Yogi’s Bar & Grill is preparing to open its fifth Columbus-area location near New Albany, bringing its sports bar concept to 5571 N. Hamilton Road, just south of State Route 161.
Yogi’s co-owner Eric Goodman spoke to What Now Columbus about the upcoming sports bar, its design, menu, and the company’s plans for continued growth across Central Ohio.
Goodman said Yogi’s has been looking to enter the New Albany and Gahanna area for some time before finding the Hamilton Road location.
“We are in growth mode with Yogi’s, and we’ve been looking in the New Albany and Gahanna area for quite some time,” Goodman said. “The location that we found on Hamilton Road seemed to align with the demographics that our brand speaks to, and we think it’s a great opportunity for the Yogi’s location.”
The new sports bar is nearing completion, with Goodman saying the team hopes to open in mid-October.
The upcoming location will feature approximately 4,500 square feet of indoor space and another 1,600 square feet outdoors. According to Goodman, the patio will accommodate more than 100 guests, while the indoor dining area will seat at least 150 people.
Like Yogi’s other locations, the Hamilton Road sports bar will have a neighborhood sports bar atmosphere with multiple televisions, music, food, drinks, and an emphasis on customer service.
“We are a neighborhood sports bar, but we really try to appeal to anyone that comes in,” Goodman said. “There’ll be a lot of TVs, great music, great drinks, great food, and most importantly, the guest experience.”
The new location will follow the same menu and overall concept as Yogi’s existing sports bars. The menu features bar favorites including burgers, wraps, sandwiches, pizza, and wings, along with healthier options such as bowls.
Goodman said the sports bar does not have any menu items planned exclusively for the Hamilton Road opening, although Yogi’s updates its menu several times throughout the year.
One of the concept’s highlights is its smash burger, while other popular offerings include wraps, sandwiches, pizza, wings, and bowls.
Yogi’s is also planning to create employment opportunities at the new location. Goodman expects the sports bar to employ approximately 30 to 40 people once it is operating.
The Hamilton Road location will be company-owned, rather than franchised. Goodman and business partner Greg Tishkoff are the owners behind the Yogi’s locations and operate them through Columbus Tavern Group.
The group was founded in 2006 and currently operates Yogi’s Bar & Grill locations along with Novak’s Tavern & Patio and The Filling Station Bar & Grill. The company describes its concepts as places centered around food, drinks, sports, and creating an environment where customers can return regularly.
Yogi’s currently has locations in Grandview, Dublin, and Upper Arlington, with the Hamilton Road location becoming its fifth Yogi’s location. The company’s official website lists its existing Yogi’s locations at 955 W. Fifth Avenue in Grandview, 5857 Karric Square Drive and 3880 Hard Road in Dublin, and 1126 W. Henderson Road in Upper Arlington.
Goodman said the new location will also allow Yogi’s to introduce the brand to customers farther east in the Columbus area. Most of the company’s existing Yogi’s locations are west of the new Hamilton Road location.
“I think this will allow us to share our brand with a lot of people that were either traveling to our other locations or a new segment of the population that hasn’t had a chance to experience our brand yet,” Goodman said.
He added that the New Albany and Gahanna area offers opportunities for lunch, happy hour, dinner, and later-evening business.
Yogi’s is not stopping with the Hamilton Road location. Goodman said Columbus Tavern Group is actively looking for additional sites and has identified opportunities for more Yogi’s sports bars in Columbus. The group has also started exploring markets outside Columbus as it looks toward 2027.
“We are looking for additional locations right now,” Goodman said. “We do not have any currently, but that is something that we work with our real estate team quite a bit, looking in the Columbus area as well as outside the Columbus area as we move into 2027.”
The company’s official hiring page is already listing positions for the Hamilton Road location, including bar staff, barbacks, kitchen staff, management, and security.
For Goodman, the upcoming opening is an opportunity for Yogi’s to become part of the New Albany and Gahanna communities.
“We’re really excited to open the Hamilton Road location, get to know the people of New Albany and Gahanna, and for them to get to know us,” Goodman said. “We believe that we have a very good experience to provide our customers with, and we’re excited about opening in just a couple weeks.”
What Now Columbus will continue to provide updates as Yogi’s Bar & Grill prepares to open its new Hamilton Road location.
