GCACC Spring E-Mag

BUSINESS CHAMBER

APRIL 2021 | VOL. 5, ISSUE 2

CONNECTION

CHAMBER NEWS Spring news & updates

Chamber Education Corner Educational opportunities exclusively for GCACC members.

A TASTE OF GROVE CITY Back for another year and even better!

Letter from the Director Member Spotlight Member Anniversaries

GROVE CITY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CARING SUPPORT

POWERFUL

SUCCESS PARTNER

Powerful, caring and game-changing partnerships resulting in teamwork, mutual support and success.

TEAMWORK

SUCCESS A C OT

SUPPORT

PARTNER

PA RK S

CARING O TR E YM NT U O IN C COLU MBUS AND FRANKL

Grove City is home to some of the most innovative businesses and nonprofits in the nation, all eager to collaborate with and support the community. It is these powerful “win-win” partnerships that result in unmatched relationships, enhanced quality of life and corporatecommunity engagement. Grove City is large enough to execute big and enoughBUSINESS to be personal — where APRIL we all 2021 achieve more, TOGETHER. 2small | CHAMBER CONNECTION

TEAMWORK

Richard L.”Ike” Stage Grove City Mayor 614-277-3000 GroveCityOhio.gov @GroveCityOhio

CHAMBER NEWS New Member Spotlight

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A Message from Our New Board President

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Chamber News

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Learning Skills for Life

Local News

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Best of the 'Bus

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A Taste of Grove City is Back!

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REGULARS

CITY DEMOGRAPHICS Population: 42,400 Median Age: 39.7 Population Over 18: 79% Population Over 65: 17% Number of Households: 16,197 Average Home Price: $189,268 Median Income Per Household: $74,451

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Letter from the Director Encouraging note from Director, Shawn Conrad.

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Member Recognition Welcome new and celebrate current members.

Want to learn more about the demographics of Grove City?

Visit: GroveCityOhio.Gov/about-us-and-tourism/community-information

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4 WEEKS OF YUM!

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS Academy Grill Blu-Willy's Brew Brothers Buffalo Wild Wings Cimi’s Bistro Grove City Brewing Co. & P lum Run Winery IHOP Lilly's Kitchen Table MrSouthernFlava O'Charley’s Plank’s on Broadway Sunny Street Café

Blu-Willy's Brew Brothers Cimi’s Bistro Flyers Pizza & Subs Grandstand Pizza Grove City Brewing Co.& P lum Run Winery Jet’s Pizza Marco’s Pizza Plank’s on Broadway Zamarelli’s Pizza Palace

THANK YOU TO OUR

Academy Grill Blu-Willy’s Brew Brothers Buffalo Wild Wings China Bell Cimi’s Bistro Flyers Pizza & Subs Fusion Japanese Steakhouse Garden Bar Grove City Brewing Co. & Plum Run Winery Honey Baked Ham IHOP Jolly Pirate Donuts Lilly’s Kitchen Table Longhorn Steakhouse MrSouthernFlava O’Charley’s OH-YO & More!

Plank’s on Broadway S iam Hibachi Sunny Street Café Zamarelli’s Pizza Palace

BURGER WEEK SPONSOR

Academy Grill Brew Brothers Buffalo Wild Wings Capital City Cakes Cimi’s Bistro Cold Stone Creamery Dragon Donuts Grove City Brewing Co. & Plum Run Winery Grove City Nutriion Grove Sheek Bouuque IHOP Jolly Pirate Donuts MrSouthernFlava O’Charley’s OH-YO & More!

PIZZA WEEK SPONSOR

RESTAURANT WEEK SPONSOR

AWARD SPONSOR SWEET TREAT WEEK SPONSOR

Thank you, Grove City Community

YOUR CHAMBER Chamber Business Connections is published monthly by the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce with revenue from member dues, advertising, and sponsorship. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the content in this publication, by any method or purpose whatsoever, without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Only chamber members can advertise in Chamber Business Connection. To plan advertising contact the chamber.

Letter from the Director

Your Board President Ed Fleming

Kay Anderson Rachel Kutay Nick Connaughton

President Elect Trent Soles

Greg Dawkins

VP at Large Lisa Zeigler

Dan Havener

VP of Finance Shelley Davis

Tauana McDonald

Past President Wayne Coakley

Marc Fleming Dave Heinrich Heather Miller Chris Moscato Zack Roybal Dylon Sparks

Staff Executive Director Shawn Conrad Events Manager Marilyn Reiner Administrative Assistant Heather Brokaw Marketing and Communications KatBro Consulting Ltd.

