Grant County Blog

Meet Grant County’s July Hospitality Hero – Darlene Mehegan

 

The Hospitality Hero series is sponsored by the Marion/ Grant County Convention and Visitors Bureau to recognize residents who extend exceptional hospitality to Grant County visitors.

 

Recent reviews on TripAdvisor.com revealed positive comments from people across the nation who enjoyed their stay in Gas City at the Best Western.   One guest from Mt. Vernon, Ohio wrote, “Were here for a family member's graduation at Indiana Wesleyan Univ.  Trish (the front desk clerk) became like one of the family in our stay, and even stopped by to say goodnight to our group at the end of her shift. Welcoming and friendly and helpful.”  Guests from Orlando, Florida had this to say, “The rooms are comfortable, the breakfast good (waffles!), and the staff friendly.” A couple from Austin, Texas commented, “The hotel has been remodeled and updated & is VERY nice. The staff was friendly and quick to help with anything we wanted.” Recent business guests were equally impressed with the hospitality extended by Darlene and her staff.  Gas City Mayor, Larry Leach, hosted a group of potential investors during the first week of July.  “They couldn’t say enough good things about how well they were treated in Gas City, and they were especially awed by the welcome they received at the Best Western.  Gas City’s friendly nature has sold development projects before, and if these investors factor hospitality into their decision, we will see new jobs in Gas City from this visit.”     Though Darlene is the epitome of Hoosier Hospitality, she was born and raised in northern Illinois. She has one daughter who served in the Army and is now working in Iraq as a civilian.  Darlene’s husband is employed at Meineke Car Center in Indianapolis, but the couple prefers Gas City’s small town charm to the option of relocating to the city.What is the secret to Darlene’s success?  She has experience on her side.  Darlene has been in the lodging business for nearly 25 years.  Mehegan is quick to credit her staff, “I am so fortunate.  I have the best staff, they really love people and it shows.”  Perhaps the greatest factor in her ability to provide exceptional service is Darlene’s management mantra, “take care of the guest, take care of the guest, take care of the guest.”  

The Marion/ Grant County Convention and Visitors Bureau applauds Darlene for providing exceptional hospitality to Grant County guests.  Contact the CVB at showmegrantcounty.com to nominate a Hospitality Hero.

Meet Grant County’s June Hospitality Hero

Randy Ballinger

Randy Ballinger is the owner of the Walnut Creek Golf Complex, 7453 East 400 South, in Grant County.  Randy’s exceptional management and customer service was recognized in the June 2010 edition of Golf Business, the official publication of the National Golf Course Owner’s Association. 

Ballinger was featured on the cover of the magazine in an article that highlighted independent golf course owners around the nation.  The Golf Business story chronicles the family operation in Ballinger’s own words, “We owned a farm that we’d been working in addition to a hardware store, and when my folks started talking about retiring from the hardware store, they sat us all down at the kitchen table and went through the idea of turning the farm into a golf course.”

Ballinger was a sophomore in high school at the time, but he got the job as architect.  The result of those efforts is a golf course that Midwest Living has called “Indiana’s most inviting course that you don’t have to be an expert to play.”  And a place that Golf Digest awarded Four Stars in its “Best Places to Play” rankings.

The original course opened in 1970, and there have been a few tweaks over the years, but the biggest alteration came more than a decade ago.  After his father passed away in 1983 and the property adjacent to Walnut Creek became available, Ballinger bought it and continued working the land as a farm.  In the mid 1990’s Ballinger went back to the drawing board to sketch out a plan for Club Run, a sister course to Walnut Creek that opened in 1998.

Though the number of holes under his direction has increased, Ballinger remains committed to the vision that he and his parents always had for Walnut Creek:  a quality course for everyman.  And by most any measure the strategy is working.  Half of the facility’s regular customers drive in from other areas, and more than 20 percent of the rounds come from outside a 50-mile radius.

The Golf Business article quotes Ballinger on how his business thrives in these challenging times.  “It’s old-fashioned to say, but hard work and determination can overcome a lot of obstacles.  There’s really nothing more to it than that.”

The Marion/Grant County Convention and Visitors Bureau applauds Randy for welcoming golfers to Grant County!

