Thankful for Entrepreneurs Who Help Medina Thrive

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all of our blessings, and show gratitude to those we love and appreciate.

I want to thank our Medina Weekly readers and our wonderful editor, Kevin McManus, who puts out an inspiring community-forward paper each week, highlighting what makes Medina a great place to live. I also wish to thank our founder and president, Mitch Allen, for taking a leap of faith back in May 2020, when the world was turned upside down, to start up this amazing free community newspaper and help the community thrive in that difficult time. Five years later, we are still thriving, thanks to our amazing advertisers who believe in what we do.

Our advertisers are the reason we are here to serve you, the community, and I am grateful for their support. It is my hope that you will show them your support and gratitude as well.

I attended the fifth anniversary celebration of the newly revived and renovated Farmer’s Exchange building last week, which reminded me of that difficult time back in March 2020. Cheated out of their ribbon-cutting ceremony in the spring of 2020, they decided to have a five-year celebration.

This historic building’s revival in 2019 brought it back to life as a dual-purpose building, with businesses on the first two floors and apartments above. Two of the partners involved were Jon and Patty Stahl, owners of PJ Marley’s, along with Kayleigh Keller of Keller Meats. When The Farmer’s Table restaurant and Keller Market & Cafe finally opened Jan. 30, 2020, it was to a huge crowd and lots of fanfare. Both were marvelous additions to the Medina Square South Town district, with a great restaurant concept and a much-needed high-end local butcher counter and market. They had a great two-week run before COVID came to town.

Jon Stahl says, “After a long and difficult restoration, Patty and I were thrilled when The Farmer's Table opened in February of 2020. A few weeks later it was a kick in the gut when COVID hit. There was no game plan, no blueprint. It was survival mode. Dealing with huge issues like suppliers who increased prices almost immediately and inventory shortages wasn’t easy. It was a difficult summer and one where everyone learned to adapt and overcome. Without the support of our families, friends, employees and the Medina community it could have been catastrophic. Like most challenges in life, we have learned from a difficult situation and grown as an organization. We are excited about The Farmer's Table's future in Medina.”

We all know the struggles small businesses went through during the dark COVID days, and I am grateful to all of them for sticking it out, getting creative, making it work and finding a way to survive. It is what entrepreneurs do. It is what the Stahls and the Kellers did. Today, both businesses are thriving and successful.

In Kayleigh's words, she knew it would all be fine when the shutdown order started on March 16, which is 3:16, the most important verse in the Bible. “We are here because our community supports us. The super successful North Carolina ‘Hay Convoy’ was a great example of the community support Keller Market receives, and we are happy to be a part of it all.”

Let’s actively support local restaurants this Small Business Saturday and onward.

As always, I urge you to eat fresh, dine local and be happy!