I would like to start with a “Thank You” to all of you for your membership and involvement with the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce. Because of your faithful support, The Chamber continues to connect businesses to one another and residents to our business. We are able to provide quality benefits to our members through events, programs, education, savings, our Foundation, marketing opportunities and so much more. Thank you for allowing us to serve you and our community for nearly 43 years.

This month welcomes our new ‘A Taste of Grove City’ and to say that we are excited would be a huge understatement! We have created a unique version of ‘A Taste of Grove City’ which will run for the whole month of April. Week One is ‘Burger Week’, Week Two is ‘Pizza Week’, Week Three is ‘Restaurant Week’ and Week Four is ‘Sweet Treats Week’.

As you visit over 30 participating restaurants and eateries, you may find featured dishes made just for Taste Week or you might find a discount or special.

As you make your April dining plans, keep your eyes open for the ‘A TASTE OF GROVE CITY’ posters on participating restaurant windows and doors.

Once you’ve enjoyed your meal you will be given a voting card and you’ll be able to digitally vote for your favorite ‘Burger’, ‘Pizza’, ‘Restaurant’ or ‘Sweet Treats’. We can’t wait to present those awards at the end of the event! Visit our website for more details www.gcchamber.org

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT

V

CHAMBER BUSINESS CONNECTION APRIL 2021 | 5

RECOGNIZING MEMBERS

CELEBRATING YEARS WITH GCACC

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Light Up Columbus TAW Sports Bar, LLC. DBA The Upper Deck Sports Bar Jennifer Carducci, Realtor Saxton Real Estate

Lularoe by Jennifer Carducci Roof Maxx of Columbus Staples Novacare Rehabilitaton RCW Vacations

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Heinzerling Community WOW! Internet Cable and Phone

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Meadow Grove Transitional Care The Refuge, Inc.

STI Maintenance, Inc. HER Realtors - Eric Saxton Kram-It Self Storage Marzetti Distribution Center / HR g Brands Limited

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

GROVE SHEEK BOUTIQUE

SUCCESS BY SPRITE Success by Sprite offers proven solutions to help you get fast, and lasting, results by aligning people with your visit.

Clients trust Success by Sprite to listen, synthesize, and present solutions that meet their unique needs. Founded by Brenda Sprite, she brings years of experience in both higher education and consulting firms, along with her passion for helping organizations succeed.

 (517) 282-7042  www.successbysprite.com

STEPPING STONE CHILDCARE

Grove Sheek Boutique is a gift shop with a rustic flare located and recently opened in the Town Center. They offer a little of everything including: fashion, home décor, accessories, gifts, skin care & wellness, specialty foods, chocolates & coffee. They’d love to see you in person, but if you need a little retail therapy after-hours, their website is set up for online shopping.

Stepping Stone Child Care fosters growth and education for each child in their care. They strive to provide the care and attention children need while teaching independence through daily interactive activities. They aim to provide children the opportunity to learn, grow, and socialize, and provide parents the comfort of their kids receiving quality care from a top-notch staff.

  

  

3739 Broadway, Grove City (614) 946-6954 www.grovesheekboutique.com

2132 Stringtown Rd, Grove City (614) 991-0801 www.steppingstonegrovecity.com

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Zest Juice Co. Success by Sprite Grove Sheek Boutique LMD Management

Stepping Stone Child Care Edward Jones B Dynamic Healthwear Mid Ohio Strategic Technologies

CHAMBER BUSINESS CONNECTION APRIL 2021 | 7

CHAMBER NEWS Spring is a time of new life, growth and energy and we love seeing similar from our community and Chamber. Activities are picking up, new businesses are opening, members are being recognized for their hard work… this feels like just the tip of exciting times ahead!

Here’s an overview of what we’re celebrating lately and some other bits of news we want to share.

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Grand Opening Grove Sheek Boutique celebrated their Grand Opening on Saturday March 20. They’re located along in the Town Center, across Broadway from Grove City Brewing Company/Plum Run. They feature a variety of apparel and home goods items, in addition to a delicious case of sweet treats and other local food products (we spotted at least one Farmers’ Market ‘regular’ on the shelves!). Check out some of these photos from the shop, and stop in to see it for yourself soon!

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Congratulations to Caroline Shroyer and The Shroyer Group with NextHome Experience for winning the Premier Sales Team Award for 2020. Caroline noted the team is proud of their hard work from 2020, and the team even grew as Caroline added a couple of additional agents.

