Discover Richland Tour: Rooted & Rising

Description

Join Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development for a full-day, behind-the-scenes look at the businesses and people growing Richland County's food and beverage economy.

From local producers to the entrepreneurs launching new brands, you'll see where Richland County's food is grown, made and shared. Along the way, you'll see how our businesses, land and community projects connect to support a stronger region.

What to expect:

• Guided tours of local businesses and community projects
• Conversations with owners, growers and entrepreneurs
• Networking with fellow business and community leaders
• Charter bus transportation

Participants will:

• Connect with business, government, education and nonprofit leaders who are moving our region forward.
• Explore the economic development work shaping Richland County's future, from agriculture and food production to innovation and community investment.
• Go behind the scenes at local sites and operations that show the county's economic strengths up close.
• See how partnerships work, and how collaboration across sectors helps Richland County businesses and communities grow.

Featured tour sites:

Milk & Honey opened as a coffee trailer in Shelby and grew into a permanent downtown storefront. The shop supports Ignited, a nonprofit serving women in recovery, and employs program graduates as part of its everyday business. Guests will enjoy beverages and pastries during the stop.

Downtown Shelby Walking Tour
The group will walk up one block of West Main Street to see how Shelby is rebuilding its downtown, with each building at a different stage and a different partner leading the work. Guests will see a property set to be demolished by the Richland County Land Bank to make way for future development, LaBanca restaurant taking shape in the former First National Bank building, Olive and Oak’s new boutique coming in early 2027, and the historic Shaw Building that will be fully restored. Behind it all are Ignited, The Milliron Foundation, The Shelby Foundation, the Community Improvement Corporation of Shelby and JobsOhio, all working on the same street.

Milliron Estates, the Milliron Foundation's redevelopment of the former Century Link building into housing for veterans and senior citizens, will be covered in an offsite presentation on the project. Plans call for 61 apartments alongside shared amenities, including a restaurant open to both residents and the public, turning the building into a community gathering spot along with housing.

Idea Works Kitchen is the shared commercial kitchen where Mansfield's food entrepreneurs build their businesses. It's where small food brands get their start without the overhead of a commercial kitchen of their own. Guests will enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres prepared by local entrepreneurs.

Hearth & Forge Hotel is the locally led, $10 million redevelopment of the former Holiday Inn in downtown Mansfield, built in 1984. A group of Richland County investors bought the property this fall. They plan to turn it into an upscale boutique hotel with about 102 rooms, meeting space, a banquet center for up to 250 guests, and a new restaurant and bar. The goal is to make it an “indoor town square” for downtown. The hotel stays open during renovation, so guests will walk the Quality Inn & Suites building as it stands today and hear from the project team about what’s coming next.

The North End Community Improvement Collaborative runs local food initiatives that are reconnecting Mansfield's North End to fresh, locally grown food. Its Urban Farm supplies produce to area restaurants and institutions on land that once held a manufacturing facility. This stop also doubles as a sneak peek at Grow by NECIC, the organization's new farm store and café, ahead of its official grand opening.

Ohio Shine Co. is downtown Mansfield's craft moonshine distillery, opened in early 2026 by two local owners. Its small-batch moonshines and Cold Spring Vodka are made and bottled in-house, and area bars and restaurants are already building cocktails around them. Guests will tour the distillery and enjoy samples.

The Phoenix Brewing Company has been downtown Mansfield's brewing destination for over a decade. What started as an effort to bring brewing back to a city that had none has become a regular gathering spot for the community. Guests will close out the day with samples including a new beer coming soon inspired by the Chamber's historic office building at 55 N. Mulberry.

Who Should Attend
This tour is for leaders at every level: C-suite executives, business owners, directors, managers, emerging leaders, and community members. If you want to better understand Richland County's economy and build local connections, you belong on this bus.