Good Vibes, Cold Brews & Good Times

Young Entrepreneur Finds Path to Success & We Can All Take a BYTE

By Frank Etheridge

Just before the Friday after-work rush arrives at Bytes & Brews, co-owner Michael Woodham sits at the bar in deep concentration, plugging away as he adds new delights to the menu. Blips, beeps, lights and music surround him from the wide collection of arcade and video games packed into this latest place-to-be downtown, the city’s first-ever “game bar” on 12th Street.

A retro arcade that’s fun for adults but still cool for kids, Bytes & Brews boasts a huge array of video games–everything from old-school pinball to PS5s, skee-ball to Pac-Man and a changing collection of board and card games. And in the short five months since opening, Bytes and Brews has also earned a reputation for killer food, made fresh daily.

The menu consists of classic comfort foods that are kid-friendly, but expertly designed as well-prepared dishes adults will appreciate. The menu is full of house specialties, such as the absolutely killer hot honey sauce on the chicken sandwich and the thick and hand battered onion rings, perfect for dipping in the tangy “Nintendie Sauce.”

Woodham explains a few new menu items, such as the Mac Daddy Burger – a quarter-pound house-ground beef patty smashed thin and topped with American cheese, Mac Daddy sauce, lettuce, and pickles on a potato bun. Next, he offers what is clearly a personal favorite, the Sugar Bombs V2. “It’s designed to taste like the milk left in the bowl after eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch,” he says, reflecting on the simple joys of childhood Saturday mornings watching cartoons.

We tried the Horchata Bytes – a fried version of the tasty Mexican beverage with milk, rice, cinnamon and vanilla – served on top of vanilla ice cream with the bowl dusted in cinnamon sugar, and were blown away by the incredible flavor combinations.

We got to try several other items on the menu, all of which we’d gladly give our highest score. There’s so much flavor in the seasoning for the chicken nintendies, any auntie would be impressed. Whatever they are putting in the dipping sauce is also spectacular – robust, savory and tangy all in one. The fries were crisped to perfection, and complimented well with Woodhams own version of rosemary salt, along with a few other tasty seasonings.

We also tried one of their flatbread pizzas, “The Bros,” a meaty treat with both pepperoni and sausage, cheese and an immaculate drizzle of their house made hot honey. The honey adds a really nice, almost smoky bit of lusciousness. If they aren’t bottling that stuff already, be on the lookout, because you’re definitely going to want some for yourself.

Games are part of the bar menu’s fun as well with the chance to roll 20-sided dice on a custom playing surface. Whatever drink it lands on, that is your order. Take your chances – if you roll a natural 20, you get to pick (and make it a double). A rotating selection of stellar craft brews and canned cocktails are also on offer, with Woodham and the other owners always on the lookout for new and interesting things to have visiting gamers try.

With the lights, music, and no shortage of cool folks hanging out, the space has a wonderful ambiance, and there are tons of things to discover. Local artist Jori Kent, known for her mural work around town, has an incredible full-wall painting showcasing local landmarks mixed with iconic video-game images, such as Donkey Kong in action atop the Aflac building.

“The more you look, the more stuff you’ll see,” Woodham explains as he gives us a look upstairs at the Level Up Lounge. The second-story space is perfect for group hangs and special events, such as trivia every Wednesday night hosted by local legends in the trivia scene, a weekly shred-fest Guitar Hero tournament, Dungeons & Dragons sessions, and more.

“It’s a great place for team-building,” customer James Evans says over a late lunch with a friend. Evans was back to Bytes & Brews for his second visit after coming the week prior for the first time as part of Aflac’s Employee Appreciation Week activities. “I love the atmosphere and the pizza!”

Woodham is one of four partners that got the keys to the building on January 18. The other three are Ben MacMinn, Chris Poirier, and Jack Rosenhammer.

“Between the four of us, we have 12 businesses,” Woodham says. The common thread between all four? Local entrepreneurship-incubator StartUp Columbus. Woodham, Poirier and Rosenhammer all graduated from StartUp Columbus’ Co-Starters training program, while MacMinn, a former general manager with Chick-fil-A, is its Executive Director.

“I graduated from CSU with a degree in entrepreneurship,” Woodham explains, “I learned more in the 12-week program at StartUp Columbus than I did in four years of college courses. Plus, StartUp connects you to networks and resources that are there to support you, to see you succeed.

When inspiration for Bytes & Brews struck, it was that very StartUp network that Woodham called. “I was scrolling mindlessly on Instagram one night as we all do and saw an example of the game bar concept in action. I sent it to the guys and asked, ‘What do we need to do to make this happen in Columbus?’ They were all immediately on board.”

Woodhams drive to try new things has given him years of experience rolling with the changes. He is the owner of several local businesses, including Vintageville on 6th Avenue, the ‘good vibes’ retro/antique store which holds indoor and outdoor markets for local makers. He also workshopped his “TapWagen” bar-in-a-bus model through StartUp Columbus, which has been in high demand for weddings and various other events around town. Before all this, he worked in the service industry for a decade. “I’ve done everything from washing dishes to management,” he says of stints at local spots such as Jarfly and Hudson’s on Main Street.

But when he and wife Kendall welcomed daughter Logan into the world three years ago, he decided to strike out with his own ideas so he could spend more time being a good dad.

“I try to have nights and weekends off so I can put my daughter to bed,” he says. “We have a strong management team here that allows me to do that. Of course, I get called in nights and weekends all the time but that’s part of it. But it doesn’t really feel like work. We just have fun here. I don’t dread leaving the house.”

Woodham says the secret to all his creative, new idea energy is to never be scared to switch things up or make a go for something you believe in. “You never fail,” he says, “You only learn. Complacency is the killer of all dreams.”

The dream of a game bar in Columbus is now a delicious reality. “We have retro and new games,” Woodham says. “Great food, great drinks. We have something for everyone and that’s exactly what we set out to create.”