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CHAMBER NEWS

Don’t forget that next month our 2021 Farmers’ Market season will kick off on Saturday May 15! We’re so excited to welcome our vendors back and can’t wait to see everyone there. Keep up with the latest information as it gets closer to May, follow along with us on Facebook either @gcchamber (for the Chamber) and @grovecityfarmersmarket (the Market’s exclusive page).

Special note—if you’re getting ready to celebrate a ribbon cutting, a special anniversary, or an award like The Shroyer Group, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to Shawn at shawn@gcchamber.org to let her know what you’re up to!

CHAMBER EDUCATION CORNER

The remaining 2021 deadlines for the Chamber Affiliate Scholarship are: July 1, September 17, and December 17.

We’re proud of the many educational opportunities GCACC members have, ranging from the learning opportunities to opportunities with our Foundation that can help cut costs.

Here are a few updates and insights for these opportunities: Chamber Foundation The Chamber Foundation, our “charitable arm” as we say on occasion, just wrapped up its first deadline of 2021 scholarships with one for high school seniors and another for the Affiliate Scholarship. This was just the first of four 2021 opportunities to apply for an Affiliate Scholarship. This type of scholarship is open to employees of Chamber-member businesses and can be applied to any education that will result in some form of certificate, degree, or other certification. If the Affiliate Scholarship is to be put toward a master’s degree, the applicant will need to be a member of the Chamber-member business.

Continued on next page...

One additional scholarship deadline remains and that is for the Renewing Scholarship. This is for students currently enrolled in a post-secondary education program whose primary residence is within the South-Western City School District, or have received a prior scholarship from the Chamber Foundation.

Click here to access scholarship applications: https://gcchamberfoundation.org/scholarships/ Franklin University Educational Partnership We love hearing more are beginning to take advantage of this partnership program with Franklin University. Two of the highlights of this program include a 20% discount on tuition and free textbooks. The savings add up, and scholarships from the Chamber Foundation as previously mentioned can help further offset costs.

Franklin also routinely adds additional courses, certificates and even entire degree programs. Recently members were sent a survey to gauge educational needs of their employees and business, so we imagine Franklin will only continue CHAMBER BUSINESS CONNECTION APRIL 2021 | 9

CHAMBER EDUCATION CORNER to strive to serve members’ educational needs. If it’s been a while since you’ve looked through Franklin’s offerings, we suggest you check again—it’s completely possible there’s something new and it might be perfect for you or a team member.

Click here to learn more about our partnership with Franklin University: https://www.franklin.edu/grovecitychamber Educational Partnership with Ohio Dominican University We have another partnership with another university in the area, meaning more options and opportunities. One unique element is the corporate cohort should a business meet the minimum requirement of 15 employees (we would suggest checking on the status of some of the in-person ‘perks’ since we’re still technically in a pandemic as this is written.

Ohio Dominican options are business-oriented but vary enough to cater to a variety of businesses.

There are several different discount potentials depending on the option chosen, some including a certain number of free classes. ODU also mentions a generous credit transfer policy, so if you or an employee took classes or began a degree program elsewhere they will gladly work with you to make the most of you what you’ve got.

Our partnership-specific information with Ohio Dominican is online as a PDF, so we advise visiting our education webpage and then clicking on the ODU option: https://www.gcchamber.org/education/

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CHAMBER BUSINESS CONNECTION APRIL 2021 | 11

LOCAL NEWS 3 – 12. This summer they will offer their first Athlete Development which will help young athletes work on balance and muscle control needed in a variety of sports.

In addition to the life lessons, the athletic skills developed, i9 Sports wants their participating athletes to have a good time, a positive experience, which then has a positive impact on more than a youth’s physical wellbeing.

“We know staying active is important for the health of all of our children - both physically and mentally,” Karen said.

But, keeping kids involved in athletic activities can be a challenge. Karen reported in our interview that almost half of youth sport participants will quit by age 13 due to a bad experience. Bad experiences can range from not playing to a poor coaching experience.

Learning Skills for Life.

With a focus on sportsmanship, values, and confidence, i9 Sports youth participants aren’t just learning new sport skills.

They’re learning skills for life.

Celebrating its third season this spring, i9 Sports is owned and operated in Grove City by the Gray family, husband Duane, wife Karen, and even their son is involved in sport management. Duane brings the organizational and sport management aspect while Karen uses her experiences in education to round out the life skills and education component of the program—where sport and education intersect.

“Our focus is on building strong Sportsmanship Values in each player. Each week we highlight a different Sportsmanship Value,” Karen said via email interview.

