The Columbus Blue Jackets' regular season starts Friday night, and fans heading to the Arena District will find a few new haunts and one empty one.

There is more to look forward to than the Blue Jackets' new left wing, Artemi Panarin.

The Half Pint, an offshoot of Dublin's popular Pint Room, opened last month at 415 N. Front St. near the longtime hockey standby R Bar. Half Pint features a big outdoor patio, 60 taps of beer and lots of burgers, including a peanut butter bacon and strawberry jam burger. The location was a big draw, said general manager Scott McDowell.

"These type of locations are really hard to come by," he said. "The traffic speaks for itself; you don't pass up an opportunity like this."

The Half Pint also has a location in Marysville, and the Pint Room has expanded to the Denver suburb of Littleton and the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel.

Half Pint's Arena District location has no special items but offers a killer happy hour every day until 6 p.m.

"That's half off all beers, all 60 draft beers, everything I got," McDowell said.

Another addition is Veranico Kitchen and Provisions at 401 N. Front St. Veranico is a spinoff of Market 65 and serves salad bowls, scratch-made soups and a bar with Ohio craft beers.

However, there is nothing new at one of the Arena District's most-visible spots, 343 N. Front St., the former home of Dick's Last Resort. The spot has been something of a revolving door. It housed the 343 Front Street Tavern before that, and Frog Bear & Wild Boar before that.

Dick's, which was known as much for its intentionally rude servers as its food, exited Columbus and a few other markets in November, and its Arena District digs have not yet been filled.

The building is owned by Nationwide Realty Investors, which said in a statement that it has received "significant interest" in the space, but has yet to sign a tenant.

"We are working to find the ideal user to add to the vibrancy and energy of the district, which is unmatched in Columbus during hockey season," said the company's marketing director, Carli Lanfersiek.

The space is one the best spots in the Arena District, given its location near the entrance to Nationwide Arena, but it has issues. It is rather large at more than 7,000 square feet and probably is very expensive.

Other restaurants and bars have survived in the Arena District, such as Buca Di Beppo and Ted's Montana Grill, but those businesses have found a non-hockey crowd to sell to, said Bob Welcher, president of Restaurant Consultants Inc.

"It's seasonal. It's driven by activities, and there just isn't enough going on down there to support it," he said of the former Dick's space. "It is really dependent upon games, and people don't tend to stick around afterwards."

Welcher thinks the best use for that space would be to break it up into a couple of smaller units or convert it into offices.

"It's just too big," he said. "There isn't a consistent enough flow of business."

Coming to the district in the next few weeks is Fuzzy's Taco Shop. This Texas-based chain is opening in the former Japanese Steak House location at 479 N. High St., beside Novak's.

Fuzzy's is a fast-casual-style restaurant featuring familiar Mexican dishes such as queso, guacamole, burritos and lots of tacos, including versions with brisket and fish. Fuzzy's also serves beer and margaritas. The store, the first in Columbus and second in Ohio, is expected to open Oct. 16, according to its Facebook page.

jmalone@dispatch.com

@j_d_malone