614 Media Group

What 614 Media Group does

614 Media Group is a privately held, Columbus, Ohio-based multi-platform local media company founded in 1997. The company operates a horizontal portfolio anchored in the Columbus metropolitan market: print magazines including the flagship monthly (614) Magazine (targeting the 25-54 demographic), quarterly publications Stock & Barrel (food and drink) and Refined (upscale lifestyle, direct mailed to 10,000 high-income homes), and 1870 Magazine (OSU campus area); digital properties including 614now.com (named #1 Website by the Society of Professional Journalists in 2021 and 2023), Eat614.com, Cbusr.com, and The Six daily email newsletter reaching 90,000+ subscribers; signature events including Restaurant Week (twice yearly, 180+ restaurants, 180,000+ diners), Burger & Beer Week, and FIT Week; and branded consumer products including (614) Lager (brewed in partnership with Wolf's Ridge Brewing) and (614) Vodka.

The company's technology stack is a conventional LAMP configuration (PHP, HTML5, MySQL, WordPress) augmented by a proprietary 'Best Of' Engine for reader polls with mobile optimization and social sharing, and 614Digital, a B2B web development and social media management service. Distribution is anchored by a rack network of 700+ city-wide locations and direct mail of Refined to affluent Central Ohio zip codes. Content production spans editorial, sales, creative, and event production roles under a founder (Wayne T. Lewis) and CEO (Lindsay Press), with a total headcount of approximately 20.

614 Media Group generates revenue primarily through advertising across its print and digital surfaces, event sponsorship and restaurant participation fees, custom publishing projects (race programs, corporate publications), and professional services via 614Digital and 614 Creative. The customer base is largely horizontal—hundreds of local Columbus SMBs and restaurants advertise across the company's properties, supplemented by selective national and regional brand campaigns. Go-to-market is sales-led, with advertising account executives compensated via salary plus uncapped commission. The company is bootstrapped, founder-owned, and operates without disclosed external institutional investment.

Name

614 Media Group

Legal name

614 Media Group, Inc.

Website

https://614mediagroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

614 Media Group is a privately held Columbus, Ohio local media company operating print magazines, digital platforms, signature dining events, branded consumer products, and web/publishing services for local businesses and 25-54 residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Lifestyle Media & Advertising

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Media Representatives (541840), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Newsletter Publishing Platforms (MPACAIAA)

Keywords

• Local media advertising
• Regional lifestyle magazines
• Event sponsorship sales
• Custom publishing services
• Web development agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Print Advertising: Magazine advertising across (614) Magazine, Stock & Barrel, Refined, and 1870 Magazine. Features native-style advertising in print format with premium placement options for local and national brands.
2. Digital Advertising: Online advertising through 614now.com, email marketing ('The Six' daily newsletter reaching 90,000+ subscribers), and social media platforms. Includes native-style advertising and email campaigns.
3. Event Sponsorships: Signature events including Restaurant Week, Burger & Beer Week, and FIT Week generate revenue through restaurant participation fees, sponsor activations, and brand partnerships.
4. Custom Publishing: Custom magazine and publication creation for clients including content development, design, printing and fulfillment services. Targets businesses seeking tactile marketing pieces.
5. Web Development Services: Custom website development and social media management services offered through 614Digital to local businesses. Includes WordPress solutions, hosting, and ongoing support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

614 Media Group is a Columbus-based local media company that operates print magazines ((614) Magazine, Stock & Barrel, Refined, 1870 Magazine), digital platforms (614now.com, Eat614.com, Cbusr.com), the daily email newsletter The Six, and signature dining events (Restaurant Week, Burger & Beer Week, FIT Week). Its core commercial activity is selling advertising and sponsorships across these owned-and-operated media channels to local and regional businesses. The company also offers custom publishing, web development (614Digital), creative services (614 Creative), and branded consumer products ((614) Beer, (614) Vodka).

Product overview

614 Media Group operates a multi-platform media portfolio centered on Columbus, Ohio, comprising print magazines ((614) Magazine, Stock & Barrel, Refined, 1870 Magazine), digital platforms (614now.com, Eat614.com, Cbusr.com), signature events (Restaurant Week, Burger & Beer Week, FIT Week), consumer products ((614) Beer, (614) Vodka), and services (Custom Publishing, 614Digital web development, 614 Creative). The company's flagship (614) Magazine is a monthly publication, supplemented by quarterly specialty magazines (Stock & Barrel on food/drink, Refined on upscale lifestyle), while digital operations include the 614now.com website and The Six daily email newsletter with 90,000+ subscribers. Events are a major component, including the flagship Restaurant Week drawing 180,000+ diners twice yearly. The company also produces branded alcoholic beverages and offers creative/publishing services to external clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• (614) Magazine: The city's most loved and read monthly magazine featuring people, places and things in Columbus. Audience: 25-54 demographic.
• Stock & Barrel
• Refined by (614)
• 614now.com
• Restaurant Week
• Burger & Beer Week
• FIT Week
• (614) Beer
• 1870 Magazine
• 614Digital
• 614 Creative
• 614TV

