Columbus is a city of good food. This is evident not only from the local restaurants, but also from the start of the popular chains we know and love today.
Columbus is known as a hub for fast food, with a history of being the home of successful restaurant chains. However, there are a few exceptions where Columbus’s work cannot (technically) be fully credited. Based in Columbus since 1934, White Castle was founded in Wichita, Kansas before moving its headquarters to Buckeye. And his Sbarro, a New York-style pizza chain, moved from New York to Columbus in 2014, despite starting out in Brooklyn.
But other chains like Wendy’s and Buffalo Wild Wings trace their roots back to Columbus and have now expanded to multiple states and countries.
Here are 7 restaurants that got their start in Columbus.
buffalo wild wings
Columbus residents may already be familiar with the other Columbus-based chains on this list, but Buffalo Wild Wings may surprise you. Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck began near the campus of Ohio State University in 1982 when founders Jim Disbrow and Scott Rowley were looking for a place to serve authentic Buffalo, New York style wings.
By the 1990s, the popular sports bar, known for wings with dozens of sauces and flavors, had expanded to about 30 locations, primarily in Ohio. Today, the restaurant is based in Atlanta and is the largest sports bar in the United States with over 1,300 locations in eight countries.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s was founded in 1969 by former KFC franchisee Dave Thomas. The first store opened in downtown Columbus, East He at 257 Broad Street. The store he closed in 2007.
Known for its square beef patties and iconic frosty desserts, the fast-food chain was an immediate success, expanding outside Ohio by the early 1970s. Wendy’s currently has approximately 7,000 stores in the United States and 29 countries and territories around the world.
photograph:Wendy’s in the early days
bravo italian kitchen
Bravo Italian Kitchen (Bravo Cucina Italiana) started in Columbus in 1992 and serves classic Italian cuisine. Founded by brothers Alton and Chris Doody and chef Phil Yandolino, the restaurant has changed management, relocated headquarters, and has more than 20 locations in 14 states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida. continue.
Today, the Doody family runs Lindy’s, one of Columbus’ most acclaimed restaurants.
joke
Owned by former Bravo Italian Kitchen co-owner Chris Doody, Piada is a fast-casual Italian eatery known for Piadina Wraps, an Italian street food called Piada. The restaurant also serves pasta bowls and salads. In 2009 he was founded by Doody and in 2010 the first store opened in Upper His Arlington. The restaurant has since expanded to more than 50 of his locations in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Charlie’s Philadelphia Steak
Charlie’s Philadelphia Steak was founded in 1986 by Charlie Shinn on High Street near the Ohio State University campus in Columbus. Shin, who immigrated to the United States from South Korea when he was a child, started his restaurant in his junior year at Ohio State University. Originally known as Charleys Grilled Subs, Charleys Philly Steaks now has more than 700 locations in 46 states and 17 countries.
bivibop asian grill
![Charlie Singh, CEO of BiBiBop flagship store in Easton Town Center. The chain was recognized for its rapid growth by Restaurant Business magazine. [Dispatch file photo]](https://www.dispatch.com/gcdn/authoring/2018/07/27/NCOD/ghows-OH-71fcf4ff-0d7a-2303-e053-0100007f9696-9c82c1fe.jpeg?width=300&height=450&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Shin is also the founder of BibiBop. Bevibop originally created a sensation in Grandview Heights, and has since expanded to more than 50 locations in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, California, and Washington, DC. I will join BibiBop, which started in Elsewhere, a fast-casual Build Your own concept from Columbus with customizable bowls featuring Korean dishes.
Max & Elmaz
Max & Erma’s was founded in 1958 by Max and Elma Vysoknik as a neighborhood bar in German Village and purchased from Paul “Slim” Jones. In 1972, Todd his Barnum and Barry Sachs took over the restaurant and transformed it into the restaurant we know today. However, the chain is no longer locally owned, with the original German Village store closing in his 2017, as well as all but one of his Columbus-area stores in Lancaster. This regional restaurant now has seven of his locations in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania, but at its peak he had over 100 locations.
From Wendy’s to White Castle:Why Columbus is a fast food capital
tmoorman@dispatch.com
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