614NOW: After seven years without a restaurant, the historic Worthington Inn welcomes new eatery from Wolf’s Ridge Brewing

After more than a decade as a fixture in Columbus’ food and craft beer scene, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing is embarking on a new chapter. The brewery has expanded beyond the busy streets of downtown Columbus to the historic Worthington Inn, bringing its signature approach to beer, food and hospitality to a new audience of diners in Worthington.

Founded in 2013, the original downtown location of Wolf’s Ridge has steadily grown over the years, even facilitating a large production center on the west side of Columbus in 2019, along with opening Understory in Old North in 2021.

Bob Szuter, co-founder and head of restaurant operations, explained that this latest move is not just about booming expansion but about the brewery finding a right fit in a heartfelt community.

“We’ve always looked at opportunities for restaurants and for our beer throughout the state, but expanding restaurant operations has really been intentional,” Bob said. “This one felt like a real natural fit.”

Szuter spoke about how the project came to fruition, along with some of the roadblocks encountered throughout the process. The Worthington Inn's nearly 200-year-old building offered the historic character Wolf's Ridge was seeking, while Worthington itself provided something new for the brewery: a strong sense of community.

“We’ve tried to align ourselves with authenticity,” Szuter said. “A historic building with a tight-knit community that we can actually be part of checked a lot of boxes for us.”

The brewery team took notice of the benefits this business move was, emerging into a settled audience of patrons. Meeting their downtowners where they are, in the suburban neighborhoods.

“A lot of people who used to come downtown don’t travel as far to eat and drink anymore,” he added. “From a geographic perspective, it made a lot of sense.”

Bob explained how this expansion into the suburbs of Columbus has always been essential to the brand, as he himself is a native to the suburbs being raised in Dublin, right near Worthington. After spending some time in the windy city, Chicago, discovering wolf’s ridge, Bob and his partners knew Columbus was the place for the restaurant to thrive.

“I had the opportunity to see some really great stuff in Chicago and wanted to see if we could try to recreate something of that and bring some of that to Columbus.” He stated.

Even with some typical hiccups of opening a new location, the brewery team worked hard to achieve their vision. Bob explained how they even pulled their head chef from the downtown location, Chris Ludwig, to work on perfecting the team in the Worthington space.

“He’s incredibly curious about food and just a really strong leader,” He said.

Chris Ludwig started out as a sous chef for Wolf's Ridge original location back when it first opened, and has since become the leader in the kitchen and artist behind the menu.

“He’s incredibly curious about food and just a really strong leader,” Bob added.

The menu initially leaned heavily into traditional English fare that blends with the building's heritage, but has since been adjusted to better balance for the directed audience with an elevated dining experience,“It’s going to keep evolving based on guest feedback.” He said.

Bob explained that the goal is to create a unique dining experience that feels comfortable for regular visits, but still offers an elevated option for special occasions, something the space has historically been known for.

On the beverage side, Wolf’s Ridge is experimenting in ways that set the Worthington location apart.

The new and exclusive standout addition is a traditional beer engine, a system commonly used in England to serve cask-conditioned ales. The result is a pour that is slightly warmer, softer, and creamier than standard draft beer.

“It’s a completely different drinking experience,” Bob explained.

To match the system, the brewery created beers specifically for cask service, including Innkeeper, an English-style ale, and Hearthside, a house brew unique to the Worthington location.

“We’re leaning into more traditional English styles here,” he added.

For Wolf’s Ridge, the Worthington Inn isn’t just another location, it's a reflection of where the brand has been and where it’s heading.

And as the company continues to grow, it’s doing so with the same mindset that started it all: thoughtful expansion, strong community ties, and a commitment to doing things the right way.

“Our hope is that this really increases awareness of our brand and gives more people an opportunity to experience what we do,” he said.

Bob closed with an emphasis on the company’s current focus staying on the Worthington Inn for a while, creating a new loyal community that can enjoy the brand and even spread it wider across the suburbs of Columbus.