Colin Thomas (left) and David Payne (right) are the owners of The Dry Mill, Columbus’s first sober bar, which is officially opening April 30. Credit: Tyrik Hutchinson-Junior | Lantern reporter
The highly anticipated opening of The Dry Mill, Columbus’ first sober bar, is officially set for 11 a.m. April 30 after a two-month delay.
Co-owners David Payne and Colin Thomas said The Dry Mill, located at 79 S. 4th St., was originally set to open in February but was delayed due to a lack of necessary permits, such as health and occupancy permits, and overall inexperience on their part. However, Payne said he felt as though the delay was a blessing in disguise.
“The day that we had set originally to open, we got a blizzard, so nobody would have been here, and I would have been heartbroken,” he said. “Everything happens for a reason, and we’re glad that that happened.”
Payne and Thomas said the support they have received has been humbling, especially after they were featured in The Lantern in January. Payne said people from out of state were contacting him in excitement about coming to The Dry Mill.
“The following that we had already, which had blown us away, and then that article came out and it went way crazier than before,” he said. “I had people reaching out to me on my own personal Facebook from all over the country.”
The childhood friends said they are both sober after struggling with alcoholism, and Thomas said he wanted the bar to serve as a resource for those in similar circumstances. However, The Dry Mill is meant to be a welcoming space for all, and the duo said demographics ranging from college students to pregnant women have voiced excitement about the bar.
Payne and Thomas said the process of opening the bar has been a challenge due to the number of tasks that had to be completed in order to officially open. However, Payne said he and Thomas have done a great job of keeping each other stable during the process.
“If we try to force it, it’s not going to work,” Payne said. “We’ve known each other since we were 12. When one of us is stressed, the other one is calm.”
Payne and Thomas said they both work full-time jobs outside of The Dry Mill, with Payne at Westerman Inc. and Thomas at Jegs High Performance. The two do not plan to take any revenue from the bar for themselves but will instead put it toward their employees, Thomas said.
“We’re just taking the paychecks that we get from our jobs,” he said. “Hopefully when the business starts going and sustains itself, we can take care of the business and our people, then see what it looks like down the line.”
Balancing all of the tasks that go into opening a business can be overwhelming, but Thomas said opening the bar has afforded them many life lessons in a short period of time.
“It’s hard just opening a company of any sort because there is just so much that you don’t know,” he said. “There’s only stuff that you learn from falling down. You fall down, you get back up, then you learn and don’t do it again.”
Despite the delays, Payne said all of the employees they hired initially are still with the business because they trust in the idea behind The Dry Mill.
“We have the best employees in the world,” Payne said. “We had to tell them that we were pushing the opening day back, and all of them stayed on board. I believe it’s because of our concept, and they believe in it.”
Payne said the next step for The Dry Mill is to train bartenders and the rest of the crew. There will be soft openings throughout opening week for those who have donated to the business and others who have supported them along the way, he said.
A few of the nonalcoholic drinks on the menu will include mocktail versions of a mimosa, Bloody Mary, daiquiri and margarita, which Payne said can be enjoyed with bar food. Payne and Thomas said The Dry Mill will also feature food and drink specials for customers, which will be announced on its Instagram and Facebook pages.
The duo said they don’t expect any more delays before opening day, and Thomas said he’s expecting a great turnout and environment.
“If it is anything like the reception we have received, with all these people who are excited about it, we expect it to be crazy,” he said.
