Custom Merch for Restaurants and Bars in Columbus, OH
Merch Mob makes kitchen shirts, front-of-house uniforms, and staff hats for restaurants and bars in Columbus, OH, at its shop in Montclair, CA, and ships them to Columbus. Columbus has more young adults than Ohio as a whole, with 31% of residents aged 18 to 34 against 22% statewide and 23% nationally (Census ACS, 2020-2024), so a retail tee with a bold design should find buyers among regulars.
Columbus by the numbers
Columbus has 938,396 residents, up 3.6% since 2020 (Census estimates). That is the fastest growth among the 17 Ohio cities and towns with 50,000 or more people.
Franklin County has 936 full-service restaurants with paid employees (Census County Business Patterns, 2023). That is 6.9 for every 10,000 residents, slightly below the national figure of 7.6. 33% of them employ fewer than 10 people; the rest are larger operations. The count is up 7% from 875 in 2018.
It also has 246 bars and other drinking places with paid employees. That is 1.8 for every 10,000 residents, above the national figure of 1.2. 60% of them employ fewer than 10 people. The count is about where it was in 2018 (242).
Columbus spans 3 counties. The business figures are for Franklin County, home to about 97% of its residents.
Franklin County as a whole has 1,361,536 residents, up 2.9% since 2020. Franklin County has one full-service restaurant for every 1,450 residents.
- Population, 2025
- 938,396
- Since 2020
- +3.6%
- Main county
- Franklin County
- Full-service restaurants in Franklin County, 2023
- 936
- Per 10,000 county residents
- 6.9 (US 7.6)
- Bars and other drinking places in Franklin County, 2023
- 246
- Per 10,000 county residents
- 1.8 (US 1.2)
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Median age
- 33.2 (US 38.9)
- Residents aged 18 to 34
- 31% (US 23%)
- Warmest month, average high
- July, 85°F
- Coldest month, average low
- January, 22°F
- Days at 90°F or hotter, a year
- 21
- Nights at 32°F or colder, a year
- 103
- Rain and melted snow, a year
- 42 in
- Snow, a year
- 28 in
- USPS zone from the shop
- 8
Weather: John Glenn International Airport station, 6 mi from Columbus's center (NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals). People: Census ACS 2020-2024. Counts: CBP 2023, by county, paid-employee establishments. Population: Census, July 2025.
What Columbus's weather means for restaurants and bars
Summer can still turn hot, with about 21 days a year at 90°F or above, so patio season, May to September, calls for a light staff tee, and the summer retail design should be a tee rather than a crewneck. With January averaging a high of 37°F, a warm logo hoodie covers staff on most winter days, and the same hoodie anchors the holiday retail shelf. With average highs under 65°F from November to April, half the year or more, a long-sleeve staff tee and a hoodie get more wear than the short-sleeve version, and the retail shelf can lean on fleece. Winter snowfall of about 28 inches means staff arrive cold and wet on snowy days, so a logo hoodie or work jacket for the commute is workwear here, not a perk. Closing staff step into freezing air on about 103 nights a year, so a lined hoodie or jacket with the logo makes a practical staff gift for the holidays.
| Month in Columbus | Average high | Average low | Rain and melted snow (in) | What staff and regulars wear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F | 22°F | 3 | Beanies and gift-ready hoodies |
| February | 41°F | 24°F | 2.4 | Beanies and gift-ready hoodies |
| March | 51°F | 32°F | 3.6 | Staff hoodies and retail fleece |
| April | 64°F | 42°F | 3.9 | Staff hoodies and retail fleece |
| May | 74°F | 52°F | 4 | Staff tees and retail tees |
| June | 82°F | 62°F | 4.3 | Staff tees and retail tees |
| July | 85°F | 65°F | 4.7 | Light blended staff tees and caps |
| August | 84°F | 64°F | 3.7 | Staff tees and retail tees |
| September | 78°F | 57°F | 3.1 | Staff tees and retail tees |
| October | 66°F | 45°F | 2.9 | Long sleeves for patio shifts |
| November | 52°F | 35°F | 2.8 | Staff hoodies and retail fleece |
| December | 42°F | 27°F | 3.1 | Beanies and gift-ready hoodies |
Made in So Cal, shipped to Columbus.
Orders ship to Columbus from the shop; there is no office or pickup point in Ohio.
Columbus is about 1,946 miles from Merch Mob's shop in Montclair, CA, a straight-line distance. From the shop's ZIP code, Columbus is USPS zone 8. Columbus is on Eastern time, 3 hours ahead of the shop's Pacific time.
From the production floor
Merch Mob production in Southern California.
Ordering from Columbus
When do patio staff in Columbus need a warmer layer?
From November, when average highs drop below 65°F, through April; winter nights here fall well below freezing, so a heavy hoodie or lined jacket beats a light layer for evening patio shifts.
More for Columbus
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