Trism, the newly opened, all-purpose eatery, will fuse the Middle East and campus community with its first bazaar, which is set to take over the space Sunday.
Marina Zahran, an Ohio State alumnus and the events coordinator at Trism, said the A&R Group owners often allow their strong Lebanese heritage to trickle down into their 10 businesses. Whether it’s through introducing a twist on traditional foods or providing new experiences to customers, their culture is often highlighted in their work.
Inspired by this culture, the new restaurant, bar and event space has decided to host the first of its four seasonal bazaars throughout the year, which will include a summer, fall, winter and spring marketplace.
Zahran described a bazaar as a “Middle Eastern marketplace,” known for its color and brightness. The market is known to be a traditional center of exchange, retail and craft.
Trism’s bazaar will include 15 vendors from across Columbus.
“We have everything from clothing, to records, to books, to plants, candles, retail, things like that,” Zahran said. “I chose local, small businesses, some of which I’ve had relationships with before that I thought would fit really well in the space.”
Abed Alshahal, co-owner of Trism, said the event will highlight Trism’s versatility as a space, as it plans to host a variety of events throughout the year. At the same time, Alshahal expressed the importance of partnership with other businesses in the community.
“We are a locally owned business who believes in supporting our local neighbors,” he said in an email. “We hope this event will shed light on all the different resources and outlets for students to explore outside of campus proper.”
Zahran also added she wanted to include something that would attract every type of person. Vendors will include Clintonville’s independent book publisher, Two Dollar Radio, and Yoga on High in the Short North.
“I chose very specifically a blend of different vendors that can offer something different,” Zahran said. “Any type of person walking into the space will hopefully be attracted or feel some type of resonance with at least one of the vendors.”
In her time at Ohio State, Zahran said it took her nearly three years to feel comfortable branching out of the campus area. By bringing in a variety of vendors, she said she hopes students will be able to network and make connections with businesses in the community.
“Hopefully this event will create that familiarity with students to different places and allow them to feel more comfortable to venture outward with a specific goal in mind,” Zahran said.
The summer bazaar will take place on Sunday at Trism, 1636 N. High St., from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors will be located both inside and outside. The event is free.
