Tag Archives: Family business

Small Business Spotlight: Rushcreek Pub & Grub

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Being a small business owner is a tough job! That’s why we feature a different small business in our Small Business Spotlight every month. Today we learn about a new restaurant in Bremen and the journey the owners had to take to get there.

Ever wonder what goes into opening a small business for the first time? The folks at Rushcreek Pub & Grub have a tale for you!

“I wish I still had that text!” Tara Bobo exclaimed. It was late and Tara was settling in for the night.  “Basically I got this text as I’m lying in bed that says something like ‘I want to own a bar/restaurant.’  That’s all it said. It was from my brother Chad.”

With that one statement grew an idea and Tara and her brother Chad Ashbaugh began the journey of opening a family owned business. This was not a lifelong dream for either of them.  It was simply a desire to serve the people of their community with a place to gather, have a good meal and enjoy great times.

After that initial text, the siblings engaged in many conversations where they hashed out some basic wants and needs, allowing room for this crazy idea to take form. It had to be family friendly but also serve as a gathering spot for friends and entertainment.  A pub and grub, if you will.

Tara and Chad began researching locations and eventually found the perfect spot: a well-known brick building at the busiest intersection in Bremen.  It’s known in the area as a former car lot, an old restaurant and home of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. It was the ideal spot.

The only problem?  They didn’t know who owned the property or if it would be for sale. As it turns out, the struggle to find answers would be a common theme throughout their journey. As first time business owners, the pair would go on to learn everything about running a restaurant from the ground up.

After connecting with the property owner, their offer was quickly accepted and the wild idea of this endeavor had suddenly become a reality. 

Bremen had been a dry town since just after Prohibition was repealed in 1933. That is, no alcohol was sold or allowed inside of businesses within the village until a vote of the residents changed that in 2018. While business are now permitted to serve alcohol, the new law did not mean that every business is inherently able to do so, according to Tara.

She credited finding the right people who could help them navigate acquiring a liquor license. It was a stranger in local government who helped. “I just happened to talk to the right person on the right day – I wish I had her name – at the Board of Elections and she really knew her stuff.  She was able to help us out and guide us more than she knows and we were able to get things moving.” 

Tara’s daughter Brooke took the lead and got the petition signatures needed to have the issue on the ballot.  It passed.

Meanwhile, Chad had begun working on the physical space. He gutted the building, starting from scratch so they could give their ideas room to grow. Tara said that it was intimidating, to say the least. “Chad redid it all on the weekends and I stayed away,” she recalled. She was busy with her career in health care, hesitant to take the plunge completely into the world of entrepreneurship. “I was initially resistant to open.  I lacked the confidence in knowing what I was doing as a new business owner, and I just wasn’t yet all-in.”

That’s when another of those “right people” entered the scene and the apprehension began to subside. Local business owner Scott Pletcher connected with Tara and Chad. He used his experience with small business operations and the restaurant industry to guide them through challenging decisions regarding space, logistics and equipment. “He was great.  He really knew his way around.  Again, he was just the right person for us and a huge help in all of this!”

With the remodel nearing completion, Tara left her healthcare position so she could devote her attention to this crazy adventure they now call Rushcreek Pub & Grub.

“We hired 29 people right away.  Shout out to Samantha and Kia, who’ve worked in the industry a long time and helped us with the front of the house operations,” Tara said.

While it was still trial by fire, a friends and family night gave them some needed experience before the big opening. Taking an eyes-wide-open approach, they learned quickly what worked and what needed improvement. They brought in someone to consult on the kitchen work flow and were still making changes shortly after they opened.

And just like that, it all came together and the family business has been moving full steam ahead ever since.

“It’s a true family affair – we’ve had the whole family here helping at different times.  Nieces and nephews, inlaws, sister, kids, they’ve all helped along the way in every manner,” she said.

The family Christmas was even held at the restaurant.  “We were still new and trying to get this business going so we just held Christmas here.  Mom even decorated the tree we had in here,” Tara recalled fondly.  “And then we opened up for business that evening!”

Rushcreek Pub & Grub features beautiful rustic industrial style décor that complements the historic brick building.  Sit-down and high-top tables join a full bar while a private party room and a full patio are available for outdoor dining and socializing.  Combined with a menu of creative appetizers, soups, salads, and sandwiches, it’s truly fit for families and the community.

As they fine-tune operations and grow, they are developing a following for their specials and events as well.  They host musicians on the weekends and have held trivia and bingo nights. Some bike nights are planned and Wicked Wing Wednesdays were recently introduced. The back room can be separated into a private space and is able to be used as such. It can also be rented for private events.


