The World of Beer chain of taverns is negotiating a lease to open a beer pub in the Cincinnati area and is looking for a suitable location in the Dayton area, according to Mark Pottschmidt, co-owner of World of Beer’s franchising rights for Ohio, Indiana and northern Kentucky.

The Tampa-based chain, founded in 2007, opened a location in suburban Cleveland this week — its third in Ohio and 39th in the U.S. World of Beer operates two locations in the Columbus area, one in the Easton Town Center and one in the city’s Brewery District. The chain’s taverns offer 50 to 60 taps and a selection of 500 bottled beers, and hosts live music.

Pottschmidt said he and business partner Darren Greene have signed a letter of intent for a World of Beer location in the Cincinnati area and are close to signing a lease for that location. Dayton may be next in World of Beer’s sights, Pottschmidt said in a phone interview.

“A couple of years ago we looked at an opportunity at The Greene, but we decided we wanted to do our first location in Columbus,” Pottschmidt said. “Now we’re circling back to that market to see what’s available. We like that area.”

Pottschmidt said The Greene “would be a good fit for us.”

The franchise owners also would like to add a second Cincinnati-area location next year, and a second Cleveland-area location as well, Pottschmidt said.

The new location that opened this week in Lakewood features more than 500 beers by the bottle, 50 rotating taps and two cask engines for cask ales. The beer taverns “always support local breweries” and incorporate as many as possible in their rotating taps, chain officials said.

World of Beer locations typically do not have kitchens but collaborate with local restaurants and pizza and sub shops to deliver food.

Pottschmidt and Greene were introduced to World of Beer when a location opened in Coconut Creek, Florida in a building owned by Pottschmidt. “I found myself surrounded by craft and imported beers, live music and flat-screen TVs,” Pottschmidt said. He soon inquired about franchising opportunities.

• On the Web: wobusa.com