Sportsmanship values include, but are not limited to, Respect, Humility, Inclusivity, Positivity, Teamwork, Enthusiasm, Integrity, Leadership and Determination. Karen explained that team coaches will cover a different value each week, teams discuss it, and at the end of the week a team member will be recognized for exhibiting that particular value.

“We want to help reinforce the importance of being a good person and treating everyone with kindness and respect,” Karen said.

But, life lessons can’t be taught through sports without sports… a variety of sports. i9 Sports currently offers soccer, flag football, t-ball, basketball, and volleyball for athletes ages 12 | CHAMBER BUSINESS CONNECTION APRIL 2021

Since coaches can make or break an experience for a youth athlete, i9 Sports puts special attention on bringing the bestsuited coaches and volunteers on board and providing them with the tools to succeed, just as they will do for their young athletes.

“All of our staff are former/current athletes who love their sport and love working with kids,” Karen said in regards to their coaches.

All involved have ample trainings that reinforce i9 Sports’ positive culture, in addition to resources ranging from

“We know staying active is important for the health of all of our children - both physically and mentally,”

\Images\Rectangle All\85.jpgD:\Prin sportsmanship to how a sport’s practice is set up. Week by i9sports.com i9sports.com week practice plans have been developed to ensure the best athletic development for young athletes, and keeps a coach from having to ‘wing it’ with a practice plan.

Karen emphasized the importance of instilling in confidence in young athletes, and also gave us a glimpse into just how i9 Sports coaches work to accomplish that.

i9sports.com

“We also challenge our staff and our coaches to find onei9sports.com i9sports.comONLINE AT: i9sports.com positive thing to say to each child each week,” she said, “Whether it has something to do with the sport or not.”

i9sports.com

THREE KEY ‘TAKE HOMES’ ABOUT I9 SPORTS

Sign Up Today

She explained how they celebrate the personal victories of each young athlete, such as how for a three year old first enrolled in soccer a victory might be running onto the field without mom or dad right beside them. They recognize that as the adult leaders, they have significant impact on a child’s confidence.

Karen Gray from i9 Sports shared wonderful insight to their program and how youth athletes will walk away from their programs with more than an athletic skill or insight to a sport’s rules. But sheAT: also shared these take-aways that we found ONLINE valuable for parents ‘shopping’ for their child or children’s next sport activities and what sets i9 Sports apart.

i9sports.com

“Kids pick up quickly on whether or not someone genuinely 1. The practice plans that we use have been professionally cares,” Karen said. She then added how they can tell by the OR CALL: (614) 362-3005 • Organized programs boys and girls designed with the age of the player in mind. For each end of the season as kids celebrate with theirforcoaches and3 and up.

• Age appropriate instruction for each division. age DEADLINE: group (Pee DEC/00/17 Wee, Junior and Senior), we have plans share their appreciation for them.

• Trained officials at every game. that consider what instructions the child is intellectually • All skill levels welcome. No tryouts!

Save with able to comprehend and what they are able to complete Kids appreciate positive coaches, in addition to the ample • One day per week! Practice before game. physically (drills) at that age group. There are no tryouts Promo Code: time spent playing a sport and making new friends, but Karen • Fun is #1 so kids learn the sport! and all kids get equal playing time. noted that parents finish the season in appreciation as well.

Promo Code: Chamber DEADLINE:

FUN for Kids & Families

$10

“Parents are always telling us how sports has allowed their child to really grow and become more confident.”

SPRING SEASON STARTS

APRIL 10, 2021

Want to learn more about i9 Sports? Visit their website: https://www.i9sports.com/franchises/387/Columbus and be sure to not miss the Chamber-exclusive discount code found in their ad!

2. Our program is convenient for busy families. Practice and Games are held on the same day. Typically the players will practice for 30-45 minutes and then play their game for 30-45 minutes. This allows them to quickly put in to practice the new skills they just learned! i9sportsIS387

3. Additionally, all of our staff and coaches are background checked to help ensure everyone's safety. @i9sports387

Each location independently owned and operated.

THE WAY YOUTH SPORTS SHOULD BE®

OUR SUMMER FUN STARTS

JULY/16/21

SOCCER T-BALL FLAG FOOTBALL ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT

THE WAY YOUTH SPORTS SHOULD BE® ® ® THE WAY YOUTH SPORTS SHOULD THE WAY YOUTH SPORTS SHOULD BEBE

APRIL 2021 | 13

LOCAL their dreams. Most importantly, throughout history, we have protected and maintained the Heartland family culture,” said EVP, Chief Financial Officer Carrie Almendinger.

Heartland is proud of its past while being dedicated to a communityminded future with value and service as part of the equation for success.

