which not necessarily was the bowling, but was this idea of building a great space for people to do programming that involved the arts, music and other entertainment options,” Nestler says.

    As they began exploring other markets, they found connections to Columbus through family and friends and fell in love. Nestler says they didn’t really see anything like Radio Social in Columbus, and found an opportunity to bring something unique and different to the market. And once again build it in an area prime for revitalization.

    The Kee’s exterior

    While Radio Social and The Kee have the big picture in common, The Kee is not a replica of the Rochester location. It’s built to fit Columbus.

    The Kee will feature a mix of free and paid entertainment options. There’s a variety of giant games – ping pong, checkers, chess, Jenga, connect 4 and wall Scrabble (all free). There are three paid virtual sports simulators, two available by reservation, one that’s first come, first serve. Each bay features eight games, including football, baseball, soccer, golf and more.

    More traditional arcade games – pool tables, electronic darts, skeeball, pop-a-shot, etc. – will occupy another part of the building. Keep exploring and there’s a cornhole room with six lanes that can also be converted to shuffle board.

    Looking to the left of The Kee’s entrance, there’s an open space for cornhole and shuffle board, and behind the wall is the cafe and main bar.

    Near the entrance of the building is a multimedia art gallery. Cassie Young, director of sales & booking, says The Kee will work primarily with local artists. They’ll offer the gallery space for free, and artists can manage and keep 100% of their sales.

    Organizations that are putting on free programming can also leverage The Kee’s space at no cost. Whether it’s a networking event or non-profit fundraiser or a music/comedy/poetry event.

    “We really want that diversity of events,” Young says.

    Most of the spaces across The Kee are potentially programmable and rentable for private or ticketed events. Young says they’ll coordinate some of their own events, but are really looking to the community to bring a diversity of people and happenings into the space.

    Then there’s The Kee’s separate, in-house event venue. Anchored by a large central bar, the venue has a 700-person standing capacity. The space is fit to host weddings, concerts, corporate events, fashion shows and whatever creative experience organizers can think of, and also boasts a removable stage that can be set up along the venue’s back wall.

    Kee-goers will be able to take the party outside as well. An alley on the north side of the building will transform into The Kee’s patio – picnic tables, fire pits, a walk-up window to the bar. Patio programming could include movie nights and live music.

    Last but not least are The Kee’s food and drink options. The southeast corner of the building will host a day-time cafe. It will have a limited food menu, some grab-and-go items, smoothies and coffee. It’ll be open daily from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

    By night, the cafe will transform into The Kee’s main bar. Guests can grab a drink and grab a seat, or mill about the venue playing their game(s) of choice.

    There will be two additional dining spaces. The lounge is The Kee’s full-service, sit-down dining area. Featuring soft seating with sofas and accompanying tables, high tops and a bar that seats 30, it’s the spot to make a reservation.

    For a more casual dining experience, there’s a separate, open seating area where guests can grab any spot that’s available.

    The Kee will offer the same food menu across the venue, which Nestler describes as American classics with Mediterranean-Israeli vibes. They’ll be lots of shareables, and lots of handhelds, ideal for multi-tasking while game playing, and a handful of entrees.

    A peek inside The Kee’s lounge, including its emerald bar which will seat 30. Morgenstern and his wife, Ophira, who is an interior designer and architect by trade, designed and sourced everything in the space.

    The Kee’s name has a few meanings. It’s part literal, the building borders Mckee Alley, part figurative, as Nestler sees it as “Kee” to activating the surrounding district. Nestler says Hackman Capital has purchased 19 properties in the area and is planning for a broader redevelopment that includes apartments, restaurants, office space and more, and The Kee is right in the center.

    While Fourth Street is seeing life through established names like Pins Mechanical Co. and Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, and the massive, under-construction Jackie O’s patio, The Kee will pull things a little further east.

    “We want folks to come back out post-pandemic, and feel like when folks come out, they want to have an experience, whether that’s eating out or playing games or doing something new,” Nestler says.

    The Kee is aiming for a mid-April opening. While the cafe will be open daily, the entertainment portion of the venue will generally keep evening hours, from 4:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

    A website’s in the works, but groups that are interested in booking or using the space can reach out to Young as The Kee is already accepting bookings.

    The shell of The Kee’s art gallery, to the right of the entrance. The garage door in the background will open onto the patio, and also have a mural painted on it, which will still be visible as the door rises straight up.
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    Susan Post
    Susan Post
    Susan is the editor of The Metropreneur and associate editor of Columbus Underground, and also covers small business and entrepreneurial news and the food scene in Central Ohio.Susan holds a degree in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing from The Ohio State University. She sits on the board of the Central Ohio Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and loves coffee, whiskey, cooking and spending time with friends and family.
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