BEDFORD, Ohio – Many restaurants and bars undergo renovations because it’s time for an aesthetic change, a little sprucing up, a way to stand out a bit.
“We will be out of the retail business, eventually,” Lane said on a recent late afternoon at the Bedford Lizardville.“The pandemic definitely changed the consumer - and I think the beer-drinking consumer - in a huge way,” he said.Lizardvilles offer a respite, a chance to belly up to a bar but also have a great assortment of options by both breweries and styles. The more the better always seemed to be the approach, which is a good thing for anyone who is savvy about craft beer.
The Lakewood Lizardville shut down during the pandemic and never reopened. One in Westerville, on Columbus’ northern outskirts, just closed, and the beer was moved to the Bedford location. Lizardvilles in Copley and Brunswick are selling down their inventory. A physical makeover, with couches in a lounge-like area, will be coming. Timetable for the conversions is late spring – April-May, he said.
It was a prudent decision for Lane, who gains his opinions from being in the business, studying industry analyses and talking to customers – both at his bar and others. In a way, he’s like a baseball manager who listens to both analytics as well as his gut about what is going on around him.