HEARTLAND BANK CELEBRATES 110TH ANNIVERSARY Note: This release was provided to the GCACC from the marketing office at Heartland Bank. We congratulate them on 110 years of business and wish them many more successes in the years to come!

About Heartland BancCorp Heartland BancCorp is a registered Ohio bank holding company and the parent of Heartland Bank, which operates 18 full-service banking offices and TransCounty Title Agency, LLC. Heartland Bank, founded in 1911, provides full-service commercial, small business, and consumer banking services; professional financial planning services; and other financial products and services. Heartland Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve, a member of the FDIC, and an Equal Housing Lender. Heartland BancCorp is currently quoted on the OTC Markets (OTCQX) under the symbol HLAN. Learn more about Heartland Bank at Heartland.Bank

WHITEHALL, Ohio, March 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -Heartland BancCorp (“Heartland” and “the company”) (OTCQX: HLAN), parent company of Heartland Bank (“Bank”), today announced that Heartland Bank is celebrating its 110th anniversary as an In May of 2020, Heartland was ranked #58 on the American Banker independent community bank.

Magazine’s list of Top 200 Publicly Traded Community Banks and Thrifts based on three-year average return on equity as of December “Not many companies make it 50 years, let alone 110, and banks 31, 2019. In September of 2019, Heartland stock uplisted to the are no exception. You only get there through well-trained, caring OTCQX® Best Market after previously trading on the OTCQB® associates with unquestionable integrity and strong leadership who Venture Market. will invest in them and our communities,” stated Chairman, President & CEO G. Scott McComb. With roots in Croton, Ohio, dating back Safe Harbor Statement to 1911, Heartland Bank wasted no time growing those roots to the This release contains forward-looking statements that reflect many suburbs of Central Ohio and recently, to the Northern Kentucky management's current views of future events and operations. These area. From the first president, George Van Fossen, to the current forward-looking statements are based on information currently president, Scott McComb, Heartland has grown to 18 full-service available to the Company as of the date of this release. It is branch locations, $1.5 billion in assets, a financial planning division important to note that these forward-looking statements are not and its own title company, TransCounty Title Agency. “Through the guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, strategic vision of our past and present leaders, we have achieved including, but not limited to, the ability of the Company to implement strong, consistent balance sheet growth and earnings results since its strategy and expand its lending operations. becoming Heartland. Through this growth, we have supported our local communities by helping individuals and small businesses realize

TELHIO CREDIT UNION WELCOMES MEMBERS OF COLUMBUS METRO FEDERAL CREDIT UNION March 25, 2021, Columbus, OHIO -- Telhio Credit Union announced today that it has merged with Columbus Metro Federal Credit Union. With the merger, Telhio will have approximately 75,000 members and more than $1.2 billion in assets.

“Telhio and Columbus Metro have similar values - particularly our dedication to serving our members and a shared commitment to our local community. It was a natural fit to merge with such a wellregarded credit union that has served central Ohio for so many years,” said Leslie Bumgarner, President and CEO, Telhio Credit Union.

Columbus Metro members will notice a gradual transition to Telhio’s banking system over the next year.

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Telhio’s full line of financial products are currently available to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Franklin, Fairfield, Delaware, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, Union, Hamilton, Warren, Butler and Preble counties.

The merger is part of a growth strategy at Telhio to ensure that individuals in the local community who value credit union membership continue to experience the high level of member service they expect, while also ensuring that they have access to the latest technology and financial services available to banking customers.

Note: This release was provided to the GCACC courtesy of Telhio’s marketing and media coordinator.

LOCAL

Best of the 'Bus Cheat Sheet Now through April 15 vote online to show that Grove City area businesses are the "best of the Bus" in the 2021 Best of the 'Bus awards! Lots of Chamber members and community member businesses have been nominated across a variety of categories--some categories such as pizza are even dominated by Grove City area businesses. We as a Chamber are grateful to be recognized with a nomination for Arts in the Alley as the Best Suburban Gallery Event. So spread the word and don't forget to vote... we can't wait to see how many Grove City area winners will be announced in July!

