Cocktails, beer, wine and carry-out booze — The Draft Room has it all covered. Tucked in a strip mall at 570 Schrock Rd. in Westerville, it’s built to be a “craft beer mecca” in a largely dry part of the region. Owned by local entrepreneur Pamela Baker and her husband, The Draft Room will convene fellow craft enthusiasts for a range of events including happy hours, yoga mornings and family nights.
They’re celebrating a grand opening this weekend, after more than a year of waiting for a liquor license. Baker signed the lease for their space back in 2016 but had to have their liquor license approved by Westerville voters before beginning the renovation process. Too late for the special election in March, Baker had to wait for the general election in November but ultimately won the voters over.
“The coolest thing so far is just seeing the vision come to life, finally getting people in and making people realize that we’re just die hard craft beer fans who’ve wanted to do this,” Baker said. “We got into it for the right reasons. We wanted somewhere fun to go, and the atmosphere we’ve created is just a fun, laid back environment.”
The Draft Room has 24 taps, and one of their two nitro lines supplies a cold brew coffee. Seventh Son, Zaftig, Wolf’s Ridge, Homestead and more can be found on draft, taken away in growlers and crowlers, and picked from the cooler in six packs.
For snacks, they offer sweet and savory nuts and Columbus’ own OH! Chips. They’re in close proximity to a few restaurants that deliver to The Draft Room, too, opening up Chinese cuisine, pizza and subs as available meal options.
After opening weekend, Baker sees events taking place at The Draft Room. After welcoming a son into the family in 2015, she’s prioritized family and wants to bring that into the business. Baker imagines mornings used for yoga classes, evenings for families to let the kids run around while the adults loosen up, and nights for trivia and other entertainment.
Once open, The Draft Room will operate from 12 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 12 to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, visit draftroomcbus.com.