Popular brewery quietly opens new Short North space amid legal dispute
A well-known brewery just opened a second location this week, and it’s a quirky name you’re probably already familiar with, considering another location is about a mile down the road.
Marengo-based Hoof Hearted Brewing quietly opened their new Short North bar on Wednesday evening at 26 E. 5th Ave. The new space took over the former 3,300 square foot home of Brothers Drake Meadery, and it’s colorful, vibrant, and fun. It leans into the days where the building was once an auto repair shop, with a Corvette bumper stuck on the wall.
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Currently, the Italian Village location, which opened in 2016 at 840 N. 4th St. is still open, but their website says, “Production at this location has stalled and we have a limited supply of our own beer. Please bear with us as we sort through these issues…”
The two Hoof Hearted Italian Village and Short North LLCs are scheduled to go to trial against each other in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in October over a legal dispute between Hoof Hearted Brewing LLC in Marengo (Short North bar owners) and the Italian Village brewpub partnership, called 2023 E LLC (Italian Village brewpub co-owners).
The brewpub in Italian Village and 2023 E LLC argues that it owns the rights to the “Hoof Hearted Brewing” brand, while Hoof Hearted Brewing in Marengo said they’ve owned the name since they first started in 2011. In fact, the Italian Village brewpub tried to block this new Short North location from opening, but the judge denied the attempt. If that all sounds confusing, well – it kind of is, considering the names are all so similar! To sum it all up, it’s a legal dispute going to trial over brand ownership.
That trial has been set for October 24.
In the meantime, you can check out Hoof Hearted Brewing’s 5th Ave location from 4-11 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 2-11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Please note: although they officially opened on Wednesday the 22nd, they’re closed today (May 23) to “compare notes,” according to their social media.
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