#43 Best Outdoor Dining Grove City Brewing Co Cimi’s Bistro at Pinnacle

Link to vote:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9M3MQ3D #3 Best Volunteer Experience Mid-Ohio Food Collective Grove City Buddy Ball Inc

#28 Best Suburban Art Gallery Event Grove City Arts in the Alley

#9 Best HVAC Company Air Quality Solutions Guaranteed Heating and Cooling

#30 Best Theatre Troupe Little Theatre off Broadway

#17 Best Senior Living Community Storypoint Senior Grove City The Ashford of Grove City #18 Best Auto Dealer Funkys Automotive Grove City #19 Best Farmers Market Grove City Chamber Farmers Market #20 Best Salon Total Platinum Salon Beauty and the Barber on Broadway LLC #21 Best Jewelry Store Meyers Jewelers #25 Best Carryout Blu Willys

#37 Best Hometown Product 3 Brothers Zamarelli’s Pizza Palace The Honey House Grove City Brewing #38 Best Coffee Transcend Coffee & Roastery #39 Best Pizza Tammy’s Pizza Zamarelli’s Pizza Palace Grandstand Pizza Planks on Broadway Grove City #41 Best Bakery Capital City Cakes #42 Best Ice Cream Mona’s Eats and Treats

#44 Best Food Truck Legacy Smokehouse Pitabilities #45 Best Brewery Grove City Brewing Co #46 Best Winery Plum Run Winery #47 Best Retail Wine Selection Plum Run Winery #48 Best Retail Beer Selection Grove City Brewing Co Hop Yard 62 #49 Best Fitness Classes Grove City Fit Warrior Spirit Karate Rise Yoga Ohio Grove City #51 Best Virtual Fitness Event Grove City Fit Rise Yoga Ohio studio classes #52 Best Curbside Carry Out Grove City Brewing Co Grove City Nutrition

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FEATURED

How This Works

After a 2020 absence, A Taste of Grove City is back on the schedule and bigger than ever.

This year the event will be held over the course of four weeks beginning Monday April 5. Each of the four weeks will focus on a different type of food or theme to best celebrate and promote that type of restaurant in the Grove City community. We have a list including all participating restaurants, and some fun details about them.

These specialty weeks are: Monday April 5-Sunday April 11: Burger Week. Enjoy your favorite, or discover a new twist on this all-American classic.

Monday April 12-Sunday April 18: Pizza Week. Pineapple on top? Cauliflower crust on the bottom? Classic pep and cheese to a crisp? Enjoy all of the possibilities pizza has, and more!

Monday April 19-Sunday April 25: Restaurant Week. This week will include all cuisine not previously featured, making the possibilities endless once again. Sample popular cuisines of the world without leaving Grove City as we have Italian, Asian and regional American cuisines lined up.

Monday April 26-Sunday May 2: Sweet Treats Week. We’re finishing off our four-week food festivities with a sweet finale! Satisfy your sweet tooth anytime of the day from morning with our donut or sweet breakfast participants, to our many desserts lined up to finish off a meal!

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To join in the food festivities, restaurant patrons will visit the specific restaurant(s) of their choosing to participate and enjoy various deals, specials, and of course great food with that restaurant. Restaurants are ready to welcome you back to their dining rooms, but are also ready to fill your carry-out orders should dining in not work for you.

Want to know what specials will be offered? From discounts to surprise new menu items, many participating restaurants have something special cooking to celebrate. View the list of specials here: https://www.gcchamber.org/taste-specials/ All participants, whether restaurants, patrons, or sponsors too, are encouraged to engage on social media by sharing posts or posting photos from their dining experiences. The Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce can be found on social media using @gcchamber and using hashtags #tasteofgc2021 and #tasteofgrovecity2021 Additional information can also be found on the Taste of Grove City website: https://www.gcchamber.org/taste-of-grove-city/

A Hearty Thank You A Taste of Grove City is made possible this year thanks to many sponsors and their commitment to our community and celebrating local restaurants. This year’s sponsors include: Credit Union of Ohio, Presenting Sponsor; Sanderson Automotive, Awards Sponsor; The City of Grove City, Weekly Sponsors; American Eagle Mortgage, KEMBA Financial Credit Union, Heartland Bank, and Telhio Credit Union.

We also want to thank the following local businesses for supporting this year’s participants, including: Brandi J Newland: RE/MAX Revealty, Coldwell Banker Realty, Edward Jones: Chris Gourley, Grenade Marketing, Home2Suites and Tru by Hilton-Grove City, Katie Antry: The Antry Issacs Team at Saxton Realty, KatBro Consulting, Kay Kaho Coldwell Banker, Mojo on Broadway, My Business Resource, Newcomer Funeral Home, Shepherd Insurance Partners, and Scott Molino: Leavitt Group Midwest- Smith, Molino & Sichko Insurance Agency, and WesBanco.

FEATURED The Participants We’ve got a little bit of everyone lined up to participate, and we’ve tried to learn a little something about as many of them as possible, ranging from how to dine with them to what they consider is a ‘must try’ menu item.

