Forty Deuce Cafe and Speakeasy Opening as Part of Easton Expansion

 March 13, 2019 3:00 pm  Lauren Sega

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A little bit of Hollywood is coming to Easton Town Center this year. 

Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce Cafe and Speakeasy will make its Midwestern debut as part of Easton’s $500 million expansion, currently underway in the northeast area of the development. 

In partnership with LOUD Capital, Kane is looking to bring a dynamic experience to Columbus, with a restaurant offering serving lunch and dinner, and a hidden speakeasy that’ll serve as a venue for live music, patron dancing and other performances.

“I really never had anticipated the Midwest until I got invited by the developers who had heard about what I was doing in LA and Vegas, and invited me to see what Columbus and Easton in particular was all about,” says Kane. “When I got to town and saw what they were doing, and heard about what their plans were for this urban expansion, I drank the Kool Aid — there was no turning back.”

Forty Deuce Cafe will be a 3,500 square foot bistro open for lunch, dinner and late night dining seven days per week. Aligning with what Kane sees as a meatpacking district/New York-style development at Easton, the cafe embraces the look and feel of a New York east side saloon, with checker table-clothed decor and whimsical design and aesthetics. It’ll have a juke box and nightly pianist as well.

The speakeasy will require a little bit of searching for Forty Deuce patrons. Hidden away upstairs, it requires patrons to first pass through the cafe’s kitchen and a store room to find the door of a walk-in refrigerator. On the other side of the door, rather than a fridge, guests will find a staircase leading them to a storage warehouse, and, on the other side, the speakeasy.

The 3,000 square foot space will be open to patrons Thursday through Saturday, “plus assorted additional nights,” according to a press release. The bar is aiming for a dance party vibe, with DJs, live bands, and other live entertainment.

“I hadn’t been to Columbus and only spend limited time in the Midwest, but I’ve spent a great deal of time over the past year designing the pace and getting to know the community and I have to tell you, to be perfectly honest, I was delightfully surprised to find Columbus to be incredibly vibrant, relevant, sophisticated,” Kane says. “The people are all so nice and welcoming, and excited for what I was bringing into the community.”

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About the Author

Lauren Sega is the Associate Editor for Columbus Underground. 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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