NEWS

When Nationwide Realty Investors was planning the $500 million Grandview Yard mixed-use development, outside Columbus, Ohio, the firm bet big on neighboring Ohio State University. “One of our key markets and customer bases is Ohio State — not just the students and the folks that work there, but all the alumni and others who visit,” said Nationwide Realty’s president, Brian Ellis. “We expect numerous touch points.”

One of those would be the Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill, a 240-seat, themed restaurant that features a 140-inch projection screen, a stage, an outdoor patio and about 100 pieces of memorabilia from OSU’s famed Buckeye sports teams. Among the items on view are a Heisman Trophy of Archie Griffin’s and some collectibles from Jesse Owens’ remarkable OSU track-and-field career. “This is a great fit for the community,” said Rick Van Brimmer, Ohio State’s director of trademark licensing. “There probably isn’t any other property with the draw of Ohio State.”

Nationwide Realty recognized that potential early and decided to build the theme restaurant itself — to help differentiate Grandview Yard from other developments. “We have confidence that we can create the visions that lead to success,” said Ellis. “We can get the momentum going, and we can drive the outcome.”

The firm franchised the Buckeye brand and opened the restaurant in November, in time for the end of the football season and, serendipitously, for the team’s Jan. 5 Sugar Bowl win against the University of Arkansas. “We were packed that night,” said Charles Lagarce, president of Columbus Hospitality, which manages the restaurant. “It was a great time to open.”

To be sure, there have been other such tributes to Ohio State sports. Earlier, the Buckeye Hall of Fame Café had drawn people for 10 years, but ultimately failed. Nationwide Realty learned from that predecessor’s mistakes. “We could see that it was popular, but we also understood the drawbacks,” Ellis said.