Week 1= Burgers Week 2= Pizza Week 3= Restaurants Week 4= Sweets Blu Willy’s Participating In: Weeks 1, 2, 3 Location: Town Center Website: https://www.toasttab.com/blu-willy-s/v3 Cuisine: American assortment, burgers About them: With burgers, sandwiches and appetizers to name a few, Blu Willy’s is open for dining in or carry-out.

Brew Brothers at Scioto Downs Participating In: All weeks Location: Eldorado Scioto Downs Website: https://www.sciotodowns.com/venue/restaurants/brew-brothers Cuisine: American assortment About them: Brew Brothers serves a variety of items, including their wood fired pizza, and burgers. A carry-out option is available.

Buffalo Wild Wings Participating In: Weeks 1, 3, 4 Location: Georgesville Square Website: www.buffalowildwings.com Cuisine: Wings, American About them: Known for wings (and beer, and sports), be sure to check out the rest of the offerings at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Capital City Cakes Participating In: Week 4 Location: Town Center Website: www.capitalcitycakesoh.com Cuisine: Pastries, Sweet treats About them: With a little bit of everything to satisfy your sweet tooth, Capital City Cakes always has a sweet new creative treat!

China Bell Participating In: Week 3 Location: Stringtown Rd.

Website: https://www.chinabellrestaurantcolumbus.com/ Cuisine: Chinese, Asian About them: Find many (maybe all!) of your Chinese and Asian cuisine favorites, or find a new a favorite.

Cimi’s Bistro Participating In: All weeks Location: At Pinnacle Website: https://www.cimisbistro.com/ Cuisine: American, Italian About them: Cimi’s is open Wednesday-Saturday for dining in (or out on the patio) or carry-out. Dining in will need a reservation by calling (614) 539-0397.

Cold Stone Creamery Participating In: Week 4 Location: Stringtown Website: https://www.coldstonecreamery.com/ Cuisine: Ice cream About them: Stop by for a frozen treat made to your exact specifications from the ice cream flavor to the mixed-in toppings ranging from fruits to cookies.

Dragon Donuts Participating In: Week 4 Location: London Groveport Rd. Website: www.dragondonutshop.com Cuisine: Donuts About them: Open as early as 7 am on weekdays, Dragon Donuts is ready to serve you from their selection of traditional and unique flavors.

Flyers Pizza & Subs (665 Location) Participating In: Week 2 Location: London-Groveport Rd (aka, 665) Website: www.flyerspizza.com Cuisine: Pizza, Italian American About them: Stop by to pick up your favorite pie, but don’t forget to explore other menu items, too!

Fusion Participating In: Week 3 Location: Buckeye Parkway Website: https://fusionsteakhouse.com/ Cuisine: Japanese, Asian About them: Enjoy a variety of Asian flavors and cuisine without leaving Grove City! They also offer a pick-up/carry-out option.

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FEATURED Garden Bar Participating In: Week 3 Location: Town Center Website: www.thegardenbar.cafe Cuisine: American About them: Swing by for a variety of healthy, and tasty, selections.

With any luck, it’ll be patio weather, too!

Grandstand Pizza Participating In: Week 2 Location: Town Center Website: https://www.pizzagrovecityohio.com/ Cuisine: Pizza About them: Serving up stone baked, old-world style pizza with your choice from a variety of toppings. Online ordering is available.

Grove City Brewing Co. & Plum Run Winery Participating In: All weeks Location: Town Center Website: www.grovecitybrewery.com Cuisine: American assortment About them: From our Q&A, “We are thrilled to continue to be a part of the "Taste of Grove City"! Since we opened our doors, we have participated in the event. The Chamber has worked hard to ensure that this event could go on, and although in a different format this year, we believe guests are going to love it!” They recommend trying the specialty burger—which is still a surprise as of writing this!

Grove City Nutrition Participating In: Week 4 Location: Town Center Website: https://www.facebook.com/GroveCityNutrition/ Cuisine: Shakes, Tea About them: Shake things up with a healthy shake or tea that can also satisfy your sweet tooth, too!

Grove Sheek Boutique Participating In: Week 4 Location: Town Center Website: https://www.grovesheekboutique.com/ Cuisine: Sweet treats About them: They told us they’re excited to participate because they’re brand new to town, offering specialty truffles—with the can’t-miss flavor being raspberry hazelnut multi-layer.

Honey Baked Ham Participating In: Week 3 Location: Stringtown Website: www.honeybaked.com Cuisine: American

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About them: Pick up ready-to-eat homestyle favorites, from the honey baked ham itself to all the side. Lunch options, including boxed lunches ideal for the workplace, are available.