“Chad could have bought a bar or restaurant anywhere.  There were opportunities.  But they weren’t here.  We’re community oriented.  We want to be here serving our people, our community,” Tara stated, emphasizing the importance of being in this exact location not out of necessity, but desire. “We’re here because we want to be here.”

Rushcreek Pub & Grub is located at 102 North Broad Street in Bremen. Follow them on Facebook for complete hours, menu, events and other updates. You can also find their Events and Special Entertainment page here.

Meet Your Banker: Tom Will Oyer Is A Sixth Generation Banker

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It is rare to meet someone who is the sixth generation working in a family business. Yet, that’s the case for Tom Will Oyer whose family founded Vinton County National Bank in 1867. He is aware of how tightly intertwined the Will family history is with the bank’s story and the role the bank has played in local history all these years.

Tom Will Oyer is the sixth generation of the Will family to work at Vinton County National Bank.

“The bank has always been a part of my life in some way. As a kid I remember my grandfather taking us to lunch in McArthur there in the basement of the bank and I remember knowing that he was important in the community. When I got older, I was teller a couple of summers but it was never assumed that I would join the family business. No one ever made me feel pressured to come here but the option was available,” he said.

In fact, Tom began to pursue an entirely different career path in the forestry industry. He was studying Forestry at West Virginia University and working a summer internship at a local company when he realized that it may not be the future he wanted for himself. So he switched gears and headed off to Ohio State University to study Economics.

With a degree in hand he began his career doing management and outside sales for Sherwin Williams Automotive Finishes in Dayton. Here he went to night school for his MBA at University of Dayton, met the woman he would marry, and decided to come home to contribute to the family business.

“When I decided to come here, I knew that it couldn’t be just a job. It would be my career and not a stepping stone to somewhere else. I owe a lot to the bank and it’s been wonderful being here and finding my way,” he explained.

Tom’s first step at the bank was in 2013 as part of the Management Trainee program. His grandfather Bob Will created this program more than sixty years ago to attract talented college graduates to the bank. The program gives participants opportunity to experience several departments and has produced many bank leaders over the decades

It was through this training that Tom found his love for lending and for helping customers achieve their dreams. “When you are lending money, you’re helping a customer reach their goals. Whether it is a first car, a new home, or starting a business, it is a great feeling when you’re able to help a neighbor,” he said.

He spent a short time as Branch Operations Manager for the bank before taking over as Head of Consumer Lending. This position gave him the opportunity to manage and develop lenders. His mother, Emily Will Oyer, is a retired Head of Retail who told him that he would truly enjoy his work when he started to see employees grow because of the efforts he has made in helping them improve and develop.  “I have also enjoyed my role as a manager, helping to guide employees and have a positive impact so they can blossom into the employee you know they can be. This is one of the true highlights of my job.”

It was under Tom’s leadership that the bank created the Personal Banker position which empowers bankers and broadens their ability to help customers with most of their deposit account and lending needs. He helped to develop new processes and training for this position which reached about forty employees in the first year. “We had to identify what was working and not working and even go back to the drawing board a couple of times to make sure we got it all right. In doing so, we went from about twenty lenders to sixty and we saw significant growth because of it,” he said.

Last year, VCNB President Mark Erslan approached Tom about a new opportunity on the horizon. Head of Commercial Lending Darrell Boggs had announced his intent to retire and Mark asked Tom if he would be interested in taking the reins. “Obviously, I don’t have a commercial lending background but I do have the lending background and the management background. I understand the processes and that it’s my job to facilitate the process to help lenders do what they do best,” he said.

He worked closely with Darrell to achieve a smooth transition and to prepare for the challenge ahead.

Mark commended Tom for the contributions he has made to the bank during his career here. “Tom has served the bank in multiple positions including the Head of Consumer Lending and Strategic Planning Committee Co-Chair. He’s helped foster changes that have resulted in bank growth and improved customer and employee experiences. We look forward to his continued contribution to the bank’s success, in this new role.”

While Tom takes pride in his family business, he is modest about his own accomplishments “There’s definitely pride in the Will family history with the bank and how we’ve served the community for so many years. It’s a wonderful thing, a rare thing but I think we all have a kind of built in modesty. We’re not flashy people, we don’t call attention to ourselves, we live pretty modestly and are grateful to have good careers in southern Ohio, serving our neighbors and employees,” he said.

He expressed gratitude for many people who helped to shape his views on community banking and who have helped him along the way. “Mark Erslan has been critical to my success. He’s been my mentor from day one and I’m grateful to him.  My vision of the bank and perception of where it’s been and where it’s going have been influenced by my grandfather, my mother and my Uncle Tom Will who is Chairman of the Board.”

Tom grew up in Ross County. He and his wife Andrea live in the Laurelville area with their children ages 6, 5, 2 and newborn.