Gambier Grill Demolition

The razing of the building that housed the Gambier Grill is scheduled for this week, pending the approval of a demolition permit by the village of Gambier.

Shellenbarger Contracting of Mount Vernon will handle the demolition, the recycling of some materials and the removal of debris at 100 E. Brooklyn St. Asbestos, found in one room, has already been removed by Affiliated Environmental Services of Sandusky, Ohio.

The Grill, a popular off-campus bar and restaurant also known as the Cove, ended its run on Feb. 21 after its owner decided to close the business before the end of the lease agreement with Kenyon in June. With a long-term vision to enhance student residential life and promote the small-scale charm of Gambier, Kenyon decided to not renew the lease. The property will become home to student housing of a design matching the North Campus Apartments.

Larry’s Pizza operated in the building in the 1970s. The Pirates’ Cove bar and restaurant opened after an expansion and building improvements in 1978. The name was a nod to the Pirates nickname of the old Gambier High School sports teams. The College bought the 3,800-square-foot building in 2002, and the business began operating as the Gambier Grill under different management. The owners of the Pirates’ Cove opened a restaurant by that name in Mount Vernon about eight years ago.

The College is exploring arrangements with food-truck vendors for late-night service in the village through the spring semester and will consider other options to enhance late-night food service and recreation. The College is working with AVI Foodsystems to develop late-night bar and restaurant service at the Peirce Pub for the next academic year. A new bar and restaurant is planned for construction in about two years on the east side of Gaskin Avenue, between Brooklyn Street and Scott Lane.