The game is off at 811 Huron Road. Plans for Urban Meyer’s Pint House to take over the high profile Gateway District restaurant space have fallen through, and the former Winking Lizard spot is staying dark just as downtown’s summer event calendar heats up.
According to Crain's Cleveland Business, Urban Meyer’s Pint House will no longer open a sports bar at 811 Huron Road. Reporter Jeremy Nobile, writing in a story published July 21, 2026, detailed how the parties walked away from the planned deal for the former tenant space, framing the reversal as part of a broader shuffle in downtown dining and entertainment plans.
Planned partnership and earlier timeline
Saucy Brew Works, which had acquired the Pint House brand and was lined up to run the Cleveland location, first rolled out the expansion news in October 2024. The concept called for a three level sports bar aimed squarely at game day traffic, with an opening window in the 2025-2026 range and a heavy reliance on crowds from the nearby stadiums, as reported by the Cleveland Business Journal. The project was pitched as one more big draw in the Gateway District’s growing roster of pregame and postgame hangouts.
Site history: an empty storefront
The address at 811 Huron Road previously housed a Winking Lizard tavern, which closed its Gateway District location in 2021 and left the building empty, according to News 5 Cleveland. That long vacancy made the corner appealing to operators chasing stadium foot traffic, but it also meant any newcomer was staring down a hefty build out. In the meantime, the stretch between Progressive Field and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has continued to morph as developers and restaurateurs test what sticks with office workers, residents and visiting fans.
Where the space stands now
Leasing materials for 811 Huron Road advertise roughly 14,937 square feet, along with a large kitchen and substantial prep and storage space that could support a flagship restaurant, according to an online property listing. Public filings from the City of Cleveland tie the site into ongoing Gateway planning work, keeping the corridor on developers’ watch lists even as specific deals come and go. With the Pint House plan shelved, the landlord has put the property back in play and is expected to court interest from other hospitality operators.
For now, downtown fans and event planners will have to keep waiting for a new name to claim the prime game day corner. Owners, operators and city officials had not issued immediate public responses at the time of reporting. Crain's Cleveland Business first reported the decision to walk away from the deal and has additional details on the parties involved.
