DELAWARE, Ohio — A Delaware County dining landmark is calling last call. Old Bag of Nails Pub will close its Delaware location at 66 N. Sandusky St. after 22 years, with the final day of service set for Sunday, Oct. 11, from noon to 9 p.m.
Founders Michael and Tara Purdum announced the closure in an Oct. 6 Facebook post, saying the pub was “unable to reach a long-term agreement with the landlord that would allow us to continue operations.” The announcement left open the possibility of a future return to Delaware.
The Delaware pub opened in 2004 and became a downtown fixture, thanking staff and the community for more than two decades of support and inviting customers in during the final week. The closure announcement drew an outpouring of memories from longtime regulars.
The chain’s roots run deep in central Ohio: the first Old Bag of Nails opened in Worthington in 1996, in part of the former Zettler Hardware store, with fish and chips becoming its signature dish months later. Remaining central Ohio locations include Bexley, Hilliard, Marysville, Newark, Pickerington, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Whitehall and Worthington, plus other Ohio cities and Lansing, Michigan.
The Delaware location’s final week is a chance for one last pint — and one last order of fish and chips — at a pub that has anchored downtown Delaware for a generation.