EDITED 2:20 PM EST: Removed section speaking about an alleged fight that occurred. Insubstantial information led to removal.
The famous, or perhaps infamous, local dive bar Leipzig Haus has closed its doors for good on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022.
For a while, the COVID-19 pandemic was cited as a contributing factor in the death of the Zig, as was the likelihood of a Sheetz taking over the property.
A Reddit post last Tuesday features screenshots of a statement from The Zig, “These past two years have taken their toll on the Zig…With our landlord unwilling to communicate, discuss, or otherwise inform us of what lies ahead we are only guaranteed a sixty-day future. As a business, we cannot continue to operate, invest, or plan for the future. Nor can we hire employees with good conscience knowing they may not have a job the next month. With that being said, we have decided to go out on our own terms. It has been a difficult decision, but we feel it is the right one at the right time.”
The Zig has been a part of the Bexley, Capital University and Berwick communities for 38 years since it opened in 1984. Since then it has been the natural watering hole for students and locals alike. Everyone from senior citizens to giddy college students has called this place their go-to bar for decades.
Dale Rucker, a Capital University graduate from the class of 1987, said, “It is one of the friendliest places in town to come. And Capital kids can walk here and not have to worry about driving home, it is affordable to the Capital kids…I am a Bexley resident as well, so not just Capital but Bexley in general…it is friendly in here and a safe mix of people.”
Matthew Connors, who has been a Zig regular for the last five to six years said, “[My favorite part about the zig is] the people that come in here and the conversations I have had over the years.”
One thing across the board, that people had to say about the Zig, was that its greatest strength was the people that frequented the bar, and of course, how cheap it was.
“I’ve heard the news that a Sheetz is coming in here, but for this corner and traffic, that would be a huge, huge mistake,” Dianesee Mueller, another Zig regular for the last 12 years, said. “I would like a bar or restaurant…I know it is kind of small for a B Dubs or Roosters…but [some kind] of bar type place.”
At the time of writing this article, it is not known for certain what will become of the property, whether that be a Sheetz, a convenience store, another bar, or simply an empty lot. Whatever it is, the Bexley, Capital University, and Berwick communities have indeed lost a local icon.
