MANSFIELD – Since the start of 2017, business has been blooming throughout Richland County.
From a trampoline park and an indoor baseball facility to restaurants and ice cream shops, dozens of new businesses have planted their roots in the area since January.
But in case you missed them this past year, we’ve listed a few noteworthy ones below for you to visit in 2018:
Richland County residents were jumping for joy in November when Altitude Trampoline Park opened at 2190 W. 4th St. in Ontario. Bill Friedman and Dave Newhouse opened the park after months of renovations inside the more than 25,000 square-foot former Circuit City building beside Toys R Us. The park includes three high-performance trampolines, two long ones for tumbling, dodge ball courts, a rock wall, a large foam pit and more.
Three local parents – Jerry Holden, Jason Kearns and Shawn Ramion – teamed earlier this year to open the approximately 5,000 square-foot indoor baseball and softball facility at 4154 Park Ave. West, located directly behind the Eldridge Company. The owners wanted a place for their children and others to practice and play in the winter months.
Panchos Tacos started as a taco cart in June 2016 and quickly expanded into a taco truck that year. When demand continued, Alejandro Anchondo and Jesus Davalos decided to open a restaurant. Panchos Tacos began selling its locally-famous Mexican cuisine from the former What’s 4 Dessert building at 1344 Lexington Ave. on July 31.
4. The Blue Barista Coffee Company
After finding success with The Blueberry Patch in Lexington, two local entrepreneurs brought their popular blueberry donuts and flavored coffee to Ontario. In October, Lisa and Steve Beilstein celebrated the opening of The Blue Barista Coffee Company, which is located within the Richland Mall, across from Nail World and between the Pretzelmaker and another fall 2017 addition, Aesthetic Lookz i-Browz.
5. The Chill Downtown Ice Cream Parlor
Serial entrepreneur Tara Beaire opened this downtown ice cream parlor in June at 46 West 4th St., directly beside her flower shop. Beaire’s business is especially noteworthy because the addition of the ice cream shop happened only months after she uprooted Tara’s Floral Expressions from its former Park Avenue West location to come to downtown Mansfield. The Chill sells Toft’s Ice Cream and offers several specials named after other businesses along the street, such as the Richland Source, The Boot Life and the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum.
Amber and Abraham Dagis opened the Thai ice cream shop in the food court of the Richland Mall in December. The cold treat is first poured onto an anti-griddle. Toppings are added as the mixture-turned-solid is mashed then spread across the anti-griddle and ultimately rolled up to be served. It celebrated its grand opening along with Keaton’s wings and the Spazz Clothing Boutique.
If ice cream isn’t your thing, perhaps frozen custard is? Richland County got its own Whit’s Frozen Custard shop in March at 1531 Lexington Ave. near Ace Hardware and across the street from the Johnny Appleseed Shopping Center. This business was even drawing attention back in September 2016 when the Richland Source first reported that it was coming to the area.
8. IHOP
The restaurant chain known for its breakfast menu opened in June at 2190 Walker Lake Rd. With this addition to the Ontario landscape, Richland County residents no longer have to drive to Columbus, Canton or Findley to get their pancake fix.
9. Local hospital expansions
Avita Health System’s second phase of its Ontario hospital made its public debut in early February. In the summer, OhioHealth opened an Emergency Department in Ontario, adding to its presence in Richland County.
Meg Frazier believes every area should have a community art space. Holding to this belief, she opened two Contemporary Artspace locations in 2017. The 2000 graduate from Galion High School opened the first in early 2017 at a 2,400-square-foot space housed in the Lincoln Professional Building in Galion. In September, Fraizer teamed up with employee Jessica Flick to open the other in the Sears wing at the Richland Mall, 2209 Richland Mall. She also has a Chicago location, which was her first.
11. Sephora
In May, more than 250 people lined up outside entrances to JC Penney for the grand opening of Sephora inside the store at the Richland Mall. Sephora has about 600 locations nationwide.
12. Keaton’s
In early December, Ron and Barbara Keaton of Columbus opened this chicken wing eatery, which they hope will become known for its 50 sauces.
On December 1, Erica Hammer and her sister-in-law Ali Harmon celebrated the grand opening of Ampersand Gift Bar & Apparel at 1446 Lexington Ave. The owners hope to have a place where “you can come to get a gift for anyone.”
This place has little to do with chickens. Jessica Albert and Cheryl Cronbaugh teamed up to open a re-purposed furniture and home décor store in downtown Shelby in June. The Fancy Chicken, located at 38 E. Main St., sells some handcrafted items and others that they’ve collected.
15. Shelby Corn Maze
This past October, Jake and Jessica Rietschlin turned their fourth-generation family farm into a fall-themed attraction. The J & J Rietschlin Farm, 5482 Ohio 61 South, featured a Charlie Brown-shaped corn maze and scavenger-hunt hay-rides, among other harvest-themed activities. They hope to continue this next year.
