The change is expected to begin in late December. The second floor, now home to the Brewcadia arcade, will serve as the temporary restaurant and bar while the ground floor is renovated. Barley’s General Manager Ian Boyland said the business intends to remain open throughout the work. The arcade games and pinball machines will be relocated elsewhere in the community.

Owner Tiffany Sexton described the project as largely cosmetic, with brighter lighting, more music and televisions, and updated furnishings. The rear of the ground floor is planned as a quieter area. Barley’s is targeting a reopening in mid-to-late February, depending on construction deadlines.

The menu is still being developed, but the restaurant plans to retain staples including burgers, grilled wings and sauerkraut balls. The drinks list will continue to feature microbrews while adding more cocktails and nonalcoholic cocktails, as well as a house-made seltzer on tap. After the renovation, the upstairs is expected to become a quieter lounge with a separate bar focused on bourbon, tequila and cocktails.

Barley’s opened in 1992, before the nearby Arena District was announced and a year before the Greater Columbus Convention Center opened across the street. Boyland said the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods have changed substantially since then, with more hotels and larger multi-location businesses joining the mix. Sexton said the update is intended to reflect changing customer expectations while preserving the brewpub’s core offerings.

Before the work begins, Barley’s will hold its annual anniversary and Christmas Ale tapping on Friday, Nov. 6. The event is free and will include live music and a singalong, Boyland said. He described it as a chance for longtime customers to mark the end of the restaurant’s current look and feel—not the end of the annual Christmas Ale event.