The future is uncertain for a Columbus bar that has been a longtime local destination for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, West Virginia Mountaineers and Youngstown pizza.
Gresso's Restaurant & Bar, where Yuengling beer and pierogies have been on the menu since 2007 and Ohio Valley Night has been a recurring event, has been closed without public explanation or acknowledgement for the last few weeks, according to customer reports across social media.
Emilio Traversa, an owner of the Brewery District bar at 961 S. High St., confirmed that Gresso's is closed at least temporarily but declined to discuss the situation because of potential litigation. Another person has been leasing and operating the business, he said.
Original owner Eric Gresak, who
sold the bar in 2015, told The Dispatch separately that he has been involved in discussions on how to get Gresso's up and running again.
"As of right now, it is closed," Gresak said.
A sign on the Gresso's door still shares its Labor Day weekend hours, and two Red Bull cans and an empty pack of cigarettes remain on a porch table. But at its normal 3 p.m. opening time Sept. 21, the lights were out, the "open" sign was turned off and its back parking lot was empty.
At least one group that has gathered at Gresso's has moved elsewhere as a result.
West Virginia University's alumni chapter in Columbus told its members Aug. 30 that Gresso's "will again be our home for the 2026 season," but a Facebook post Sept. 15 announced that its meeting place had been switched to a Buffalo Wild Wings in Reynoldsburg.
A person answering from the alumni group's account Sept. 22 said organizers had no information about Gresso's status.
The Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup, which has hosted improv sessions every Thursday at Gresso's, has canceled its last two gatherings because the bar was closed.
Follow Dispatch dining reporter Bob Vitale on Instagram at @dispatchdining. You can reach him directly at rvitale@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Gresso's, a Columbus destination for Steelers fans, quietly closes
