CBF Archives

As an HR vice president over several divisions at Facebook, Annette Reavis had helped lead that 40,000-person company’s switch to work from home. Then she did it all over again when she moved to her new job as the first chief people officer at Root Insurance Co., an all-digital auto insurer based in Columbus. Parent Root Inc. has raised more venture capital and has the highest valuation, at $3.65...

For Ohio State University's chief human resources officer Susan Basso, the coronavirus crisis has driven home the importance of focusing first on people. Even though she leads human resources for an organization with an annual payroll of $2.5 billion and headcount of 49,000 workers, Basso said it's important not to forget the individual personal struggles and needs that employees are dealing with...

Nationwide, governors are imposing stay-at-home orders to mitigate coronavirus. That put Columbus startup Aunt Flow in a rough spot. The company manufactures pads and tampons and makes them available in stores, gyms, workplaces, colleges and universities. All of those places are now closed and it's not immediately clear when they'll open. That'd be fatal to the company if it wasn't thinking on its...

Fusian’s business has expanded from sushi rolls to toilet paper rolls in the last few weeks. The Columbus-based fast-casual restaurant chain made one of the more interesting business pivots amind the Covid-19 pandemic. It started a grocery delivery business, turning all 10 of its Ohio restaurants into mini-distribution hubs hoping to bridge a small gap for consumers struggling to find a few essent...

Columbus Crew SC’s leaders are adapting to the new working from home lifestyle like the rest of us. President Tim Bezbatchenko, Coach Caleb Porter and Chief Business Officer Steve Lyons are managing family, kids, uncertainty and fear – while trying to meet the needs of the Crew’s players, fans and spooked corporate sponsors. There’s also a $300 million Arena District stadium being constructed, whi...

Why close your restaurant and what comes next? Joe DeLoss, founder of Hot Chicken Takeover, wrestled with the first question for a week and is grappling with the second on a daily basis. As the coronavirus pandemic worsened and restrictions on business increased, what was the thought process when deciding to forego the carryout business and temporarily close its four restaurants and layoff much of...

Nocterra Brewing Co. marked one year of business this past weekend. To mark the occasion (and a return to beer after recent non-alcoholic and hard seltzer excursions), the News & Brews team opened a six pack of its Beta Flash New England IPA, one of the core beers offered up by the Powell craft brewery. Is it an IP-yay or IP-nay? Beyond tasting and evaluating that local offering we chat big pi...

News & Brews ditched the brews in favor of seltzer for this week’s episode. The fast-growing beverage segment is dominated by national players but more craft brewers are starting to dabble in the space, seeing an opportunity to brew a lower calorie beverage for those in the market seeking that. Columbus’ Seventh Son Brewing Co. has been making its Kitty Paw brand of hard seltzer since last fal...

Like many out there, News & Brews has taken a post-holiday hiatus from beer. In recognition of this, the first episode of 2020 is tackling the topic of dry January (Dry-uary?) by cracking open a sixer of Nanny State, the 0.5% alcohol-by-volume offering from Canal Winchester’s BrewDog USA. It’s one of several non-alcoholic beers produced and sold by BrewDog, which also in recognition of those t...

Brian Higgins and his Arch City Development are busy all over Columbus. The Youngstown native thought Central Ohio would be a temporary stop when he landed at Ohio State University. Then he thought the cubicle life would be his fate. But none of those things were meant to be for the effusive Higgins, who has since become one of the pioneers into distressed city neighborhoods. In this podcast, Higg...

On the podcast today is David Harrison, president of Columbus State Community College, who recently joined Columbus Business First in studio to talk about what led him into higher education leadership. Since 2010, Harrison has been at the helm of Columbus State, an institution with about 45,000 students. And like his students, Harrison has taken a relatively nontraditional path into the education...

Jonathan Moody is set for a new phase in life. As a child, he watched his Curt Moody found architecture firm Moody Nolan Inc., which has subsequently grown to become Columbus' busiest architectural firm, according to Columbus Business First research, with almost $66 million in architectural billings in 2018. Two-thirds of those billings came from Central Ohio, where the firm has 143 employees. And...

