‘The end of an era’: Fives Up High announces May closure, promotes Twos Under High’s reopening

Helena Hennessy
Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:14:45 +0000
Campus, Instagram Page, Local, News, Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace basement bar project, Fives Up High closing, Fives Up High closing May 2026, Fours On High Ohio State bar scene, High Street campus nightlife Ohio State, High Street Columbus student bars, Ohio State bar closures 2026, Ohio State bar culture evolution., Ohio State bar patios and game day atmosphere, Ohio State bar scene changes, Ohio State bars near campus closing, Ohio State campus bar replacements, Ohio State campus bars closing 2026, Ohio State campus entertainment spots, Ohio State game day bars Columbus, Ohio State karaoke and trivia bars, Ohio State number bars High Street, Ohio State senior crawl bars High Street, Ohio State student bar culture Columbus, Ohio State student nightlife traditions, Ohio State University District bar development, Ohio State University District nightlife, Scott Ellsworth number bars owner, student reactions to bar closing Ohio State, Threes Above High campus bar, Twos Under High High Street location, Twos Under High opening

Fives Up High, located at 2375 N. High St., is set to close in May. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

Fives Up High will be closing its doors in May.

In a Tuesday Instagram post, the well-known campus area bar announced it was shutting its doors so the owners can focus on opening Twos Under High, a location closer to campus.

“Fives has been a huge part of our brand, but as we grow, we evolve,” the Instagram post said. “We’ve decided to go all-in on our next big project: moving the spirit of Fives (and the liquor license!) into a brand-new basement space [of Twos Under High], opening this August.”?

Scott Ellsworth, owner of the university district’s series of number bars — consisting of Twos Under High, Threes Above High, Fours On High and Fives Up High — said it was the right time to make the decision to close the bar.?

“Fives has been an incredible chapter for us, but with our lease ending, the timing made sense to consolidate and reinvest into our next concept,” Ellsworth said in an Instagram direct message. “We’re excited to move the energy, team, and assets into Two’s and continue evolving the number bars in a way that sets us up for long-term growth.”?

Twos Under High will be located in a basement under Dirty Frank’s at 2036 N. High St., per prior Lantern reporting.

Students have expressed mixed reactions to the bar’s closure — some offering sympathies while others have made their excitement for Twos known.?

Kaya Sparrow, a fourth-year in psychology, said she was shocked when she heard the news of the bar’s closure.?

“I have definitely gone to Fives a lot,” Sparrow said. “I would go for game days and stuff like that.”

Elise Hempker, a third-year in atmospheric sciences, said she will miss Fives’ location and casual environment the most.?

“We live really close to Fives, and so it’s really the only bar that’s within a block from our house,” Hempker said. “It’s just convenient because it’s so close, but it’s also just a different vibe than the rest of the bars. It has that back part with the basketball hoops and that huge patio area.”?

Hempker also said Fives was less crowded than other campus bars she frequents, which was a major selling point.

“It’s pretty big in there, so you can kind of spread out a little more,” Hempker said. “It’s usually not as crowded, which was nice. We just liked how it was like Threes but less crowded.”

The atmosphere that Fives curated was both casual yet meaningful for Ohio State students, Ellsworth said.?

“Fives carved out its own personality within the Ohio State bar scene in a short amount of time,” Ellsworth said. “We watched thousands of students from The Ohio State University celebrate birthdays, big wins, Senior Crawls, sing karaoke, play trivia and turn ordinary nights into unforgettable ones. That’s always been the goal: to create a space where people feel like they’re part of something.”

Sparrow said these opportunities are what made the bar meaningful to campus.?

“[The environment] is very friendly and you can feel like the Buckeye spirit,” Sparrow said. “It was one of those staple bars on campus. You think of Columbus, and you’re like, ‘Oh, number bars, like Fives, Threes, Fours.’ Like I said, it was great for game days. It just feels like it was one of those places like you can go and it would always be a good time. It was always enjoyable. I always had a good experience there.”?

Despite her excitement for the opening of Twos, Hempker said she was still equally as disappointed in Fives’ closure.?

“I’m excited about Twos,” Hempker said. “I feel like that has a nice location, but it’s also like, Threes is right there. We were talking, and we wish it would have been Fours that they did away with, because that’s a lot farther from campus. We just like Fives better than Fours anyways, but I’m excited about Twos. I think it’ll be a good addition to the campus bars, especially since Little Bar is leaving.”?

The Little Bar has yet to announce an exact closure date, but the property lease will end March 31, per prior Lantern reporting.?

Despite the lingering sadness from the closure of Fives, Sparrow is looking forward to what Twos will offer.?

“I’m really excited for what’s going to happen and to see the environment from Fives, and also bringing Twos back, and seeing what they’re going to create there,” Sparrow said.