Sugar Opens Aug. 27 at 504 Park St. in Columbus Arena District

One Hospitality opens Sugar, a Latin, Spanish, and Mediterranean restaurant, at 504 Park St. in Columbus on August 27, taking over a former Park Street bar space. The group behind Forno Kitchen + Bar, Astra Rooftop, and Standard Hall will host a ticketed Grand Opening Party from 5 to 11 p.m.

A Park Street Name Returns

Sugar draws its name from a piece of the block's own history. Sugar Bar — a dance club that operated at 525 N. Park St. from 2005 to 2010 — was a fixture for that stretch of downtown nightlife before closing. One Hospitality revives the name on the same street, this time as a full-service restaurant at a different address and in a substantially different format: plated food, a full bar, and an outdoor patio rather than a cover-charge dance floor.

The 504 Park St. space was previously occupied by Howl at the Moon, the piano-dueling bar chain. 614NOW reported the reactivation of the address as a conversion from chain nightlife to a locally operated restaurant concept — a pattern that has played out at several similar Columbus venues over the past five years.

Two Floors, an Outdoor Patio, and a Latin Kitchen

The interior spans two floors connected by a custom staircase, surrounded by custom-drawn wallpaper and lush greenery that leads to the outdoor patio. The patio features cabanas, fire pits, lounge seating, and photo booths.

NBC4 first reported the concept details when One Hospitality announced the opening. The menu centers on Latin American, Spanish, and Mediterranean flavors. Signature dishes include chipotle chicken tacos, pan-seared salmon, blackened garlic shrimp pasta, and cheese quesadillas. The cocktail program emphasizes agave spirits — tequila and mezcal-forward drinks.

One Hospitality, led by Chris Corso, already operates Forno Kitchen + Bar, Astra Rooftop, and Standard Hall. Sugar is the group's fourth active Columbus concept and its first with a full outdoor patio of this scale. The Park Street address puts it adjacent to Standard Hall, extending the group's footprint on the block.

What Changes at 504 Park St.

The Howl at the Moon format relied on event-driven traffic — convention attendees, bachelorette parties, and the Nationwide Arena crowd. Columbus Underground noted that Sugar introduces a neighborhood restaurant concept in its place: a format that can draw on foot traffic from the Scioto Mile, downtown office workers, and the growing residential population in and around the Arena District independently of arena event nights.

For the Park Street District, filling that address with a locally operated two-floor venue matters commercially. The block already anchors Nationwide Arena foot traffic. A permanent food-and-beverage destination with daytime and patio capacity adds a layer of activity that the prior concept didn't provide.

One limitation worth naming: Sugar has not yet opened. Review coverage and the sustained draw for a new concept in this location will determine whether the space translates from opening-party buzz to a reliable neighborhood stop.

Grand Opening Party: August 27, 5 to 11 p.m.

One Hospitality will host a ticketed Grand Opening Party at Sugar on Thursday, August 27, from 5 to 11 p.m. The event transforms Park Street into a street party featuring live DJ sets, street food from local vendors, signature cocktails, light bites, and expanded outdoor seating with fire pits and cabanas activated.

Ticket and reservation information is at sugarcolumbus.com. Feedback on the mixed-use corridor zoning that surrounds the Park Street District is open through October 24 at columbus.gov/zoningupdate as part of the Zone In Phase 2 public comment period, which opened August 25.