Cork & Barrel, the downtown Columbus bar at 1354 27th Ave. that opened in 2018, will close at the end of October 2026. Taking its place will be Black Market Pizza, the pizza business run by married couple Leo and Tina Oliva, which is set to serve Friday evenings inside the bar.
Owner Nicole Saalfeld built Cork & Barrel inside Park Plaza after a friend suggested she turn the space into a bar, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Saalfeld also owns Fabulous Forever and Barrel House downtown.
Saalfeld designed Cork & Barrel around conversation and connection, with several themed rooms. After eight years, Cork & Barrel is set to close.
A Friday-Night Pizza Business
Black Market Pizza will take over the Cork & Barrel space, per the same Omaha World-Herald report. The business is run by married couple Leo and Tina Oliva, according to the Norfolk Daily News.
Black Market Pizza serves Friday evenings inside Cork & Barrel at that same 27th Avenue address, the Norfolk Daily News reports. At the Olivas' first event as a business, they sold 40 pizzas, the paper reports.
The pizzas themselves lean into a distinct style. The dough undergoes a two-to-three-day fermentation, per the same account, and the pies follow a Neapolitan-style dough topped heavily with fresh ingredients. Black Market Pizza also serves creative Mexican-style pizzas built on a guacamole base with Oaxaca cheese and toppings like carne asada, al pastor, discada and elote, according to The Columbus Page, which also reported a ribbon cutting for the business's location inside Cork & Barrel, Suite 50. A classic margherita pie is offered exclusively at that location, the outlet notes.
Black Market Pizza Around Columbus
Black Market Pizza also regularly pops up at local food events and festivals around Columbus, according to The Columbus Page.