IHOP Participating In: Weeks 1, 3, 4 Location: Stringtown Website: www.ihop.com Cuisine: American About them: Known for breakfast, don’t forget about IHOP’s lunch and dinner selections. And if dining in doesn’t work, they offer a selection of favorites, including family size servings, as IHOP ‘N GO carry out.

Jet’s Pizza Participating In: Week 2 Location: Broadway near I-270 Website: www.jetspizza.com Cuisine: Pizza About them: Make it a pizza night by trying the square Detroit-style pizza that is uniquely Jet’s. Other Jet’s menu items include subs and salads, and there are delivery options so the pizza comes right to you.

Jolly Pirate Donuts Participating In: Week 4 Location: Broadway & Southwest Blvd.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/gcjpdonuts/ Cuisine: Donuts, pastries About them: Jolly Pirate is open 24 hours for all of your donut or other pastry needs. Contact them for delivery options, too.

Lilly’s Kitchen Table Participating In: Weeks 1, 3 Location: Town Center Website: https://lillyskitchentable.com/ Cuisine: American assortment About them: From the Q&A, Lilly’s is excited to bring people, and business, to the Town Center. Their suggestions include the chicken salad, blackened ribeye sub, and any breakfast item.

Longhorn Steakhouse Participating In: Week 3 Location: Stringtown Website: www.longhornsteakhouse.com Cuisine: American assortment About them: Sit down to, or pick up, a steak dinner with all the sides at Longhorn. Other menu items include chicken, seafood, salads, and special lunch selections.

Marco’s Pizza Participating In: Week 2 Location: Near 62 and 270 Website: www.marcos.com Cuisine: Pizza About them: Another great option to make it pizza night at home by picking up or ordering delivery. Other menu items include subs, salads, and desserts.

FEATURED MrSouthernFlava Participating In: Weeks 1, 3, 4 Location: Town Center Website: https://www.mrsouthernflava.com/ Cuisine: American, Barbeque About them: Order and pick-up a tasty lunch for you or dinner for the whole family, all with signature Southern flavor.

O’Charley’s Participating In: Weeks 1, 3, 4 Location: Stringtown Website: www.ocharleys.com Cuisine: American assortment About them: Make it a night out with this crowd-pleaser where there’s something for everyone on the menu. And don’t forget the pie!

OH-YO & More Frozen Yogurt Participating In: Week 4 Location: Buckeye Parkway Website: http://www.ohyofrozenyogurt.com/ Cuisine: Frozen yogurt About them: Treat yo’self to OH-YO! The options of flavors and toppings are nearly endless… anyone on a mission to try them all?

Planks on Broadway Participating In: Weeks 1, 2, 3 Location: Town Center Website: https://grovecityohiobarandrestaurant.com/ Cuisine: Burgers, American About them: From their Q&A: “The new format will have foodies crawling all over Grove City...in a good way!” As for what diners can’t miss, they suggest the Bavarian Pizza and of course wings!

Sunny Street Café Participating In: Weeks 1, 3 Location: London Groveport Rd. Website: www.sunnstreetcafe.com Cuisine: American About them: Sunny Street Café is a breakfast/lunch café serving up lots of our early and midday meal favorites. Note that they close eat day at 2:30 pm.

The Academy Grill at Southwestern Career Academy Participating In: Weeks 1, 3, 4 Location: SWCSD Career Academy on Big Run South Website: https://www.swcsdcareertech.com/theacdemygrill.html Cuisine: American assortment About them: Provided to us from their Q&A, “The students believe that this will be a great way to showcase all the fresh food they make daily as well as the personal table service they have learned to provide. We are only open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 10:30am-1pm. This restaurant is student lead and student driven.” They also told us a couple of can’t-miss menu items are The Sweet Heat Burger and Eddie’s Tacos.

Zamarelli’s Pizza Palace Participating In: Weeks 2, 3 Location: Front Street near Town Center Website: http://www.zamarellispizzapalace.com/ Cuisine: Pizza, Italian About them: Bring home the taste of Italy for dinner from Zamarelli’s; they’re serving up pizzas and pastas. Note that Zamarelli’s opens daily at 4 and 4:30 on Sundays.

Siam Hibachi Participating In: Week 3 Location: Stringtown Website: www.siamhibatchi.com Cuisine: Asian About them: Siam Hibachi is ready to serve up a variety of Thai and Japanese favorites. Join them in their dining room, or order ahead for carry out.

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