Yellow Springs Brewery to take over Crest restaurant space in Clintonville

Yellow Springs Brewery plans to take over the Crest restaurant at 2855 Indianola Ave., ending a decade-long run for the Clintonville spot.

The brewery plans to move into the space in October, shortly after the Crest closes, said Jayson Hartings, chief operating officer for the brewery.

Hartings said the brewery wasn't looking to expand, but was contacted by the Crest's owners, the Columbus restaurant group A&R Creative, about the location.

"A&R were kind of just interested in a new path for that space," he said. "It wasn’t doing bad, it still isn't. They were just interested in working with us … It sort of came to us, and it seemed like a great idea."

This will be the first venture outside its hometown for Yellow Springs Brewery, which operates a taproom and an event space in Yellow Springs. This will be the brewery's first experience operating a kitchen.

"A&R will help us put together a menu, and set up the operation side," Hartings said. "It made it an easier decision for us."

Hartings said the brewery isn't planning any major changes to the interior. Yellow Springs doesn't plan to brew beer at the site but expects to have 20 beer taps, the same number it operates at its Yellow Springs taproom.

"We expect it to have our main core brands, along with one-offs and seasonals," Hartings said. "We will probably start to look at doing Columbus-only releases."

Yellow Springs Brewery opened in 2013 and distributes throughout the Dayton and Columbus areas. The company's beers, including well-known pours such as Boat Show, have found a receptive audience in central Ohio.

"This made a lot of sense because Columbus has sort of adopted us as one of their favorites," Hartings said.

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Yellow Springs is the latest in a string of out-of-town breweries to tap a keg in central Ohio, including Jackie O's, from Athens; Taft's Brewing Co., from Cincinnati; Saucy Brew Works, from Cleveland; and Forbidden Root, from Chicago.

A&R Creative opened the Crest — originally called the Crest Gastropub — a decade ago in the space formerly occupied by a neighborhood hang called the Crest Tavern. The Crest had a variety of menus over the years, most recently offering "modern Appalachian" fare.

Hartings said Yellow Springs' menu hasn't been set, but he expects it to be "elevated bar food, not as fancy as the Crest."

Hartings said Yellow Springs was drawn to the idea in part because of the Crest's location in the heart of Clintonville.

"Knowing that place is right in the neighborhood was definitely one thing we liked about it," he said. "We want to be a good neighbor, while also being a place where people can just stop in and grab a beer with family and friends."

A&R, which could not be reached for comment, closed a second Crest location, on Parsons Avenue in Schumacher Place, during the pandemic. The company operates several other spots including Hoof Hearted and Ethyl & Tank.

jweiker@dispatch.com

@JimWeiker

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Yellow Springs Brewery to move into Clintonville restaurant spot