Editor’s note: As of Thursday, January 28, TownHall in the Short North is officially open.
Just over three years after it was initially announced, TownHall is opening its doors in the Short North at 792 N. High St. in Columbus.
An exact date is to be determined (check back here for updates), but Communications Director Kayla Barnes ays Columbus will have its TownHall by the end of the week.
Opening day has been a long-time coming for the Cleveland-based restaurant. Dates were being finalized last February into March when the coronavirus pandemic struck, upending restaurant operations.
As for why now, “There’s been so much excitement internally and externally about our opening, and especially for our team, we always want to make sure we rise to the occasion, and as they say, if you’re waiting for the perfect time, you’re going to be waiting forever,” Barnes says.
Not much has changed in terms of concept over the last year. The 7,000 square foot space will still feature two sides: a cafe side and a bar and restaurant side, each with its own entrance.
The cafe side features TownHall’s coffee bar with self-order kiosks and a dedicated area for orders placed through the TownHall + REBoL app. On the restaurant side, ordering is a sit-down, tableside experience. A few weeks after opening, TownHall will add delivery to its options, through third-party services Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Columbus’ TownHall will have a menu much the same as Cleveland’s with its 100% non-GMO fare, all organic produce, and options to accommodate nearly every diet, from plant-based and low-glycemic, to Keto and Paleo.
Diners will find lunch and dinner during the week, and brunch on the weekends.
TownHall’s bar features a selection of 30 rotating taps, all American beers and many of them local. Wines are all organic, vegan and feature several low-sugar options – the healthiest wines one can get, Barnes says. Cocktails also err towards clean eating, with superfoods making their way into many mixers.
While TownHall has been ready to open for nearly a year now, the restaurant is entering into a new world of precautions. Barnes says tables will be appropriately spaced, with plexiglass partitions, all staff will be wearing masks, an air filtration system is in place, and the restaurant will receive a nightly disinfecting. Guests will also have access to two automatic hand washing stations on the floor of the restaurant.
The restaurant’s opening has been long awaited, but Owner Bobby George isn’t done with Columbus. REBoL was the first of George’s concepts to make an appearance in Central Ohio, opening at Bridge Park in Dublin in June 2019. Still to follow is The Mandrake, a high-end social lounge and rooftop bar also opening at the 800 N. High building in Short North. It’s currently slated for an April arrival. In another six months, Barnes says George plans to bring “biology upgrading” center LYV to Central Ohio, offering services like cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, immune boosting and more.
TownHall will be open weekdays from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Those hours will likely expand as restrictions lift – in a non-COVID world, the bar and restaurant would be open until 2:30 a.m.
TownHall is located at 792 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43215.
For more information, visit townhallohiocity.com.
All photos by Susan Post unless otherwise noted