Lucky’s Stout House closed July 2021, will be replaced by apartments but remains in the hearts of Ohio State students. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Former Photo Editor
Since closing in July 2021, Ohio State has been unable to fill the four-leaf-clover-sized hole in South Campus’s heart that was once Lucky’s Stout House.
The establishment, formerly located at 1475 N. High St., announced its closing via Instagram post, where the well-known Dr. Seuss quote was used as advice for those who were upset by the news, reminding patrons to “smile because it happened.” Since then, development for a new apartment complex began by real estate investment team Avenue Partners.
Ed Gaughan, the former owner of Lucky’s, said he has operated and owned businesses in Columbus since 1994. He said he owned The O Patio & Pub as well as Sloopy’s Bar & Grill on South Campus, and after losing bars he owned on South Campus, he decided to buy Lucky’s in 2009.
“South Campus used to always be basically the nightlife for Ohio State students, which now it’s North Campus,” Gaughan said. “So, I got it because it had a great building, had a great patio and a nice big back parking lot, and I liked the location. The area just had its own character to it.”
Gaughan said he initially opened Lucky’s with the intention of keeping it a traditional Irish bar. However, as students began to show more interest in the business, his plans for Lucky’s started to change, he said.
“We initially started to be just a strictly Irish bar and have Irish bands and stuff like that. Then we slowly morphed into just being all things Ohio State and Irish,” Gaughan said. “We had a DJ once a week, daily specials and just be part of the community of students.”
Gaughan said he has owned 12 bars on Ohio State’s campus, and he has seen how the campus demographics have shifted over nearly 30 years.
“If you talk to someone who’s older, like me or others, they would say it’s losing a little bit of its character because of gentrification. I mean, it’s gonna be cleaner, it’ll look nicer, hopefully it’s going to be safer,” Gaughan said. “That being said, what you’re seeing is all brand new stuff. So, you’re not seeing the 80-year-old buildings, the house, a restaurant, a bar, a clothing store, that kind of stuff.”
Operating as a minority partner in the apartment development on the land that was formerly Lucky’s, Gaughan said he hopes to keep the spirit of Lucky’s alive in some ways.
“Part of the discussion with them was incorporating some of Lucky’s back into the core,” Gaughan said.
Since Lucky’s closed in 2021, Gaughan’s newest project has been The O on Lane, a bar and grill located at 352 W. Lane Ave. He said the lessons he learned from Lucky’s have played a large role in shaping what he wants business at The O on Lane to look like.
“The idea is not to look at being a successful business, but create an institution that, like we were saying with Lucky’s, made it voted the ‘Best Deceased Business,’ that’s because of relationships,” Gaughan said. “And not only with who owns the place, but with the staff, the people you hire, the people they hire, how they operate and how they treat people.”
Cortney O’Neal, a 2019 Ohio State graduate and former bartender at Lucky’s, is now one of the managers at The O on Lane. She said in her time at Ohio State, she experienced many heartbreaks watching her favorite bars and businesses close.
“We’ve seen Too’s die, Chumley’s twice, Ugly Tuna, a few others. It’s unfortunate because they’re all staple bars that everyone loves,” O’Neal said. “You get used to working there and getting to know everybody, and then you don’t really have a choice, it’s just bought out.”
Nick Schantz, a 2021 graduate and former Lucky’s manager, said he also sees how developed the off-campus area has become.
“I feel like Ohio State was always kind of known as having an old school kind of college town a little bit in terms of seeing how the bars were. Now, it’s basically just the Short North is like extended all the way into campus and everything’s just super developed,” Schantz said. “So, for kids that are a bit younger, they never saw it, but for us to see that change, it’s a little disheartening I think, for sure.”
Despite losing Lucky’s, Schantz said the outpouring of support from those who loved Lucky’s was so great that employees decided to make T-shirts as a keepsake to remember the bar.
“We had like a week’s notice from when Lucky’s got the okay to close. So, it was all kind of last minute,” Schantz said. “That was super cool to see the regulars and all the people that really loved Lucky’s buy shirts and stuff like that.”
O’Neal said The O on Lane also hopes to maintain some of Lucky’s traditions, such as popular deals like Power Hour. He and Gaughan said they hope students who miss what Lucky’s had to offer will come to experience it in a different way at The O on Lane.
“The O on Lane is a little bit different because it’s not central campus, and we have a bit of an older crowd. But it’s still great, football games are great,” O’Neal said. “We’re right across from the stadium basically. And we’re picking up now, doing more events with Greek Life and companies and such for game days and for private parties.”
Lucky’s is dearly missed by Ohio State students, but Gaughan said he is grateful for the support he and Lucky’s received.
“When you really see the passion in your relationship you’ve made when you close sometimes, because there’s more of an outpouring of sentiment,” Gaughan said. “That part’s been great to see.”
