‘Beer Boys’ in right place, right time

There is something interesting happening on the west side of the 1200 block of Broadway in downtown Columbus.

And it’s worth watching.

The “Beer Boys,” as I call them, have opened a gastropub in a block that is about to see a significant upgrade as Columbus State University completes its College of Education and Health Sciences building at the corner of 12^th Street and Broadway. A gastropub, for those not familiar with such things, is essentially the blending of a bar and restaurant where craft beers and cocktails are served with a food menu that changes on a regular basis.

It’s hip, so to speak. Something I am not.

Which brings us to the “Beer Boys.” Garrett Lawrence, Miles Greathouse and Robert Battle are partners in Nonic at 1239 Broadway in a building they own.

Lawrence and Greathouse were two of the original three partners in Maltitude, a craft beer store in the 1000 block of Broadway. For the record, “Beer Boys” has not always been a term of endearment on my part. The three of them were out front in a very public disagreement over a column I wrote.

At the time it was ugly, so my respect is tempered at best. But I can get over things with the best of them, it just takes a few years.

With that disclaimer out of the way, last Wednesday a group of us went to Nonic for beer and dinner. It was good. OK, it was really good. But this is not as much about the second restaurant to open on that block — PHILLY-osophy has been there for about five years. It’s about progress.

Here’s the deal, you can sit outside that restaurant sandwiched between two old vacant theaters — The Bradley and The Rialto — and see the future expansion of downtown. It is evident and it is clear.

And, it’s happening right now.

The 1000 block will always be the core of downtown redevelopment, but the 1200 block is the new frontier. And it won’t stay on the outskirts for long. One of my friends likes to call the 1200 block a “20-year overnight success story.”

He’s spot on. More restaurants are on the way and those announcements are imminent.

But for now, Nonic gets to enjoy being at the forefront of a larger movement. Nonic, named for a type of beer glass that has a flare near the top, has been open for less than two weeks and most of the word has spread via social media.

“We just opened our doors and really didn’t say anything,” Lawrence said. “We did almost $6,000 in business last Friday. I know that’s not a lot compared to an 11th and Bay, but for a self-professed beer bar, we are pretty happy with it.”

And they should be.

Early next year, CSU will open the new college and bring 1,800 students, teachers and staff with them. There will be a tech business on the northwest corner of the block. A Hampton Inn is on the way on the southwest corner of the block.

There are a lot of good things about to happen.

It is a perfect place to grab a beer, sit outside and watch Columbus grow.

This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 4:48 PM with the headline "‘Beer Boys’ in right place, right time."