Two restaurants everyone has been waiting for are BOTH opening their doors next week! Wednesday, May 20th, is a big day for foodies!
OX-B’s, a quickly growing and popular fast casual restaurant specializing in wings, wraps, sandwiches, salads, and more, will be hosting its Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of its newest location in Marion on Wednesday. Doors will open to the public at 11:00am at 172 S. Main Street.
If you missed the announcement, OX-B’s will be offering FREE FOOD from 11:00am–2:00pm for guests to experience their menu. Following the free food event, guests can expect giveaways and prizes throughout the day, including OX-B’s merchandise, gift cards, coupons, and more. Prizes include hats,
shirts, cups, air fresheners, and even the chance to win FREE WINGS FOR A YEAR. Guests are encouraged to stop in, celebrate, and be part of the excitement.
We recently got to sample their Marion menu and trust me; this is food you want to show up for. Repeatedly. Delicious dry rubs, monthly featured sauces, and expertly cooked chicken in a variety of dishes make for a special place you can’t help but return to frequently.
Also opening May 20th is 101 Smokehouse! If you’ve been missing smoked meats at 138 S. Main Street, they are here to save the day. They take inspiration from the biggest regions of the country: Pork is Carolina style, brisket is Texas style, and Ribs are Memphis style. Chef says, “The country has BBQ regions for a reason. There’s no sense in reinventing the wheel.” If you’ve ever had their food, you tend to agree. Chef knows what he’s doing and he’s doing it right.
101’s menu offers ribs, brisket, specialty sandwiches, smoke-fried wings, brisket smash burgers, and homemade sides like baked beans, cole slaw, baked potatoes, mac and cheese, and more! They also offer 5 signature BBQ sauces all scratch made. We’ve been given a sneak peek at their menu, and I’ll just leave this here for you:
Cheesy Bacon Fries
Southern Fried Pickles
Bavarian Pretzel Bites
Jalapeno Cheese Curds
And that’s only the starters. Whose mouth is watering??
Both restaurants will be opening their doors Wednesday and ready to take on their first 3rd Thursday with us downtown as well!
This year, our team is participating in the downtown fun with our own tent and activity! For our first 3rd Thursday, we want to provide a fun spring experience with a flower potting station! We will have flowers, pots, soil, and potting tools on site, first come first serve. Experience downtown and bring fresh blooms home!
We are also onsite with flyers and information for anyone looking for a new place to call home. Ask anyone on our team about our current specials (like the one right below!)
We can’t wait to see you there May 21st!
This past week, I was a guest on a podcast to share some of the nitty gritty and challenges of bringing The Lydia from vision to reality, a process that has basically taken us from purchasing the vacant property in 2018 to completely finishing it in 2026. The challenges, setbacks, and difficulties in between have been, without exaggeration, some of the biggest of my entire life. I have lost count of the sleepless nights this project has caused. From tripling the initial construction budget, to nearly being denied hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax credits due to small missteps, to having my bank funding frozen mid-project, to leaking sprinklers in a nearly completed building, the lessons are many and they cut deep. I’ll leave it at that. If you want to hear the podcast, I’ll share the link next week.
I say all that to say this: in the middle of the night, when I doubted whether I should even have attempted this project, when I didn’t know where the money was going to come from, when I had no idea how I was going to figure out the crisis du jour…what kept me going was the vision of this coming week. Three restaurants all fully open and operating. Loft residents listening to the 3rd Thursday band while enjoying the views over South Main Street. Lines spilling out the door of diners eager to try the new cuisine. Weekday lunch hours filled with couples and coworkers eating carryout in Founders Park. Energy begets energy and traffic begets traffic.
YOU are the energy and traffic. Thank you so much for continuing to support and show up. We’ve worked so hard to bring these concepts to fruition, to further add to our vibrant downtown and add new options and excitement for you to keep bringing your friends and family back day after day, week after week.
One final ask – will you please think of a young professional you know, who lives in Marion, or even in an adjacent county, and share with them about our few premium 2 BR lofts we have open right now? They are stunningly beautiful, ridiculously walkable, and genuinely affordable for the space and amenities, particularly if someone is paying Delaware, Union, or Franklin county prices. We have people moving here routinely from those areas. Who could you share with? Maybe they could be next!
Better Together,
Luke Henry Col 3:23
