I met a dear friend to catch up over lunch on a recent Wednesday afternoon at Newark Station located at 325 West Main Street, Newark, Ohio.  A long ramp with outdoor seating available for use (the gliders were my favorite) leads the way to the main entrance of the Newark Earthworks Cafe, which is just one aspect of the Newark Station’s multifunctional property.  We were immediately impressed with the integrity kept from the original former factory and warehouse structure, but updated for its new purposes.  How special that this business location was originally built in 1943 and for years sat deteriorating until being renovated and repurposed in 2020.  Future uses like apartment lofts, art studio and business lots, and a lookout tap room are still in the works and will be coming soon.  We noticed an observation area of a freshly ground coffee machine (not in use at the time) surrounded by glass walls and a nice sized stage for bands and performers (again, not in use at the time of our visit).

We settled into our selected table and velvet chairs and enjoyed our “Adult Grilled Cheese Sandwiches” with tomato, bacon, and pepper jack cheese added to the classic sandwich and waffle fries.  We had a lot to catch up on, so we comfortably visited for a few hours.  We noticed many senior groups were meeting for lunch and learned that Sunday night Bingo is an extremely popular activity offered.

After our meal, we took about thirty minutes to explore more of this massive “adult playground” and looking through the surrounding windows, we took note of the volleyball courts, shelter house, outdoor bar, and firepit.  As we headed out, we discovered the bar was a coffee bar on one side and a cocktail bar on the other.  Nearby, we found a multipurpose meeting room that is available for reservation, and last, but certainly not least, we stumbled upon an art gallery in a large old factory production area surrounded by glass.  Motion sensor lights illuminated our way as we ventured further into the space.  This was my favorite part of the building, as it still felt old like we were walking back in time; I also appreciated the solitude and quiet.  A small lounge area created with antique furniture while incorporating the featured artist’s work was a delightful addition. Currently, surreal collage art is on display by Granville, Ohio artist David W. Butler (https://www.dwbfolio.com).  There are some eye popping pieces and his work combined with the surrounding atmosphere provided an aesthetically pleasing end to our visit.