Huli Huli Tiki Lounge is steering its island vibes straight into Downtown Columbus, taking over the long-empty Jury Room space at 22 E. Mound St. Owner Dustin Sun is eyeing an April or May opening, turning the Kahiki-inspired concept into a city-center draw beyond its Powell home base. The downtown bar will be the brand’s second location and is slated to feature new themed nights and a refreshed menu aimed at convention visitors and out-of-towners, along with locals looking for a retro escape.
Downtown landing in the former Jury Room
As reported by Columbus Underground, Huli Huli Tiki Lounge will move into 22 E. Mound St., the onetime home of The Jury Room, with an opening targeted for April or May. The outlet notes that Sun, who launched Huli Huli in 2019, is excited to bring an already established identity downtown instead of starting from scratch. Restaurant consultant and chef Chad Roth joined the project this winter to rework the layout and upgrade the menu offerings, according to the reporting.
What the Powell location tells us
According to the restaurant’s official site, the Powell location at 26 W. Olentangy St. operates with weekday dinner hours and extended weekend service, which suggests the downtown outpost may follow a similar schedule and menu model. The Powell location also highlights events and specials the team uses to test new ideas before rolling them out more broadly. Visitors can check current hours and menus on Huli Huli Powell.
Nightlife and neighborhood fit
Columbus Underground notes that the future Huli Huli site sits within reach of the Convention Center, and Sun is betting that proximity will help attract both downtown regulars and convention crowds to a new tiki hub. The Downtown venue is set to feature curated event nights, including a Gothic Tiki Night and a Vinyl Night, created by Roth, who told the outlet he is focused on menu quality and thoughtful programming. With the Grass Skirt Tiki Room gone since 2019, Sun sees an opening for retro-island nightlife in the city’s core.
Space with a long history
The address at 22 E. Mound St. has long been home to various iterations of the Jury Room and is now marked closed in local business listings, leaving the ground-floor space open for a new tenant. Map listings show the Historic Jury Room at that address as permanently closed, and Huli Huli’s planned move would turn the site into a themed bar and lounge. City planning efforts and ongoing downtown activity around the Convention Center suggest the location could be a strategic fit for an incoming nightlife concept, according to MapQuest.
