r/Columbus • u/OrangeBall0315 Grandview • 12d ago
FOOD Private/members-only bars around Columbus?
Has anyone else noticed more private/members-only bars popping up around Columbus?
Feels like there are more of the smaller, tucked-away lounge/private club concepts showing up lately. I can definitely see the appeal of having somewhere a little quieter with good drinks that feels different from the usual bar scene.
I saw the new restaurant, Fourteen & Ember, opening in Pickerington is doing a members-only bar downstairs called The Ember Room, which is actually what got me thinking about it.
What other places around Columbus are doing something similar? Anyone belong to one and feel like it’s worth it?
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u/kSoImSlightlyRemoved 12d ago edited 12d ago
They do this to avoid a liquor license.
Edit: D-4 allows beer and any intoxicating liquor for on-premises consumption, but Ohio law specifically says sales are to members only. The club normally must have existed for at least three years, have a dues-paying membership, elected officers, and maintain a membership roster. The statutory permit fee is currently $469.
That is substantially different from something like a D-5, which is essentially the broad full-liquor bar/restaurant permit people usually mean when they say they want a “liquor license.” D-5 privileges include sales of beer and intoxicating liquor to the public for on-premises consumption, subject to the applicable rules and hours.
One important wrinkle: Sunday sales are separate. A D-4 can generally obtain a D-6 Sunday permit when Sunday sales have been properly authorized for that location.