Ivanhoe’s Brings Culinary Tourism to Grant County 

Ivanhoe’s restaurant in Upland is one of Grant County’s most popular attractions.  On any given day the license plates on the cars in the lot represent several Indiana counties, and often other states.  One day as I was enjoying my lunch there I watched three DeLoreans pull in.  I know those folks weren’t from around here, and they weren’t in the neighborhood by accident. Like many from around the region, these visitors came to Upland, Indiana to enjoy a great dining experience. 

 

The term Culinary Tourism is all the rage in the travel industry.  Destination marketing professionals are waking up to an obvious fact that savvy restaurateurs have known all along:  a unique food and drink experience has the power to lure tourists just like museums, recreation, and shopping. Long before it was the buzz, Ivanhoe’s founder Ivan Slain was instinctively making his restaurant a destination diner.  Today, co-owners Ivan and his son Mark, continue to make the Ivanhoe’s experience worth the trip by offering 500 ice cream creations, as well as tasty meals in a fun and friendly setting. 

 

 

In its broadest sense, Culinary Tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable culinary experiences, and it is a significant industry.  According to the Travel Industry Association of America, 60% of  U.S. leisure travelers say they travel to engage in culinary activities.  These people are looking for authentic local character and cuisine that they can’t get back home.  Again, Ivanhoe’s hits the mark.  The restaurant is an established tradition that reflects the wholesome tastes and values for which small Midwestern communities are known. Communities across the nation are scrambling to exploit the growing culinary tourism market. Quantified Marketing Group (QMG), the nation’s largest strategic marketing firm for the restaurant industry, has some tips for increasing a locale’s proverbial piece of the culinary tourism pie. 

 

* When it comes to culinary tourism, encourage local players to not view other restaurants as competition. Aligning with other local restaurants to create a culinary event will benefit a city’s entire dining scene.

* Take stock of food products indigenous to your locale.  You may very well find an item around which you could build focused culinary tourism efforts.

* If your area does not already have a farmers market, now may be the time to encourage such cooperative efforts.  U.S.D.A. statistics reveal farmers markets have grown 66% since 1994. Perhaps Grant County can realize more culinary tourism revenue by exploring these suggestions and utilizing the principles demonstrated by our own Ivanhoe’s restaurant.  It is definitely food for thought.

Cardinal Greenway Gears up for SpringBy: Jodi Fourman

Imagine the openness of fresh air…a slight breeze…the warmness of sunshine…and the smell of freshly cut grass and trees. All this can be found this spring along the eight miles of the Grant County Cardinal Greenway. The trail begins in Jonesboro, winds through the downtown area of Marion, and this year will go all the way to Sweetser. The Cardinal Greenway is part of a state and nationwide initiative to link communities and bring people together through recreational trails made from abandoned railroad lines.

“The trail is a great way to exercise while breathing fresh air, and enjoying the beauty of nature,” said Fairmount resident Susy Presswood. “[It’s] a great place for families with children, whether walking, hiking, bicycling, or pushing the baby carriage. The trail is even great for people in wheel chairs.”

The Grant County Cardinal Greenway is free to all. There are trail heads in Marion on Miller Avenue between 2^nd and 6^th streets, at Hogin Park located at Valley Avenue and 14^th Street, and Jonesboro/Gas City at SR 22 & SR 15.  All of these larger trail heads have parking, but there are smaller access points located at different places along the trail, including the Splash House at Junction Park and at 38^th Street in Marion.

The Grant County Cardinal Greenway relies on donations to maintain and keep the trail clear and usable. There is no government or foundation funding for maintenance of the trail. A small group of dedicated volunteers manage the Marion section of the trail. The volunteers meet regularly all year long to maintain the trail.

“As volunteers we do maintenance such as picking up trash, mowing, trimming, repairing damaged fences, painting, cutting down fallen or dead trees, blowing leaves and trying to add beauty to the trail,” said Presswood. “It is a lot of work, but it is enjoyable to work with the other volunteers.”

Each year the Greenway hosts a clean-up day in the spring. This is a kick-off event to get the trail ready for the summer. This year’s spring clean-up event will take place on Saturday, April 17, beginning at 9 a.m. and concluding around 12 p.m.  Volunteers meet at the Jonesboro/Gas City, Miller Ave, and Hogin Park trailheads.

Come out to learn more about the Grant County Cardinal Greenway and how you can be a part of giving back to the community through serving on the trail.

