The countdown is on to grab one last cocktail at speakeasy The Light of Seven Matchsticks. The bar, tucked under Natalie’s Worthington at 5601 N. High St., will close after service on Sunday, September 18.
“The little speakeasy in the basement of Natalie’s Worthington that we all fell in love with is treating these final 3 weeks as a celebration of all the truly memorable and crazy times we’ve shared together,” a social media post announcing the closure read. “Thank you for loving and accepting our weird; it’s been an absolute pleasure serving you for the past 5 and a half years.”
The Light of Seven Matchsticks made its debut in early 2017 and quickly amassed a following for its unique and creative cocktails. Since its opening, the speakeasy has been consistently voted one of the top bars in Columbus by CU readers.
“This bar could not have done the things it did, and been the bar it was, without the dedication and vision of P.J. Ford, our cocktail director and General Manager, but also everyone’s go-to person for their harebrained ideas who doesn’t talk you off the ledge, but instead goes down the rabbit hole with you,” the post continued.
A request for comment on the reason for the closure was not returned at the time of publishing, but the business, along with Natalie’s Worthington, appears to be listed for sale.
Natalie’s Worthington recently celebrated 10 years of live music and coal-fired pizza earlier this summer. According to its website, shows in Worthington are only scheduled through the month of September.
The reason for the sale on the listing states that, “Owners are concentrating on a larger venue located in different area of Columbus.”
Natalie’s expanded its footprint, opening in the Grandview area in the former home of King Avenue 5 in December 2019. The new location offers nearly three times the space as the Worthington original, as well as two stages.
Natalie’s Grandview also offers a beacon of hope for fans of The Light of Seven Matchsticks.
“We have a new space in the works at Natalie’s Grandview and hope you will follow us to another little bar with a really long name coming to you soon…” the post said.
For more information, visit thelightofsevenmatchsticks.com.
