Ohio State University signs 10-year lease with World of Beer

As if reminiscing about the care-free college days wasn’t already hard enough. In our days, we didn’t have massive, open-air beer “worlds”  that offered more than 500 varieties of craft beer near campus. THE Ohio State University students, however, will raise their glasses to World of Beer Franchising Inc. (WOB) and New Tap Gateway LLC, which have signed a 10-year lease with Campus Partners, a subsidiary of OSU, to develop a new tavern at the South Campus Gateway adjacent to the OSU campus in Columbus, Ohio. WOB is leasing 4,113 square feet in the busy South Campus Gateway mixed-use development, a central location for the campus’s 55,000 students, 30,000 faculty and staff.

“The World of Beer concept has really evolved since we opened our Brewery District and Easton locations, and we are looking forward to introducing Columbus to the new Tavern Fare menu,” said Darren Greene, partner, New Tap Gateway, LLC.

The WOB-Columbus location is expected to open in March 2015 and will feature an adjacent 4,500 square-foot patio and beer garden transforming an underutilized pedestrian walkway into an active, engaging outdoor environment that will benefit the entire South Campus Gateway development. Amanda Hoffsis, president of Campus Partners, and Keith Myers, associate vice president of physical planning and real estate at OSU, were instrumental in signing the lease agreement with New Tap Gateway LLC, which plans to raise capital for the deal and expects to close within 30 days. This will be WOB’s third Columbus location.

This continues the recent trend of craft beer invading college campuses. Celebrating the popularity of craft beer and its culture, WOB offers craft beer in bottles along with an extensive draft menu with taps that rotate daily. Signature craft spirit cocktails, ciders and wine along with non-alcoholic beverages are also available. Pairing its craft brews with the franchise’s signature “Tavern Fare” menu, WOB offers sandwiches, main plates and appetizers, such as giant Bavarian pretzels and an artisan sausage board, to complement the many beer styles.