Page 11 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – January 2019

The town is home to Brewfontaine, voted Ohio’s No. 1 craft-beer bar in Ohio two years in a row by CraftBeer.com.
Main Street was reeling from a slow death, much like many other small towns across the United States. People move away from small towns, and empty storefronts follow.
Luckily for Bellefontaine, a small team of people saw great promise in those empty storefronts.
Small Nation, a group headed up by Bellefontaine native Jason Duff, saw the devastating effects that a dying Main Street can have on a small town. Just eight years ago, more than 70 percent of the first-floor spaces were vacant. The group decided to make a change
and invested in their town. That move sparked a revitalization effort that turned Bellefontaine into more than just another dot on the map.
In less than a decade, the Main Street of Bellefontaine is no longer full of empty storefronts that reflect days gone by. Instead, it has become a bustling town center with destinations that have a draw for both visitors and locals alike. The town’s history is not lost, but given a second chance. The character of the buildings that have seen tremendous change over the last several decades is maintained in the facades and stamped-tin ceilings found throughout many of the businesses there.
A quick scan of Main Street shows popular restaurants, boutiques, an antique mall and many more offerings
that will intrigue visitors. Twenty-seven spaces that were abandoned have been renovated to date, turning a tired Bellefontaine downtown into a bustling spot for locals and visitors alike.
One of the biggest draws for visitors is the famed pizzeria, Six Hundred Downtown. Founded by world-renowned pizza champion, Michael Shepherd, the pizzeria is a hotspot where it can be hard to get
a table on the weekends. It was Duff, CEO of Small Nation, who convinced Shepherd to give Bellefontaine a chance. The thinking behind the development of the pizzeria was to draw satisfied customers into the neighborhoods, and in turn, build a community.
Six Hundred Downtown owner Brittany Saxton has been recognized nationally for her pizza-making skills. Saxton received national acclaim when she competed on the Food Network television show “Guy’s Grocery Games: Pizza Masters,” bringing attention to Six Hundred Downtown and to Bellefontaine. She also received national recognition at the White House in the spring of 2018 when she was invited to speak on the effect that tax cuts had on her business and other small businesses across the country.
Just across the street from Six Hundred Downtown is Court Avenue, the oldest concrete street in America. Court Avenue runs right next to the Logan County Courthouse, which has seen its own amazing revitalization over recent years. The courthouse has undergone renovation to maintain its history for generations to come.
Great pizza is not all that Bellefontaine has to offer.
The town is home to Brewfontaine, voted Ohio’s No. 1 craft-beer bar in Ohio two years in a row by CraftBeer.com. Small Nation members Jeramy Fitzpatrick and Adam
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Photo: Willie Petersen