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    MoJoe Lounge Coming Soon to The Lazarus Building

    The recently renovated Lazarus building located in the heart of Downtown is in the process of gaining a full service restaurant, a coffee shop and a bar… all in one tenant. MoJoe Lounge will be opening their third location this Spring at the corner of Town and High Streets.

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    “Between all of the investment happening in the RiverSouth area, the new Columbus Commons park, the new Courthouse complex, the 2,000 people working in the Lazarus Building, and of course with Elizabeth Lessner revamping The Jury Room, we think the recipe is perfect for a concept like Cup O Joe and MoJoe Lounge to fit Downtown,” said Mark Swanson, President of Cup O Joe.

    The wide variety of new development projects in the Riversouth neighborhood has primarily been orchestrated by the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation as a part of ongoing Downtown redevelopment initiatives.

    “Three years ago the Lazarus building was an abandoned department store next to large surface parking lots, an abandoned parking garage and an abandoned mall,” said Guy Worley, CEO of Capitol South and the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation. “Now that renovations are complete and these projects are coming to a close, the natural evolution is new retail development.”

    In addition to the new MoJoe Lounge, Huntington Bank will be opening a new branch location next door with 2,800 square feet of retail banking space. These two new tenants are being touted as an anchors for the Lazarus building, and developers anticipate continued interest in their remaining 8,000 square feet of retail space along High Street.

    “MoJoe Lounge has been successful in their other locations and we really wanted to bring a coffee shop and restaurant to this space,” said Amy Taylor, Chief Operating Officer of Capitol South and the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. “We’d like to see additional restaurants and service-based retail in The Lazarus Building because we think that would be a good mix for the office workers and nearby residents.”

    The Riversouth neighborhood has recently seen an uptick in residential growth with the completion of 206 new apartment units at the Lifestyle Communities Annex at Riversouth, which is already 90% occupied.

    “In the long run, with all of those new residents next door, the event programming for Columbus Commons as well as the nearby Ohio, Palace and Southern theaters, I do believe there is some potential for great nighttime business Downtown,” explained Swanson. “I hope that folks will recognize our name and our brand see us as a destination to come Downtown and hang out.”

    The new MoJoe Lounge venue is being designed by M+A Architects and will be a combination of old and new elements. In the Short North and German Village locations, the coffee shop and bar areas are divided into somewhat separate spaces while the new Downtown location will feel more integrated into one space. The wide sidewalks in front of the Lazarus Building will also provide room for outdoor patio seating.

    As for the grand opening, a date has not been set.

    “Everybody working on this project is aiming for us to be open in April,” said Swanson. “But until then we have a great opportunity listen to feedback and design our menu to be a great fit for Downtown customers and be a good partner with our new neighbors.”

    More information can be found online at www.cupojoe.com.

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    Walker Evans
    Walker Evanshttps://columbusunderground.com
    Walker Evans is the co-founder of Columbus Underground, along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
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