At 425 Cherry St in Kent, a blue building donning a large tree mural is the home to The Battleground. The dining room greets customers with bright colors and wooden floors, including yellow upholstered booths, custom designed by co-owner Rosi Peruyero Nodan. 

The Battleground is a taproom and restaurant that serves authentic Mexican cuisine merged with the Social Justice Beer Project.

The Social Justice Beer Project is a part of the “Drink Your Values” campaign, where certain craft beers are sold in the restaurant and some of the proceeds from that purchase will go towards a social cause. 

One beer selection is called Living Wage. This is a wheat beer associated with raising the minimum wage, and the profits support national and local causes. Another beer, Cherry Street Cream ale, supports the revitalization of Kent’s South End. 

The “Drink Your Values” campaign is an extension of The Battleground’s co-owner, and Rosi’s husband, Kirk Nodan’s advocacy background. Kirk is a Kent State alumnus, Northeast Ohio native and lifelong advocate.  

After college, Kirk moved to Chicago and Birmingham in the UK, where he worked on a series of community organization and safety projects. According to the “Drink Your Values” website, the Social Justice Beer Project idea emerged during a community organizing meeting. 

After planning to open a taproom, Rosi added her element of authentic Mexican cuisine which officially created The Battleground in Feb. 2020. 

Patrick O’Flaherty was the first customer to walk through The Battleground doors just over three years ago. 

“I got the lowdown on the names like Election Day with ‘Drink Your Values’ and The Battleground as a whole,” O’Flaherty said. “They all have a different taste and different meaning.” 

O’Flaherty lives close to the restaurant, so he visited on the first day and has been a regular customer since. 

Mexican cuisine stems from Rosi’s culture and the Social Justice Beer Project comes from Kirk’s advocacy values, but they blend together to create The Battleground.  

Part of their mission since the beginning has been to spark conversations among their patrons and staff relating to social justice issues.

“Whether it’s getting more people to participate in the democracy, reforming a broken immigration system or trying to address the issues of climate change,” Kirk said. “I think it’s an opportunity to engage people about the issues that are important to all of us, and that all of us should be thinking about.” 

Another part of their mission has been creating a different cultural environment, and Kirk said Rosi plays a huge part in that by making customers comfortable in the space. 

“She goes to every single table and talks to people about the history of the food and talks about the culture and her personal connection,” Kirk said. “I think she makes people who walk in the door feel that they’re a part of Battleground as a community and she invites them to be that.”

Rosi, a native of Mexico, said it’s important for people to leave the restaurant with fulfillment, knowledge and connections that they did not have before.

Running the business together is an extension of their marriage, and their values are intertwined through their food and beverages. 

“I want people in Northeast Ohio that are not able to travel to experience something like if you were going to Mexico,” Rosi said. “It’s a reflection of our struggle of not finding authentic foods in the area.” 

Another Kent State alumnus, Khamal Slayton, serves as the general manager at the restaurant. 

Slayton’s perspective on the business runs deeper than social justice, and he said a big part of his duties include a community aspect. 

He has worked several fundraisers in the Kent community where he has created a special menu conveying the ideas of that cause. For example, in a fundraiser for a local farm, he prepared a menu with farm to table options. 

“It’s a mom and pop, but I’ve never worked for a company that really cared so much about giving back to people,” Slayton said. “They make us a part of the actual business, and unlike most restaurants, they really give back to the community.” 

Slayton said he especially appreciated his workplace when they served a Black Lives Matter beer at the height of the movement last year.

“Being an African American male, it meant a lot that they would care about what we go through,” he said. 

Ben Vrancich, bartender at The Battleground, said their beer is very diverse in taste and cause.

“Having a decent taste along with the cause makes the beer a lot easier to sell to customers, whether the cause is local or nationwide,” Vranchich said. 

The Battleground is open for indoor and outdoor seating and takeout Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

Francesca Malinky is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].