Take a look at this new Columbus gamebar that features a mural in former Vertigo location
Columbus’ first gamebar, Bytes and Brews, opens Thursday in the former Vertigo location featuring a new mural by the same artist who painted the original mural that was removed.
The new gamebar is located at 117 12th St. and plans to open to the public at 11 a.m. on Jan. 18. Bytes and Brews offers food, drinks and arcade games, pinball machines and other games and entertainment.
Co-owners Ben MacMinn, Chris Poirier, Jack Resenhammer and Michael Woodham met through StartUP Columbus, an entrepreneurial support organization and startup incubator. MacMinn is the executive director of StartUP Columbus, while the other three co-owners went through the program while starting different businesses of their own.
The group of four got to talking and thought that Columbus needed a business like Bytes and Brews.
“Bytes and Brews is very unique for Columbus,” MacMinn told the Ledger-Enquirer. “There’s not another business model like it here. We’ve got really fun games. We’ve also have really good food and drinks.”
Bringing back a mural
Immediately upon walking into Bytes and Brews, guests will see a mural painted on the wall by Columbus artist Jori Kent.
Kent painted the original mural that was removed last year. The building’s owner called Kent in July to ask if she might be interested in painting a new mural in its place. Not long after that conversation, MacMinn texted her asking if she’d be available to paint a mural for Bytes and Brews that paid homage to the original.
Bringing back the original artist for the mural was important for the co-owners, MacMinn said.
“That was a big deal for us because that’s a local artist who did one of the most amazing murals in Columbus,” he said. “So, getting her to kind of bring back what she originally put up here was important.”
Kent recently graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design studying to create art for video games. Incorporating the theme for Bytes and Brews while paying homage to her original mural brought things full circle, Kent said.
“It was really perfect that they asked me to do a video game-themed mural because it perfectly combines what I was doing with what I’ve been learning,” she said.
The woman in the mural, named Amethyst, is the same character who was a focal point in the original mural. However, in the new one, she is no longer wearing makeup. And Amethyst’s hair flows into the Chattahoochee river as a type of “river spirit”, Kent said, as she interacts with one of the video game characters found on the mural.
The rest of the mural features recognizable Columbus landmarks with popular video game and arcade characters interspersed throughout the mural, including Donkey Kong hanging out on top of the Aflac building.
Kent wants people to view the mural and see pieces of Columbus and ask questions about the real history of the architecture and buildings she showcased, like the mansion on top of a parking garage.
“I wanted to inspire people to explore Columbus because Columbus is kind of weird in the best way,” Kent said.
Inside Bytes and Brews
Bytes and Brews has a mix of nostalgic and new games for customers to enjoy when they visit.
They can purchase tokens that will let them play the variety of arcade games, pinball machines, consoles and tabletop games available in the two-story building.
Downstairs features a number of new pinball machines with themes from The Avengers and Star Wars among others. Walking past the bar to the back, there’s a simulator where customers can play nostalgic games like Tetris.
Menus are spread throughout the building on the walls and tables with community seating available. Customers can order handheld food items like burgers and sandwiches along with desserts and appetizers. The full bar also provides a variety of craft beers and upscale cocktails.
“It’s not going to be your typical waiter-server setup,” MacMinn said. “That’s intentionally for us to create an environment where people can come, feel comfortable and be around each other.”
Upstairs there’s another bar, classic arcade games like Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. A bookshelf holds a variety of board and tabletop games like Jenga and armchairs are nearby for people to play video games.
There’s a lot of cool things to do and places to eat in Columbus, MacMinn said. But Bytes and Brews provides a space where people can do both in one location.
“We’re a place to bring your family, bring your community and bring your friends to have a good bite to eat,” MacMinn said.
This story was originally published January 17, 2024 at 1:13 PM.