Products and services

• (614) Magazine Monthly lifestyle magazine showcasing people, places, and things that make Columbus, Ohio attractive, sold to local and national advertisers as the flagship print advertising product for reaching 25-54-year-old readers. Named Best Monthly Magazine in Ohio by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
• Stock & Barrel Quarterly coffee-table food and drink magazine that captures the Columbus dining scene on ultra-high-quality paper stock, sold as advertising space to restaurants, bars, and beverage brands reaching food-obsessed 24-54-year-old readers. Named #1 Specialty Magazine by the Society of Professional Journalists in 2015 and 2018.
• Refined by (614) Quarterly upscale coffee-table publication direct mailed to 10,000 homes across targeted high-income Central Ohio zip codes, sold as premium print advertising inventory for luxury and lifestyle brands. Published in February, May, August, and November.
• 1870 Magazine Campus-focused magazine serving the Ohio State University and surrounding areas, sold as an advertising channel to brands targeting the OSU student and adjacent community demographic.
• 614now.com Daily news, entertainment, lifestyle, and culture website with curated local Columbus content, monetized through native-style digital advertising sold to local businesses and agencies reaching over 300,000 monthly online users.
• The Six Daily Email Newsletter Daily email newsletter reaching 90,000+ subscribers, described as the largest media email in Columbus; sold as inventory for email marketing campaigns to local and regional advertisers.
• Restaurant Week Twice-yearly Columbus dining event in mid-January and July featuring specialty three-course menus from 180+ participating restaurants and attracting 180,000+ diners; revenue is earned through restaurant participation fees, sponsor activations, and brand partnerships, with a portion of proceeds donated to local charities.
• Burger & Beer Week Week-long event celebrating Columbus burgers and beers, limited to 75 restaurant brands offering $6 or $8 burger-and-local-beer specials and donating up to $3,000 per event to a local charity; revenue is earned through restaurant participation fees and sponsorship.
• FIT Week Twice-yearly fitness-focused event where 614 Media Group drives sales and exposure for participating fitness businesses through print, social media, digital, and in-person promotions; revenue is earned through participation fees and sponsorship.
• 614Digital Web Development Full-service web development arm offering full-stack development, WordPress build-outs, social and database integrations, and social media account management for local Columbus businesses; offered as turn-key hosted solutions or integrated on client servers.
• Custom Publishing Custom magazine and publication creation service covering content development, professional photography, design layout in custom sizes, state-of-the-art printing, and fulfillment; sold to event organizers (e.g. Cap City Half Marathon, Red White & Boom) and corporate clients as branded print marketing programs.
• 614 Creative Creative services offering including custom publishing, graphic design, and video production sold to external clients as a complement to advertising partnerships.
• (614) Beer Light Midwestern Lager brewed in partnership with Wolf's Ridge Brewing and sold through 614 Media Group's marketing channels; positioned as the branded craft beer of Columbus media and one of the city's best-selling craft brews.
• (614) Vodka Branded alcoholic beverage product line in the 614 Media Group consumer portfolio, distributed and marketed through the company's owned media channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million people reached monthly across all platforms
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wolf's Ridge BrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrewing partnership for (614) Lager beer product. Wolf's Ridge Brewing provides brewing expertise, passion, and quality standards for the locally-produced Light Midwestern Lager. Product is distributed through 614 Media Group's marketing channels and has become one of the best-selling craft brews in Columbus.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cincinnati Magazine: Cincinnati Magazine is a city/regional lifestyle publication with a print magazine, digital platform, signature events (e.g., Cincinnati Magazine Dining Guide), and custom publishing operations serving the Cincinnati metro. It mirrors 614 Media Group's multi-platform model in an adjacent Ohio market.
• Indianapolis Monthly: Indianapolis Monthly is a city/regional lifestyle magazine covering dining, entertainment, and local culture in Indianapolis with signature events. It is a structural twin of 614 Media Group's flagship (614) Magazine in a comparable midwestern mid-tier metro.
• Columbus Monthly: Columbus Monthly is the other dominant city/regional lifestyle magazine serving the Columbus, OH market, covering dining, entertainment, real estate, and local culture. It is the most direct competitive peer of (614) Magazine and competes for the same local advertisers and reader attention.
• Garden & Gun: Garden & Gun is a regional lifestyle magazine combining high-quality print editorial, signature events (e.g., food/culinary festivals), and digital storytelling around food, drink, and culture. It demonstrates the premium regional lifestyle magazine + events model that 614's (614) Magazine and Stock & Barrel emulate.
• Cleveland Magazine: Cleveland Magazine operates a similar lifestyle magazine plus events and custom publishing portfolio serving the Cleveland, OH market. It is a closely comparable Ohio-based regional media company with overlapping business model and product structure.

Emerging players

• Eater: Eater is a digital-first food and restaurant media platform that dominates online restaurant discovery. It competes with 614 Media Group's Stock & Barrel and Eat614.com for food/dining content and ad revenue, particularly from local restaurants.
• Axios (Local): Axios operates a network of local newsletters (Smart Brevity format) that compete for both reader attention and local advertiser spend. Axios Columbus-style products would overlap with 614now.com and The Six daily newsletter in the same market.
• The Infatuation: The Infatuation is a digital restaurant discovery platform with editorial content, a "Resy"-integrated reservation product, and city-specific guides. It represents the digitally native model that competes with 614's restaurant editorial and event-driven restaurant marketing.
• Punch: Punch is a digital-first food and beverage media brand covering restaurants, bars, and cocktails. It is comparable to 614's Stock & Barrel (food/drink) and to (614) Beer's branded beverage editorial play.

Regional players

• CityBeat (Cincinnati): CityBeat is an alternative weekly and local media outlet in Cincinnati covering news, arts, dining, and music. It is comparable to 614's lifestyle/local media portfolio in a different geography and represents a regional format analog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/614Magazine
• Facebookfacebook.com/614magazine
• Instagraminstagram.com/614magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 614 Media Group