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Originally Posted by DaddyBigBucks
One of my favorite anecdotes about Coach Hayes was told by Archie. After dining with Coach, at the Jai Lai(sp?) I think, his mother asked him how it went. Archie: "I don't think he wants me to play for him."
Mom: "What makes you say that?"
Archie: "Because he never once mentioned football. All he wanted to talk about is what I was going to major in and stuff like that."
To Woody, even the world's only 2-time Heisman Trophy Winner was still a student first. |
It was the Jai Lai restaurant, which was spelled differently than the sport with the similar name. Here's an article from 1997, stating that the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe was built at the same location as Woody's old hangout.
bizjournals
Jai Lai site reborn as Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe
Restaurateur Self plans to put $4M into `eatertainment' complex near
OSU
Business First of Columbus - February 7, 1997
by Brian R. Ball Business First
Columbus ribs hawker Jon Self plans to renovate the landmark Jai Lai restaurant into a massive dining and entertainment facility called the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe.
Self, a Damon's International Inc. director and the dining chain's largest franchisee, bought the Jai Lai property in mid-January from developer Donald R. Kenney for $1.02 million. He plans to invest another $4 million or so to turn the Mediterranean-style facility on Olentangy River Road into an upscale "eatertainment" complex under an
Ohio State University sports theme.
"We want to create another Columbus tradition," said Self, noting the Jai Lai's attraction to Ohio State's legendary football coach Woody Hayes and other regional luminaries over the years.
"Atlanta has its House of Blues, and other cities have their theme restaurants," he said. "We want this to be special for Columbus."
The Jai Lai closed Aug. 1 after nearly 45 years on Olentangy River Road between King and West Fifth avenues.
Construction will begin right away on the renovations, with an opening set for sometime this fall.
Plans call for knocking out most of the internal walls within the 50,000-square-foot building and reconstructing the interior into a restaurant, bar, billiard room, game room and banquet and meeting space. The decor will feature memorabilia from Ohio State football, basketball and other sports, as well as a "walk of fame" honoring numerous Ohio State sports heroes over the years.
The dining room and central bar will have combined seating for 250.
Huntington National Bank financed acquisition of the building for $1.26 million. Self said he is putting together an investment group to own and operate the restaurant.
Self has hired John Jones, former FiftyFive Group area director, to serve as general manager. A chef has not been chosen to operate the restaurant kitchen on the main floor and a banquet kitchen on the lower level, a fact that will postpone announcement of a menu, Self said.