Gahanna pub, tavern bid farewell Sunday
Properties being bought by developer
Old Bag of Nails Pub and Pour House Tavern are bidding farewell to Gahanna.
Both, part of the local chain founded and owned by Mike Purdum, will close at the end of business day Sunday.
“It was a tough decision to leave Gahanna after 20 years,” Purdum said. “It’s sad to leave because it’s such a beautiful location.”
In the Creekside development with patio views of Big Walnut Creek, Old Bag of Nails is at 63 Mill St., and Pour House is next door at 57 Mill St.
Purdum said a developer had contacted him about selling the properties and the deal was too good to ignore. He wouldn’t disclose the purchaser’s name or terms of the sale because the contract was not finalized.
Either way, he said, he’s closing. All employees have been given jobs at other locations in the company, he said.
Purdum said the closest Old Bag of Nails Pub is at 4661 E. Broad St. in Whitehall. The company has no other Pour House.
In a pair of related notes, Purdum, long known for his fish and chips, is going into the pizza business.
He said after 10 years of research with his wife, Tara Purdum, he will dedicate half of the Old Bag of Nails Pub at 2012 Tremont Center in Upper Arlington to his pizza venture.
He said he slowly has rolled out the homemade pie a few nights at the restaurant and the customers greeted it warmly.
He said he hasn’t decided on a name yet for the pizzeria but expects to open it in a few months.
He said his overall goal is to convert the entire Old Bag of Nails in the Tremont Center into the pizza restaurant.
Meanwhile, he intends to open an Old Bag of Nails in the nearby Kingsdale Shopping Center. gseman@thisweeknews.com @Thisweekgary