On June 1, Daniel Kim posted to Instagram that his Short North restaurant, Domo Sushi Kitchen & Bar, would open a second location at the corner of Bridge Street and High Street in Historic Dublin. That corner was the Mr. Sushi space. "The restaurant was previously owned and operated by my father," Kim wrote, as Columbus Underground reported, "and being able to continue its legacy in a new chapter means a great deal to us."
Mr. DOMO opened at 3 N. High St. in September. The story fits Dublin's whole year. The biggest additions to Bridge Park and Historic Dublin in 2026 weren't concepts introduced to Columbus for the first time. They were businesses with years of Columbus history behind them, and several chose Dublin for the largest or most expanded version they have built so far.
A Family Storefront With a Short North Menu
Kim opened the original Domo in the Short North in summer 2023, in the space that had been Nida's Thai on High. When he announced the Dublin location, he described a mix of the old and the new:
"Our goal is simple. Preserve the heart of what people loved, introduce new ideas and experiences, and create something the community can continue to enjoy for years to come."
That quote also comes from Columbus Underground's June report, which noted that the new location would keep elements of the original while adding new features and menu items. Its October roundup lists the hours: Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Domo is the clearest case of a Columbus business coming to Dublin and keeping the history of its new building. The next one came from farther away and took longer to arrive.
Bristol Republic Took 18 Months to Get Here
Brian Swanson opened Bristol Republic at 1124 N. High St. in the Short North in 2019, offering a Southern-inspired menu with live country and blues. In March 2025, Columbus Underground reported that it would move to 4495 Bridge Park Ave. for more square footage, more parking and an updated menu. The plan then was to open later that year. By July 2025, Step Out Columbus was describing the Short North location as closed.
The Dublin location debuted on Sept. 10, 2026, about a year and a half after the move was announced. Bristol's opening announcement on Bridge Park's site lays out a weekly schedule built for staying out all evening:
- Thursdays: live band karaoke
- Fridays and Saturdays: national and local bands on the Bristol stage
- Weekend brunch: Southern menu with acoustic singer-songwriters
- Game days: 20 big screens
- The Saddle Club: a separate whiskey and cocktail lounge inside the building, with live jazz and weekend DJs
The same announcement says Chef Greg Roy runs an open kitchen with Southern Pride smokers for brisket and Texas-style ribs. It also quotes Bob Hoying of Crawford Hoying, the Bridge Park developer, calling Bristol's day-to-night entertainment and live music "exciting firsts for Bridge Park." So a weekly live music stage, which Bridge Park did not have before, came from a business that had already spent six years in the Short North.
The Stall That Kept Its Oysters
Not every move this year ran north. COLO Market & Oyster Bar closed its North Market Bridge Park stall at 6750 Longshore St. on Jan. 11. Owner Ian Holmes told Columbus Underground that the decision came down to foot traffic and rising costs, and that the growth of COLO's North Market Downtown oyster bar made it easier to focus there. COLO is still open at 59 Spruce St. downtown.
The stall filled from within North Market itself. In May, North Market announced BBQ & The Pier in the former COLO space, led by Enis Ndreu and Elvis Lloshi. Ndreu owns Holy Crepes, which has stands at North Market Downtown and East Market and runs a food truck. Lloshi spent 10 years at Iron Grill. The menu pairs barbecue with the space's old specialty: fresh oysters, fish and chips, and fried shrimp. "We're proud to continue serving oysters in this space," Ndreu said in the North Market announcement on Bridge Park's site. BBQ & The Pier serves lunch and dinner.
That makes two storefronts this year where the new tenant kept something of the old one: a family name at Bridge and High, and an oyster bar on Longshore.
The Largest HangOverEasy Is on Longshore Street
HangOverEasy opened May 2 at 6757 Longshore St., in the former Kona Craft Kitchen space. Columbus Monthly traces the breakfast bar to Nick's Diner, which opened in the University District in 2002. Its other Columbus-area locations are in the University District and Olde Towne East.
Like Bristol, HangOverEasy built a bigger version of itself in Dublin than it runs anywhere else:
| Feature | HangOverEasy Bridge Park |
|---|---|
| Size | About 5,500 square feet, the brand's largest footprint |
| Seating | 116 guests, full-service bar, outdoor patio |
| New for the brand | Dedicated coffee bar, house-made pastries, grab-and-go |
| Dublin-only dishes | Rise & Ramen Bowl, Korean chicken sandwich, lox |
| Planned next | Dinner service, the first for the brand |
The January announcement said the coffee bar would have table seating and free Wi-Fi for remote work and casual meetings. It listed weekday hours of 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weekend hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The dinner service had no announced hours at that point, so check the restaurant before planning an evening there.
Here is the full pattern. Bristol came for more room and more parking. HangOverEasy opened its largest location and tried out formats it doesn't offer elsewhere. Domo took over a family storefront. None of them is a brand Columbus had never seen, but the Dublin versions are the ones you can't get anywhere else.
One smaller addition shows the contrast. Rocket Fizz, a national soda and candy franchise, opened Aug. 21 at 4482 Bridge Park Ave. under franchisee Carrie Baker. It sells bottled sodas, retro candy and collectibles, and it's a good stop for anyone with kids in tow.
Where These Places Meet on the Fall Calendar
Over the next few weeks, Bridge Park's own calendar puts several of these businesses in front of the neighborhood at once. The Bridge Park events page lists:
- Crawl-O-Ween, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 6 to 10 p.m. Bridge Park's first 21+ Halloween bar crawl, with Bristol Republic among the stops. The others are Market Bar, MB Vinoteca, Fado Pub and Kitchen, The Roosevelt Room, Local Cantina, Urban's Pint House, Getaway Brewing, Pins Mechanical Co. and Palm Valley Cocktails. A costume contest starts at 8 p.m.
- Morticia's Market, Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 to 9 p.m. Girl Next Door Flea takes over North Market Bridge Park, the same building as BBQ & The Pier, for a night market with vintage fashion, handmade art, tarot readings and live music.
- Cinema Saturdays, Saturday, Oct. 31, starting at 6 p.m. Riverside Crossing Park shows Coco followed by Wicked: For Good. Organizers suggest bringing a blanket and picking up dinner in downtown Dublin beforehand.
- The Harvest Market, Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m. to noon. The Dublin Market's fall edition, with farmers, bakers and artisans, live music and free parking.
Cinema Saturdays and the Harvest Market are both a short walk from Longshore Street, so either one makes it easy to try one of this year's arrivals before or after. Dublin's Halloween evening is Oct. 29, 6 to 8 p.m., the same night as Morticia's Market, so families splitting the evening will want to plan ahead.
If you're curious how Bridge Park and Historic Dublin are changing block by block, or you're thinking about living within walking distance of them, I'd be glad to share what I'm seeing. Reach out to Sue Sachdeva and let's connect.
