We love local, especially if it’s something delicious from Westerville or the Columbus area. That’s one reason we LOVE Jackie O’s brews.

And if you don’t know the story of this local brewery, the tale of Jackie O’s is funny and inspiring.

The story didn’t start in Westerville, but we’re glad we can proudly serve Jackie O’s at our restaurant.

According to the Jackie O’s website, when Jackie Oestrike was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, her son Art informed her he was going to name his brewpub Jackie O’s in her honor.

The exchange went something like this, according to the website:

“A bar?” she replied quizzically.

Art’s reply set the tone for his entrepreneurial career.

“It’s going to be so much more than a ####### bar, Mom!”

We at Cardinal Pizza Shop are overjoyed to be in cahoots with this place. This month we are offering their ‘Ricky:’ A dry, crisp, refreshing potation. This Golden Ale is a fresh riff off the old-school industrial brews using Czech hops.

Born down in Athens, Ohio, Jackie O’s has evolved over the last twenty years into a magnificent, sprawling network of bars, a brewery, a bakery and restaurant. Art Oestrike and his colleague Lenny Meyer want to create a sustainable and purposeful presence.

At Jackie O’s inception, they wanted to brew specific beer that would only be available in Athens, create barrel-aging and sour programs, and commit to using locally sourced products whenever possible. Their beer offerings are truly a dizzying array of hundreds of types of brews.

The business not only focused on the local economy, but also state improvements as well by becoming one of the first facilities in the state of Ohio to transfer to a non-smoking establishment in order to increase the visibility of lung cancer research.

In response to the loss of their mother, Art’s siblings, Brian and Katie, set out on a journey to raise awareness for LUNGevity by traveling to Tibet on a quest to climb Mount Everest. On May 23rd, 2007, Brian and close family friend, Justin Hewitt, summited Mt. Everest, also known as “Chomolungma” in Mandarin. In fact, Chomolungma is one of their Brown Ales. For more information, visit http://climbforcancer.blogspot.com/.

Art kept his promise to his mother that Jackie O’s would be more than just a bar. The Jackie O’s brand now extends throughout the town of Athens with the inclusion of the Public House Restaurant, the Taproom (with a full production brewery attached), Barrel Ridge Farm, and the Bakeshop.

It’s clear that Jackie O’s is more than a brand, but a community. The welcoming nature of his mother is clearly honored and will continue on. Art’s dream is to provide a fun, inclusive, safe space for the future. And Cardinal Pizza lifts our glass to them.

Cardinal Pizza of Westerville

Our Columbus style pizza is crafted in Westerville, and we also serve the finest beers and drinks around. Check us out!