Students and residents of Athens now have another option for alcohol and food after Starting Gates Bier Halle, a new restaurant and bar, opened on Thursday.
The owners, Daniel J. Gates and Terry Smith, plan to serve German-style beers made by Ohio breweries. The property, 120 W. Union St., is the former location of the Italian restaurant W.G. Grinders. It was purchased for an undisclosed amount.
“The beers that we’re featuring are made by Ohio breweries, but they are German style,” Melody Sands said. Sands, in part, manages marketing and public relations for the restaurant.
Starting Gates Bier Halle will buy its drinks from multiple breweries: Ohio Craft Brewery, Thirsty Dog Brewery, Mount Carmel Brewery, Devil’s Kettle Brewery and Brooklyn Brewery, which is located in New York but owned by Steve Hindy, who grew up in Ohio.
The menu will also feature items such as subs, pizza and salads, as well as some signature German dishes such as bratwurst and sauerkraut.
“We saw there was a missing equation to the Athens restaurant community, and that was German food,” Gates, who was also a founder and former director of Ohio Brew Week, said. “And also with good German food comes good German beer.”
Starting Gates Bier Halle held a soft opening on Thursday, only six days after the property was purchased.
The business will target a wide range of customers, from families to college students.
“(Our) target audience is anyone who enjoys a good craft beer," Sands said. "They can be a student, they can be a community member."
The idea of a German-style bar has received mixed reviews from students.
“I’d probably visit there as a novelty but I’d doubt I’d start going there,” Shelby Baker, a senior studying marketing, said. “(German style beer) is not really a particular draw to me.”
Other students, such as Madeline Pinney, a junior studying integrated media, felt more interested.
“Yeah, I think that would be cool,” Pinney said. “It's like craft beer, and I like craft beer.”
The restaurant is open for business, but a grand opening has not been scheduled yet. Some interior decorations still have to be added, Gates said.
“Our motto is we can make this into a monster if we pull together as a team,” Gates said.
