CINCINNATI — Alcohol and ice cream: Two of life's simple pleasures. And also two things College Hill's latest business is serving up for customers.
Big Chill opened its doors on New Year's Eve, and the bar — and soon-to-be walk-up ice cream window — is nestled along Hamilton Avenue across the street from Brink Brewing, which is in the process of expanding its taproom.
The bar is owned by wife and husband Hannah Wheatley and Evan Wallis. It was born out of their shared love for College Hill, as well as years of experience in the bar and service industry.
Wheatley complimented College Hill for its great restaurants and Brink, but she said her and Wallis also saw an opportunity to bring a proper bar to the neighborhood when approached with the idea.
RELATED | PHOTOS: Step inside Big Chill, College Hill's newest bar
"We thought that people definitely wanted it and were ready for it," Wheatley said.
The bar is part of the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation's $9.5 million KeyMark development, which spans four separate buildings.
Walking into Big Chill, your eyes are immediately pulled to the expansive dark wood bar, its floor-to-ceiling front windows, ample seating options and the decorations speckled throughout.
Trinkets and knickknacks — including a subtle-yet-effective "no whining" sign on the bar — adorn the walls with a wainscoting ledge acting as both something to look at while you sip your drinks and a conversation starter with company.
"It kind of came together organically," Wheatley said.
Wheatley said a decent amount of the bar's decor came from things Wallis and her had at home, while others were gathered at various antique shops.
Like any solid neighborhood bar, Big Chill has a variety of drink options, including varying canned and bottled beers, a rotating draft beer list, select wines as well a six-drink cocktail menu.
The cocktail menu features Big Chill's take on classics such as Irish Coffee, a Holiday Mojito and a Cranberry-Pomegranate Margarita to name a few.
"The $10 cocktail is just as popular as the Bud Light and I love seeing people drinking both," Wheatley said.
Wheatley and Wallis also went an extra step with the bar's variety of snacks and food.
The bar always sells beer cheese and pretzels, chips and dip, caramel popcorn and spiced nuts that are all homemade, but it also has a rotating food option. In the past the bar has offered vegetarian chili, nachos and meatballs with tomato sauce and toasted bread.
While it's a bit too cold to start selling ice cream, at some point in the spring the bar will also sell soft-serve. Wheatley said her and Wallis have already begun brainstorming different ideas with the ice cream.
"We wanted to emphasize that we know there's a lot of families and kids in this neighborhood and community, and we really felt like the ice cream element could be interesting," Wheatley said.
At the root of Big Chill, what's apparent is that its owners want customers to be able to simply... chill.
Big Chill feels like a neighborhood hangout rather than a gimmicky, over-the-top establishment — no matter if customers are bellied up to the bar, out on the patio or at a table with friends.
"We definitely want this to be a relaxing and inviting space," Wheatley said.
The bar's owners know that College Hill residents — like Wheatley and Wallis themselves — care about the neighborhood and the businesses in it. Wheatley said as business owners they care just as much, and they want to bring the best bar to the community that they can.
"We have a lot of space here and we want there to be something for everyone," Wheatley said.
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