COLUMBUS, Ohio (COLUMBUS BUSINESS FIRST)–The owner of Old Bag of Nails is closing two sites, but has a trio of new ventures in the works as well.

Mike Purdum said the last day of business for his pub at Creekside in Gahanna will be Aug. 29. Same goes for the Pour House Tavern that’s next door, a sister business to the main pub brand.

Both have been around for about 20 years.

Purdum said he wasn’t looking to close or sell but a buyer approached him about selling the real estate and the offer was too good to refuse.

He said having opened a new restaurant in Whitehall last year that’s performing well and having the ability to transfer workers to other locations it made sense to take the deal and close the two establishments.

The deal is being finalized and could close by October. Purdum would not name the buyer or the terms.

The business is going to remain plenty busy.

While Old Bag of Nails has one new location in the works and a relocation coming next year, Purdum and his wife Tara Purdum are cooking up a new concept as well.

Work will start soon on a two-story, 10,000-square-foot Old Bag of Nails in Lansing, Michigan. That restaurant is part of Columbus-based Continental Real Estate’s Red Cedar project connecting Michigan State University and the State Capitol. The overall project includes student housing, hotels, apartments and other commercial space.

Purdum said his restaurant, which will be the largest in the 15-unit chain, is expected to open in the spring.

That will be the third recent project that Continental has tapped Old Bag of Nails to be part of following new developments in Whitehall and Toledo.

A fourth is in the works as well. Continental also has recruited Old Bag of Nails to be part of its redevelopment plans at Kingsdale in Upper Arlington.

Purdum said he expects to move his current pub in the Tremont Center to Kingsdale at some point next year, but he doesn’t plan to abandon that space. It will become the home of his next idea – a pizza pub.

“She’s a good bread person. I like pizza,” he said. “She’s developing the crust. We’re putting in the time to get the dough right. Everything will be house-baked, house-made.”

The still-to-be-named pizzeria will have two types – a St. Louis-style thin crust and a New York-style.

The Tremont Old Bag of Nails is two restaurant spaces connected on the inside. Half of that will be converted to the pizza place in the coming months with a new design and decor. When the Old Bag of Nails moves next year, the pizza concept will take over both spaces.

But curious customers won’t have to wait for the remodel to try the pizza.

Purdum said they plan to start selling pizza in the next 30 days from that Upper Arlington space, at least a few days a week.

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