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    Drunch Eatery & Bar Will Make Brunch an Everyday Meal

    Brunch lovers (AKA everyone) will have a spot to hit up any day of the week come spring. Drunch Eatery and Bar, currently settling in on the corner of East Third and North Fourth streets in Italian Village, will offer a breakfast-centric menu from 6 a.m. until dinner time.

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    The concept formed from a collaboration between ex-Crest chef Dustin Brafford and his business partner Danisa Suta.

    “This has always been a goal of mine, and it was a goal of his, so the idea just fell into our lap,” Suta said.

    Suta, an OSU grad and IT consultant, had always wanted to open a business of her own. Born and raised in Eastern Europe, she grew up with a different perspective of what breakfast food is supposed to be and how it should be prepared. She and Brafford agree on a “fresh take on food” and think the neighborhood will as well.

    “Italian Village, to me, is most attractive because it’s likeminded people with me,” Brafford said. “I mean people that care about the environment, care about what they eat, care about craft products, and that’s how I am. I need to be in an area that thinks like I do in order to be successful, and I think this is definitely it.”

    Danisa Suta and Dustin Brafford out front of Drunch Eatery & Bar — Photo by Lauren Sega.
    Danisa Suta and Dustin Brafford out front of Drunch Eatery & Bar — Photo by Lauren Sega.

    They’re still several months from an opening date, their spot at 995 N. Fourth St. looking more like an empty warehouse than an eatery, but Suta’s vision fills the room with potential. The bar is the focal point, occupying a large space on the lefthand wall. Lining the other wall will be tall tables, and shorter tables will fill the space between. What is now a large window will be made into a garage door letting out onto the patio. In the next three or four years, Suta sees the addition of a rooftop patio. Brunch crowds will have no trouble finding parking — a large lot in back provides plenty of room.

    The ultimate goal is “clean, fresh and fun” — a place where kids get Rubik’s cubes instead of crayons, games are available for play, and people don’t feel rushed off after finishing their meal.

    “We want to be your friend,” said Brafford. “We want to be part of the neighborhood.”

    “We just want to bring everyone together, whether you’re here for your first date, whether you’re here as a family or whether you’re here with a bunch of friends,” Suta added.

    As far as their big draw — the brunch menu — it’s yet to be totally locked in. Brafford was sure about having five or six varieties of french toast, chicken and waffles, and “lots of benedicts,” but the rest is still in planning. They’ll get their goods locally, citing Yellowbird Foodshed as one source. The menu will change with the seasons, and a brunch and dinner special will be offered daily.

    As far as beverages, the Bloody Mary is the specialty. Brafford said he likes pickling, so be ready for an extensive Bloody Mary bar along with some other breakfast cocktails.

    Brafford and Suta are still mulling over the little details, but they’re open to reserving wall space for local artists each month, hosting entertainment or operating as a social enterprise. Those ideas are far off from materializing, though. For now the focus is on the space, set to open in the next two or three months.

    Follow CU for updates.

    For more information, visit druncheatery.com.

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    Lauren Sega
    Lauren Segahttps://columbusunderground.com
    Lauren Sega is the former Associate Editor for Columbus Underground and a current freelance writer for CU. She covers political issues on the local and state levels, as well as local food and restaurant news. She grew up near Cleveland, graduated from Ohio University's Scripps School of Journalism, and loves running, traveling and hiking.
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