Today’s Forecast

38º | Cloudy | 10% chance of precipitation | Sunrise 7:53 a.m. | Sunset 5:23 p.m.

Soak up the sun (room)

The rise and fall of Wendy’s sun rooms

What do you miss about the 1990s in Columbus? | Photo via Wiki Commons

Mentally, we’re in a 1990s Wendy’s sun room... or at least we wish we were.

Funny enough, we aren’t alone in this feeling. Our Columbus-based fast food chain caught more than our local hearts — it’s got a large chunk of the Internet living in nostalgia (exhibit A, exhibit B, exhibit C). And today, we’re shining a light on the history of Wendy’s sun rooms.

☀️ The start of “solariums”

A New York Times article from 1985 quotes Denny Lynch, then-vice president of communications for Wendy’s, calling the sun rooms, “solariums.” At that time, the company was installing 700 solariums into its 3,000 locations.

Lynch wanted the restaurant to look full because he believed that meant you had good food. This led to the large windows that were installed in the front of restaurants so those who passed by could peek inside. He also liked the added bonus of ambiance.

“You also have the opportunity to hang plants and create an upscale atmosphere,” Lynch told the New York Times. “And, here’s a real gold mine.”

CBUStoday Wendys meme3 — Critics say the room would become too hot in the afternoon. | Photo via Twitter

🌥 Shuttering the sun rooms

By 2012, local reports indicate Wendy’s had plans to renovate most of its locations. This brought on a three-year process where 1,400 restaurants were changed while franchisee-owned restaurants were a bit slower to make the switch. Columbus was one of the first cities targeted for these changes.

💭 Why the change?

At the time, Wendy’s had tested multiple store layouts in various cities + found customer reactions were reportedly best with its more urban design that we see today. Customer reactions seemed to drive most of the change, as people’s preferences for design + aesthetic had also changed.

Now, the Wendy’s of the future actually features big windows (albeit not as grandiose as the 1990s) + has a focus on third-party delivery services.

Events

Wednesday, April 19

Caroline Polachek: The Spiraling Tour | Wednesday, April 19 | 7 p.m. | Newport Music Hall, 1722 N. High St., Campus | $35-$75 | Listen to this up-and-coming indie pop songwriter with opener George Clanton.

Thursday, April 20

El Vaquero’s 30th Anniversary Celebration | Thursday, April 20 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Multiple locations | Cost of purchase | Celebrate three decades of local business at all locations with $5 margaritas of any flavor.

Friday, April 21

WWE Friday Night SmackDown | Friday, April 21 | 7:45 p.m. | Schottenstein Center, 555 Borror Dr., Campus | $23-$78 | Start your weekend with highly energetic + entertaining professional wrestling.

Saturday, April 22

Ohioana Book Festival | Saturday, April 22 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Columbus Metropolitan Library - Main Branch, 96 S. Grant Ave., Downtown | Free | Celebrate literature with other fans at this festival that returns for the first time since 2019.
Annual General Mayhem | Saturday, April 22 | 10 a.m.-11 p.m. | BrewDog DogTap, 96 Gender Rd., Canal Winchester | $8 | Listen to five different live bands and sip local beers at this all-day outdoor festival.
Oddities & Curiosities Expo | Saturday, April 22-Sunday, April 23 | 10 a.m.-11 p.m. | Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus | $6-$300 | Explore 150+ oddity vendors such as taxidermy, Halloween-inspired artwork, and spooky antiques.

100+ more events

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Closing

SeeSaw, a restaurant and nightclub in the Short North, will close in June + rebrand into Good Night John Boy, a 70s-themed bar. The new bar is set to open in August + the space will be closed for 60 days for renovations leading up to opening day. (The Columbus Courier)

Development

Oddfellow’s Liquor Bar is planning renovations to transform its Short North patio into a beer garden. If approved by Columbus City Council, the new space will feature permanent bench-style seating instead of picnic tables + will have dedicated spaces for the Mikey’s Late Night Slice food truck. (NBC4)
OhioHealth will expand into Canal Winchester after the local healthcare group purchased 6.8 acres of land for $1.7 million. There are no concrete plans for this property yet, but OhioHealth plans to study the community in the area to get a better idea on needs. (Columbus Business First)

Concert

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, a country + Americana band, are headed to KEMBA Live! on Friday, Aug. 25 for an outdoor concert. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 21 + start at $49.

Try This

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure returns to Columbus on Saturday, May 20 + hopes to raise $1+ million for breast cancer awareness and research. There’s still plenty of time to sign up for the race, and the course map was recently released. (10TV)

Edu

The Ohio State University is now part of the STARS Network, a 15 university coalition to expand higher education into rural areas + small towns. Each school is set to receive roughly $1 million for these efforts after a Chicago-based bank helped launch the program. (Columbus Business First)

Sports

Despite online hype, the Cleveland Browns aren’t planning to play a season in Columbus once their stadium undergoes renovations. Per local reports, it is unlikely the Browns would play home games outside of Cleveland for an entire season. (WKYC)

Trending

A new study revealed the 1990s are the most popular decade for fashion inspiration in Ohio. The study was conducted by BooHoo, an online fashion brand, who analyzed Google search results by state to determine the ranking.

Fun Fact

In case you missed it, there’s still a chance to win $500 by taking our brief survey. Your feedback is important to us, and we want to ensure the content we deliver to you is relevant. Take the survey.

Finance

Many Americans worry they’re not saving enough for retirement — and rightfully so. Find out if your savings meet the recommended amount by age, and how a financial advisor could help.*

Number

33.7+ million. That’s how many bottles of Champagne the US consumed in 2022. Keep the bubbly flowing with our favorite vacuum insulated Champagne + wine chiller from S’well, plus the easiest Champagne stopper you’ll ever use.

Try This

📽 Global film, local premiere

Movie by Columbus filmmakers to be screened at the Wexner Center for the Arts

Both Ife Oluwamuyide (left) + Claudia Owusu will be in conversation after the screening. | Photo via Wexner Center for the Arts

For two local filmmakers, next Saturday is their big day on the big screen — and they are debuting it locally.

Columbus-based filmmakers Ife Oluwamuyide + Claudia Owusu are set to premiere their new film, “Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl” at the Wexner Center for the Arts on Saturday, April 29. The short film follows the lives and experiences of girls from Ghana + features both Ghana and Columbus as backdrops for scenes.

The movie will be screened at 9 a.m. + will later be screened at the Drexel Theatre that same evening at 7 p.m. After the early screening, both creators will be on hand for a Q+A.

Want more? Check out the full Q+A with both filmmakers from the Wex.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Mitch

From the editor

Looking for an easy, delicious, and local way to celebrate Earth Day? Pick up a plant-based Northstar burger for free this Saturday, April 22 if you dine-in. As a full time vegetarian, this is one of my favorite veggie burgers in Columbus.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We’ve got even more ways to keep your Earth Day local in 2023.

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