A lot has happened over the past 13 years in the brewing and hospitality industries. A peak, and then decline, in craft beer sales. A pandemic. Tariffs. Workforce uncertainty.
Since he opened Wolf’s Ridge Brewing in Downtown Columbus with his father Alan in 2013, Bob Szuter has been through all of it. He’s also managed to keep growing his brand while adapting it to the times.
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Lauded for its excellent food and beers, Wolf’s Ridge certainly hasn’t been immune from larger industry pressures. “Coming out of the pandemic, things just hadn’t come back the way we wanted them,” Szuter says of the Downtown restaurant and taproom. “The business was slowing down on both spaces.”
A bustling demand at Understory—the lounge, dining and event space Wolf’s Ridge opened in Neil Avenue’s Open Air building in Old North Columbus in 2022—helped offset some of the problems. But Szuter decided to do more in the flagship space, starting with hiring a new management team last spring. He credits general manager Nick Pennino and assistant general manager Jason Florian with helping them “start that process of refocusing on the guest experience.”
The changes include adding a weekday lunch menu in late 2025, followed by the return of pizza, which became popular at the restaurant during COVID-19 and returned thanks in part to a fortuitous find: A pizza oven being auctioned off by the former Tommy’s on Lane Avenue. Szuter says they were able to purchase it for around $100.
The pizzas, priced starting at $17, are made on a stone hearth with a focaccia crust and serve up to two people. Now if guests “just want to come out and have some beer and pizza, we can do that,” Szuter says.
But those who prefer the dining room’s noteworthy, higher-end cuisine for lunch still have plenty of options—from a shredded duck melt sandwich ($13) that oozes with cheese and flavor, to the restaurant’s famed toad in the hole ($18), which Szuter says has been “a staple from day one.”
Some behind-the-scenes changes also are having an impact. Last year, Wolf’s Ridge turned its beer distribution over to a wholesaler. “That allowed us to refocus on our core competencies,” Szuter says. “We were able to just bring a little more focus on making the beer.”
A new chef is also at the helm. Tom Sommer came on board in March after serving as a private chef since 2021. Sommer says his favorite thing about the job is interacting with guests and co-workers. “Without others, I’d be one person cooking for one. Not a lot of fun in that.”
The changes at Wolf’s Ridge go beyond Downtown. Understory also has a new head chef and management team. “For the first time, at any of our locations, [the team is] all female, which is really cool,” Szuter says. “They’re bringing a lot of energy and excitement.”
Then, there’s the opening of the company’s third restaurant in the historic Worthington Inn. Chef Kristopher Ludwig, who has been with Wolf’s Ridge since the beginning at the Fourth Street location, is leading the Worthington kitchen.
“He really got excited about what that could be and sees the potential for it to be a pretty high-volume space, Szuter says of Ludwig, adding that the chef “lit up” when he first saw the kitchen.
Though he brings experience from Downtown, Ludwig has shaped the menu to meet the needs of the neighborhood. The goal, Szuter says, is a space people can stop in regularly, balancing affordable snacks and bar foods with higher-end options for people celebrating special occasions.
Guests can expect lunch items like French onion soup ($10), fish and chips ($23) a BLT ($15) or a vegetarian mushroom-based MLT ($13). Dinner offers confit cod cheeks ($22) and a sirloin fillet ($45); vegetarian options include mushroom-based scallops ($26) and a campanelle pasta ($24). Later this summer, a downstairs bar called the Wolf’s Den will further activate the space with small plates in a “retro vibe cocktail space,” Szuter says.
And of course, Wolf’s Ridge’s craft beers will be served. A nutty new English pale ale called Inn Keeper was brewed for the Worthington opening. “We’re really trying to honor the historical nature of the space,” Szuter says, “and just bring a little bit of life and energy back to that building.”
Meet the Wolf’s Ridge executive chef team
Katie Rymer, UnderstoryKatie Rymer began her tenure at Understory in February. Her previous experience includes working at Vine + Forge and The Kee. Fun fact: Rymer has four parrots that she enjoys spending time with on her days off.
What’s one dish on your current menu that you are excited for guests to try? I am very excited about our new udon dish. It is a unique composition that is fully customizable for our guests. It reflects my commitment to using locally sourced, fresh and organic ingredients.
Visit Understory at 2571 Neil Ave., Old North Columbus; understorycbus.com
Tom Sommer, Wolf’s Ridge BrewingTom Sommer took over as executive chef at Wolf’s Ridge in March, and owner Bob Szuter says he has “fit right into the culture.” He was previously self-employed as a private chef. While he enjoys fishing, his favorite time on his days off is devoted to his family.
What’s one dish on your current menu that you are excited for guests to try? Rather than specific dishes, I get excited for new ingredients that come with the seasons. For example, getting beautiful rhubarb to use as the acid along with local asparagus, Marcona almond and brown butter for an early spring take on a brook trout amandine, elevated visually by the vibrance of rhubarb.
Visit Wolf’s Ridge Brewing at 215 N. 4th St., Downtown; wolfsridgebrewing.com
Kristopher Ludwig, Wolf’s Ridge at Worthington InnAfter over 12 years Downtown at Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, where he was a sous chef and then executive chef, Kristopher Ludwig recently headed north to take the helm at the Worthington Inn. He spends his free time with his wife and dogs, thrifting and fishing. He also says he’s a “big nerd” for culinary history and historical cookbooks. What’s one dish on your current menu that you are excited for guests to try? Pork runs through my veins, we’re known for the tomahawk chop so it’s definitely that one. At the 215 [Fourth Street] location, it’s the butcher sauerkraut and wild game sausage, sharing my German heritage and love of wild game.
Visit Wolf’s Ridge at Worthington Inn at 649 High St., Worthington; worthingtoninn.com
This story appeared in the June 2026 issue of Columbus Monthly. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: After 13 Years, Wolf’s Ridge Looks Ahead as Worthington Inn Opens
Reporting by Linda Lee Baird, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
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