Slammers to open new restaurant and bar in University District

Taijuan Moorman, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read

Slammers is set to open a location on campus next month.

The Slammers offshoot, Slammie's on High, will be located in the University District at 1607 N. High St., the former home of Aracri Pizzeria, which closed last month.

The co-owners are Slammers managing partner Carson Nethers, assistant general manager and liquor manager Matthew Johns and Ryan Skehan. Johns will oversee the food and drink programs, while Skehan will serve as a managing partner at Slammie's.

Nethers said they were looking to expand Slammers, and the opportunity to open a location on campus was presented. He said Aracri Pizzeria owner Palmo Aracri, who opened Aracri Pizzeria on Gay Downtown early this year, was looking to get out of the N. High Street location.

The campus location will allow Slammers to reach a younger student clientele.

"We felt like we would fit in that environment, taking some of the things we offer Downtown, bringing our pizza and all the same recipes and stuff and then just changing some things that better fit a campus bar," said Nethers.

Slammie's will have much of the same food and drink menu, though likely pared down. Like Slammers, Slammie's will have seasonal menus, with a range of spirits for the drink menu, said Johns.

The restaurant has all of the necessary equipment for making pizza, but Slammie's will be installing a full bar and bringing in new furniture.

Slammie's will continue the bar's mission of serving as a safe space for Columbus' LGBTQIA community, said Nethers, who took over as managing partner for his aunt, founder Marcia Riley. Riley founded Slammers 29 years ago and is still involved with the business, just not day-to-day operations, he said.

More:A guide to LBGTQ bars and clubs in Columbus

"Slammers is such a big part of the community, and we've had such positive feedback about creating this safe space for the community and just kind of some of the stuff we've been trying to really get into," including community markets for LGBTQ businesses, said Nethers.

Nethers said there's nothing like Slammers on campus. "We're really just looking forward to continuing the legacy she started 29 years ago and creating a new safe space for students on campus," he said.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@TaijuanNichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Slammie's on High to open on OSU campus in January