I sincerely hope our long COVID isolation is coming to an end. We're all sick of being sheltered and guarded. Maybe … just maybe … the coming days will allow us all to get out more and have a little well-deserved fun. I thought about nearby spots for doing just that, and in doing so, I discovered a couple of potential gems for consideration.
One is being built now in Waverly – the Brass Monkey – and it sounds like a great place to eat. The other is already established in Chillicothe. My wife Cindy and I have visited Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop there and found it thoroughly delightful.
So, today, let me share the latest on these two places. If you are like us, you are itching to simply get into the car and do a little road-tripping. We deserve it, don't you think?
Brass Monkey
The Brass Monkey – a new restaurant in Waverly attached to the side of the former Greenbaum building – is being completed. It will seat 72 patrons inside, 24 outside, with a stage for live entertainment, and more. It is expected to be completed in the near future.
Co-owners Jason Brown and Billy Glass say the North Market Street location, formerly inhabited by the AMVETS building, will only add to the eatery and entertainment options in Pike County. Both raised in Pike County, Brown and Glass come to this project while simultaneously taking roles in other local businesses.
Brown and his wife, Michele, come to this project after operating the Emmitt House restaurant with Bill and Charlene Weil for 15 years. That came to an end after a fire started on the evening of Jan. 7, 2014, a fire which was later reported to be caused by a gas furnace.
“This fire didn’t just take one of Waverly’s most recognized landmarks, it also stole a favorite place for people to meet for food, drink and entertainment,” said Brown, the restaurant providing approximately 50 jobs during that two-decade period.
Glass and brother, Bobby Oliver, own and operate two Piketon-based businesses in American Super Sports and American Metal Works. The brothers also recently remodeled the old nursing home on Main Street in Piketon, turning it into seven executive apartments known as Glaver Estates.
The owners say they don't want to compete with Waverly businesses like the Grand Tavern or Beast and Bottle, but rather “give folks more options and reasons to visit, walk the streets, shop and eat in downtown Waverly.”
Chris Laino will serve as the restaurant’s chef, whom Brown met in Los Alamos, New Mexico through mutual friends. Customers can expect several farm-to-table inclusions from local farms through proteins from Ewing Farms and seasonal vegetables from Way Farms on the menu.
Brown said conversations are ongoing with the Land Bank to potentially add on to its existing parking lot, previously the Emmitt House parking lot.
Their new business venture is not an attempt to recreate the Emmitt House, but rather in hopes of replicating the “recent renaissance” seen in Chillicothe. Inside, the bar top will have a unique lighted river feature and cordless charging stations. Still, some former aspects of the eatery may make a resurgence.
According to Brown, Eric, the gorilla that stood on the Emmitt House Bar and greeted patrons for nearly 25 years may have a new home at the Brass Monkey.
(Patrick Keck. “Work ongoing at new Waverly restaurant.” Pike County News Watchman. February 15, 2022.)
Grandpa Joe's
And, while we're talking about relatively new and unique places, if you've never visited Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop at 82 N. Paint Street in Chillicothe, you are missing a colorful, one-of-a-kind, sweet treat.
You say you're looking for that one candy you used to get as a child? You will likely find it here. From Clove chewing gum to Razzles to Necco candy wafers, Uncle Joe's is the place that delivers on your Willy Wonka dreams. Grandpa Joe's is full of all kinds of candy that kids love and adults get nostalgic over. Even if you can't eat candy, you will be blown away by the sugary ambience of the shop.
Walking into the store, you are immediately washed in a beautiful display of not only candies of every imaginable kind but also novelty toys like plastic rubber chickens or tiny glow-in-the-dark plastic cats.
And, if you like novelty soda pop in old-fashioned glass bottles, this place has an epic selection from national bestsellers to regional favorites -- 250 different soda favorites, nearly all produced with real, pure cane sugar.
Uncle Joe's is also the home of the “World Famous $5 Candy Buffet.” Imagine a place where you’re given a box and told to fill it up with as much candy as you can.
Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop is truly unlike any other candy store in Ohio. You will take a wonderful trip on nostalgia and whimsical charm when you visit, and you will likely spend a long time checking out all the merchandise. You can even grab some ice cream to snack on while you're picking out your candy. Come feel like a kid again. You won't regret it.
(April Dray. Ohio Nature. March 06, 2021.)
Just take it from the owner, Uncle Joe's is an experience.
“Between the cerulean blue candy stripes, the trash can lid pendant lights and the rubber chickens hanging from them by their feet, Chris Beers is dedicated to creating a whacky, nostalgic experience at Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop.
"What makes a small business successful is the support of the fans. Chillicothe just gets it," said Beers, who owns 10 other Grandpa Joe's locations across Ohio and Pennsylvania.
He opened the Chillicothe store in 2017 after he learned that Lloyd's Sweet Shop was closing, and since then it's been nothing but support for the business from the local community. Emily Lovett, the long-time owner of Lloyd's, even came on as store manager.
Both Beers and Lovett believe that there's something special about candy. But where Lloyd's was a serious candy store that took pride in offering the classics and providing rich, decadent chocolates, Grandpa Joe's brought a different concept.
"We still offer all of that but now we've added a bit of crazy – it's more of an experience," Beers said
(Toria Barnhart. “Grandpa Joe's new downtown Chillicothe location offers even more whacky experiences. Chillicothe Gazette. March 07, 2021.)
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