Big changes are soon to come for High Five, a small live music venue and bar on the corner of Fifth Avenue and High Street.
Nick Wolak, an Ohio State alumnus who owns Evolved and SkinFX, purchased the bar May 1. He said he plans to make many positive changes to the entire bar.
“We’re putting in smoke busters so the atmosphere is less smoky,” Wolak said. “To me, it was very smoky and dark. We are also very much improving the hygiene with cleaner bathrooms, cleaner floors, cleaner everything.”
The bar and venue will also include a kitchen with a unique menu. This will include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods with different prep tables and utensils for each. Breakfast will be served 24 hours a day, and traditional Mexican food will be included.
“It won’t be like Chipotle or LaBamba – not like that’s bad. There will be foods like carne de res and specialty gourmet-type pizzas,” Wolak said.
The bar is open, but the kitchen is not ready yet. For the grand opening of the restaurant, Wolak will offer free food for 24 hours a day during the entire week.
“We want everyone to try our menu out because there’s going to be a lot of things on the menu people haven’t had before,” Wolak said.
Cooks from Atlanta and Los Angeles will be brought in to contribute their own specialties to the menu.
There will also be drink specials every day, including some Brazilian drinks with pinga, a Brazilian sugar cane alcohol. The bar will try to make at least one day a week a Brazilian theme.
“We will have Brazilian music, Brazilian food and Brazilian drinks. Part of the reason is because there are no Brazilian bars or restaurants in all of Columbus,” Wolak said.
Beer, wine and liquor will be served and entertainment will be provided.
“We will have karaoke and stand-up comedians,” said Brian Cralj, booking agent for High Five.
Local comedians will include Chris Root, Corey Baxter and Dan Swartwout, who has appeared at the Funny Bone.
For game players there will be three free pinball machines.
The community is anticipating the completion of the new High Five. Many have volunteered their time to help out as security workers, bartenders and booking agents.
“Everyone I’ve talked to is really excited that the ownership has changed, in a way because they want to see what kind of changes are going to happen, and because they have pretty good expectations,” said Andy Ringo, patron of High Five.
Wolak said he is excited for the grand opening and enjoys making things happen from his visions.
“I like to see the existing businesses and find ways that I can improve them, and that’s no knock against the previous owners at all,” Wolak said. “I like to take the things the previous owners already built up and improve them.”
The date of the grand opening of the restaurant is unknown.