Wayne Harer is something of a local legend in the real estate world. But before the executive managing director at Newmark Knight Frank was a commercial real estate broker, he came to the city as a Columbus Clipper. This week's Newsmaker focuses on Harer's baseball career which brought him to Columbus for three seasons, including with the 1980 and 1981 championship teams. Harer spent a long time a...

Jackie O’s is making one of its most revered beers more accessible. So News & Brews accessed it. The Athens brewery, for the first time ever, is canning Dark Apparition, it’s big and bold Russian imperial stout. If you’re a regular listener to News & Brews, you can guess how this news was received. The big, boozy beer news doesn’t stop there though. Zaftig Brewing Co., which also prides it...

The number of women not just buying craft beer, but taking roles in the industry is on the rise. With that increased inclusivity of customers and employees, it’s put a spotlight on the practices and behavior of some in the male-dominated craft brewing industry in recent years. There have been calls to eliminate offensive beer names and marketing and there’s been a greater willingness by women in t...

Too early to decorate for Christmas? Maybe. Too early to drink Christmas beer? Nope! News & Brews grabbed a growler of the Christmas Ale from Barley’s Brewing Co. It’s the oldest annually produced festive season beer in Central Ohio, having now been brewed 26 straight years, from the second oldest local brewery. That prompts a discussion of what makes a Christmas beer Christmasy and whether or...

This week in our podcast The Wrap, we discuss plans a Columbus startup that raised $10 million for its software that helps independent retailers better connect with customers and a new Short North hotel that caters to the young party crowd. We also look at proposed Italian Village tower and the return of Longaberger baskets. Check back weekly for our regular review of the week's top stories.

This week on The Wrap we review the latest on the Columbus Crew’s efforts to get the Ohio State Fair team on board with its plan to redevelop Mapfre Stadium, Germain Automotive’s deal for some Sonic dealerships, why Central Ohio is Data Center Central, and new beer options for those in the Westerville and Dublin areas.

This week’s News & Brews opened up a new spin on a popular seasonal beer. Land-Grant Brewing Co. recently released Moonracer, a pilsner with a bit more of a hop punch, to fit into the slot where its more summery Pool Party pilsner plays in its beer lineup. How did the hop lovers take to the lighter pilsner and did the added oomph of more prominent hops turn off those more prone to pop a pilsne...

In this week’s edition of the Wrap, we discuss the implications of the NCAA’s decision to let student-athletes get paid (sort of) while still in school, Rogue Fitness’ dispute with the city of Columbus over parking requirements for its proposed CrossFit arena, plus restaurant news involving Harvest Pizzeria, Yellow Brick Pizza and a new Italian-Lebanese concept coming to German Village.

What is Clintonville? Who is Clintonville? Where is Clintonville? Lineage Brewing — a Clintonville craft brewery that is definitely inside the Clintonville borders — and its Spaceship #6 IPA had News & Brews pondering these important questions this week. The brewery opened in 2015 and has carved out a dedicated following thanks to its status (until recently) as Clintonville’s only craft brewer...

This week in our podcast The Wrap, we discuss plans to turn the old Longaberger headquarters into a basket-shaped boutique hotel and the closing of a Cameron Mitchell restaurant in the Short North. We also look how much revenue the ticket taxes brought in over the summer and the "micro grocery" moving into the Columbus Commons. Check back weekly for our regular review of the week's top stories.

Brewery cats and the Grateful Dead highlight this week’s News & Brews. After a run of (mostly) malty fall beers, the switch was made this week to a classic golden ale — Seventh Son’s Assistant Manger, named for the brewery’s beloved brewery cat. Did the can art play a role in the beer’s selection? Of course it did. In addition to praising the aforementioned can art of Seventh Son and other loc...

This week in our podcast The Wrap, we discuss plans for the last undeveloped corner of Capitol Square downtown and Otterbein's big day when the Democratic debate shined the national spotlight on the small college. We also looked at the newest medical marijuana dispensary opening in Columbus and discussed Bob Evans Restaurants' plans for the future. Check back weekly for our regular review of the w...

Which child is the best child — first, middle, last? News & Brews tackles the important questions this week prompted by Sibling Revelry’s Spoiled Brat, a sour IPA that divided the team both on matters of beer and matters of birth order. Which of the team were misbehavin’ as youth? Choose your side wisely. Topics of the newsy variety — a report from the Columbus Crew stadium ground breaking. Wa...