^ Celebrity bookseller Nathan McDowell dressed as a friendly bunny, circa April 2019.
RANDOM & GENERAL
Q: Did Lemony Snicket, the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events, really write a poem for Two Dollar Radio HQ?
A: Yes! Read it here: Bar page.
Q: Do you have any specials or sales?
A: Yes! Every Tuesday through Friday, from 3-6pm we offer a number of happy hour specials available for dine-in only, including $2 Tacos and $1 off Lattes and Draft Beer; every Friday from 5–8pm is "Date Night at HQ," where you can pick out a paperback book (of $19 value or less) for your significant other and them for you, while sipping a draft beer, wine, or coffee at a discount: $40 for $52 value; every Tuesday–Friday from 11am-2pm we offer a Lunch Special of a Tortuga and a Side for $12-14 (depending on the Tortuga). In addition, all books published by Two Dollar Radio (see complete list here) are discounted to $14 for paperbacks and $20 for hardcover, and we offer blind bundles of two themed backlist books published by Two Dollar Radio for $20 (view all bundles here).
Q: Is your shop kid-friendly?
A: Yes!* We also have a stack of board games, cards, and puzzles near the community table. There is a baby-changing table in one of the two bathrooms.
*Some of our evening performance events get very crowded and may not be appropriate for children.
ACCESSIBILITY
Your feedback is welcome if you think there is something more we can do for accessibility.
Q: Is your shop wheelchair accessible?
A: Yes! Our entrance door on Cline Street is wheelchair accessible, we have two gender-neutral bathrooms that are both wheelchair accessible, and our ordering and table-seating area is as well.
Q: Are dogs allowed?
A: Pets, no. Working service dogs, yes. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), trained service dogs maintained under full control are allowed inside our shop. "Service dogs are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. A Service dog is a working animal, not a pet." Please visit Disability Rights Ohio for more details.
ABOUT US
Q: What is Two Dollar Radio?
A: We are a family-run publishing house (Two Dollar Radio), working and living on Columbus' South Side, who opened a brick-and-mortar bookstore and vegan cafe (Two Dollar Radio Headquarters). More can be found here: About Us page.
Q: How long have you been open?
A: Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf founded Two Dollar Radio in 2005, steadily publishing five to six books annually. After over a decade of running the press out of our living room and working side night/day jobs, we expanded in the fall of 2017 to open Two Dollar Radio Headquarters in hopes of more directly engaging with our community and contributing to the thriving literary culture of Columbus, while also cheffing up delicious homemade vegan cuisine. More can be found here: About Us page.
Q: Do you have a separate website for your publishing company, Two Dollar Radio?
A: Yes. The website you are currently visiting is dedicated to our bookstore and vegan cafe located on the scenic South Side of beautiful Columbus, Ohio. Click here to visit TwoDollarRadio.com to learn a whole lot more about our publishing company, the books we've put out, our authors, and more.
Q: Where does your name come from and what does it mean?
A: Eric was bartending in San Diego, opening the bar in the early afternoon when an inebriated gentleman stumbled in, trying to order more drinks. The man realized that Eric was doing his best to ignore him, and said, "Don't mind me, I make more noise than a two-dollar radio." The name stuck, and led to our tagline: "Books too loud to ignore."
JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
Q: Are you hiring?
A: We aren't currently hiring but when we are, we will update this sentence and also post to Instagram about it. We typically post positions specific to vegan chefs, and to bookish-barista-bartenders.
Q: Can I intern with you?
A: We aren't currently accepting interns, but if you're really into screenprinting, do get in touch.
BOOKS
Q: Do you sell books that you didn't publish?
A: Yes. Our vision with opening Two Dollar Radio Headquarters was to offer a tasteful selection of titles with a focus on independently published literature. While we do carry the occasional title from Penguin Random House et al, we pride ourselves on offering a selection you might not find in other area bookshops.
Q: Will you sell my self-published book in your store?
A: In most every case, we won't carry self-published books.
Q: Are all Two Dollar Radio-published authors local?
A: No, we have published writers from all over the globe. We've published authors living and writing in Slovakia, South Africa, England, and across the United States, from Los Angeles to New York City. In fact, only one author we published so far is local to Columbus, and that is the incredible poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib.
BOOKCLUBS
Q: Can my existing or forthcoming bookclub meet in your space?
A: Yes! Get in touch via our contact form or email with a bit about yourself and what type of literature your club will be focused on. There are no fees involved, the books do not have to be purchased from us, and we will help to promote your club on our website, event page, and Facebook (if you'd like). View more here: twodollarradiohq.com/bookclubs.
Q: What should I do to join one of your existing bookclubs?
A: No purchase or signup is required. Just read the book, arrive, and have fun. Learn much more about each bookclub currently meeting in our space here: twodollarradiohq.com/bookclubs. All bookclub-goers will receive happy-hour priced drinks and 10% off book purchases.
FOOD AND DRINK
Q: Is the food you serve really all vegan?
A: Yes! Two Dollar Radio Headquarters is a family-run shop, and the family happens to be vegan. Our head chef, co-owner Eric Obenauf, dreams up all of the menu items and makes the ingredients from scratch in our HQ kitchen. That includes all of our vegan meats, cheezes, dips, sauces, and pizza dough. Find more details on our Food page.
Q: But are the drinks all vegan too?
A: Yes! We only carry wine, beer, spirits, and syrups that are confirmed vegan, and we offer plant-based milks for our coffees and teas. Read more on our Coffee and Tea page.
Q: What are your vegan meats made from?
A: We make all of the meats in our kitchen from scratch, in most instances using vital wheat gluten (the natural protein found in wheat) as the base.
Q: What are your vegan cheezes made from?
A: We make all of the cheezes we use in our kitchen, from scratch, using cashew nuts as the base.
MEMBERSHIP
Q: Do I need to have a membership to visit your shop?
A: Nope! Anyone is welcome to visit our bookstore/vegan cafe/coffeehouse/events during our regular business hours, which can be found here: twodollarradiohq.com/info.
Q: What happens when I purchase a membership?
A: We have a range of membership offerings that will give you discounts and freebies. Visit this page for more details: twodollarradiohq.com/membership.
EVENTS
Q: Will you host my event?
A: It depends! Our focus is on cultural events. Please reach out to us on our contact form or via email with all of the details of your event and we will get back to you.
