25-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Liberty Social Bar & Kitchen opens in Powell in former Gallo's space
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A downtown Columbus deli owner is adding a casual restaurant in Powell.
Syam Duddela will open Liberty Social Bar & Kitchen Saturday at 240 N. Liberty St. in the Liberty Station center.
'We want this to be a family friendly space,' he said. 'This is a good market with a lot of different demographics.'
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The menu will have broad appeal – classics including burgers, New York-style pizza, a house-seasoned corned beef for Reubens and jumbo chicken wings.
But Duddela said Liberty Social will have a few elevated entrees as well including pastas, salmon, steak and a lamb chop special.
The chef is Andre Saultz who, according to a press release, will make many items from scratch including the wing sauces, salad dressings and the potato-and-cheddar pierogies with lemon pesto.
Duddela said they hope to court local sports team gatherings and family and group events, not just for regular business, but also for the mezzanine level of the restaurant, which can be used for events.
He's also devising regular theme nights to drive additional traffic.
The restaurant expects to have limited hours until May 4.
Regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. It'll stay open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. There will be a brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays.
To encourage more late-night business, the bar will have food and drink specials from 9 p.m. to close Tuesday through Thursday and from 10 p.m. to close on Friday and Saturday.
Liberty Social is still hiring as well.
Duddela and his family moved from India to Columbus in 2011. His background primarily is in business consulting with experience in human resources and accounting among other areas.
But he grew up working in his uncle's restaurant in India and has always had a pull toward that industry as well.
He bought Danny's Deli downtown in 2019. Now called Danny's Deli-cious, he still owns it today. He also owned DeVine Tastings & Dining in the Short North, a Covid-19 casualty that opened at the start of the pandemic and lasted for three years.
That space is set to become a Voodoo Brewing taproom franchised by his friend Srinivas 'Sam' Madhamshetti.
While the deli is a classic, fast-paced lunch spot, the experience with the more sit-down nature of DeVine made Duddela want to open another casual eatery.
'I like the social aspect, people chatting, enjoying themselves, having a space they can spend time together,' he said.
He lives in Delaware so Powell was close proximity. When he saw the space was available, he jumped at it.
The restaurant most recently was Gallop's Bar & Kitchen, but is best known as the former Gallo's Tap Room.
The Gallo family closed the Powell location as it opened a new restaurant in Dublin last year.
The brief few months as Gallop's was under a different operator.