 

For more information about the Grant County Cardinal Greenway:

Call the Cardinal Greenway of Grant County at (765) 667-1761

Cardinal Greenway, Inc – www.cardinalgreenways.org

Facebook –  Search for the group “The Cardinal Greenway of Indiana” or “Cardinal Greenways”

Show Me Grant County – www.showmegrantcounty.com

 

 

Tourism Had a Good Year

I recently attended an Indiana Tourism Council meeting in Indianapolis.  Don Walsh, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, was the meeting host.  Don opened the meeting with the question, “who hopes to have more fun in 2010 than 2009?”  He received a unanimous positive response from the room full of travel and hospitality professionals.  The question was a good natured way of encouraging everyone to remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel for an industry that has had a tough couple of years. 

The tourism industry,like most sectors of the economy, has taken a hit, but even in times of challenge there is growth. As the Tourism Council meeting progressed many of the 2009 bright spots from around the state surfaced.  Fort Wayne reported that the Children’s Zoo posted record attendance of 600,000 visitors in 2009.  Traffic at the Fair Oaks Dairy mega farm on I-65 was up 15 percent and the DNR reported a 10 percent increase in State Park visitation.  Another positive indicator for Indiana’s tourism industry is the $5 million gift from the principals of White Lodging to Purdue University, Calumet, to grow the tourism and hospitality program there.  The move indicates expectations of an increase in demand for lodging and hospitality managers.

Grant County has some bright spots of our own to add to the 2009 tourism industry highlights.  The Marion Classic was added to USA Cycling’s elite National Racing Circuit this year.  Indiana Wesleyan University secured a three year contract for the NAIA Track and Field meet.  The Boom Town 1892 event was launched in June, and Gas City is further capitalizing on the community’s amazing heritage with an ambitious Main Street improvement project and restoration of the historically significant Thompson Ray House. 

Most of us are probably looking forward to having more fun in 2010 than we had in 2009, but as we look back on the year we can be proud of the accomplishments made in Grant County.

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We now have a new place to eat in downtown Marion - Genuine Spot Pizza.  Luckily for me, it's located in the same building as my office (the Centrum Mall). 

Last week, I tried the individual combo meal which included a 7" personal size pizza, 2 breadsticks, and a pop.  All for under $5!  Although I am admittedly a fan of deep-dish Chicago pizza, I will give just about any pizza a try.  Genuine Spot's pizza is a hand-tossed style crust - not too thick, not too thin.  The breadsticks are just like I like them, that is, not swimming in buttery goo.  They offer sides of pizza sauce or cheese dip for your breadsticks if you don't like them plain. 

I'm pretty excited about having another option in the downtown area, especially for lunch.  Genuine Spot Pizza is open from 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. so you can also stop by for dinner.  I think they do offer delivery. 

It is one of the more affordable pizza places so you get a good pizza at a good price.

Last night I tried the new Moe's Southwest Grill in Marion.  Although it is a franchise restaurant, I have never been to one before.  I've heard it described as Subway for Mexican food - and the ordering process is indeed like that.  You place your order and they make it in front of you while you choose your toppings and sides.  It is similar to Qdoba/Chipotle/Panchero's if you've ever been to one of those.  I'd say a key difference is that Moe's seems to have fresher ingredients. 

They have the usual items: tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, etc.  You can get them in quite a few varieties.  One thing that greatly impressed me was the vegetarian options.  I like a meaty burrito as much as anyone but sometimes it is nice to have the vegetarian option available when you want something lighter.  They also have tofu as a meat substitute option which is rare but awesome in a quick-service restaurant. 

It is reasonably priced and you definitely get your money's worth of food.  They even have a salsa bar so you can try their different varieties.  One other point is that they have a good children's menu as well making it a decent option for families. 

I definitely recommend giving Moe's a try!

Do you enjoy being outside AND helping our community?
Why not sign up to be on the Grant County Young Professionals Network Cardinal Greenway Team!

This is a once a month, approximately 3 hour commitment from April - November. It's very light work, mostly picking up trash, raking leaves, and some

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Have you been out to check out GCYPN's new mixer format? If not, what are you waiting for!? Come join GCYPN at the Icehouse, Thursday, March 19^th starting at 4:30. That's right - our new start time is 4:30. Be there right at 4:30 to drop your business card into our fishbowl to win some great door

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I know, I know... Everyone who lives in or has visited Grant County for more than a few hours has probably already eaten at the Icehouse.  At the Visitors Bureau, we talk to lots of folks visiting our area and almost all of them tell us that locals have told them to try the Icehouse.

So I can't

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