Tag: findlay market

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Arts & Entertainment News

Cincinnati joining other global cities with interactive public piano exhibit

Cincinnati has joined a collection of international cities hosting a traveling public art and performance spectacle that is called Play Me, I’m Yours.  The Cincinnati exhibit will place 42 pianos in public spaces, across the Cincinnati region, that will be there for residents to play, listen to, and interact with.

Originally started in 2008 by Luke Jerram, Play Me, I’m Yours has entertained and fascinated those in London, New York, and Barcelona so far in 2010.  The timing of the pianos arrival coincides with the anniversaries of three local public radio stations – 90.9FM WGUC, 91.7FM WVXU, and 88.5FM WMUB.  Most of the pianos will be available from August 9 to 27, with a select few staying a bit longer.

The public interactive exhibit will offer Cincinnatians a chance to get out and explore the city, and create their own art by playing music or interacting with those that are.  According to British artist Luke Jerram the exhibit is as much about communities coming together as it is about music.

Many of the pianos were designed by local youth through ArtWorks’ summer jobs program.  Following the exhibit the pianos will be donated to local art centers to further enhance the arts for children locally for years to come.

Aside from having pianos set up in public spaces, Cincinnatians will be able to utilize the Play Me, I’m Yours homepage to share with each other, and the world, what is happening here by uploading pictures and videos.  And beyond the spontaneous performance at the pianos, up to three special performances may be organized per piano each day through the exhibit’s website.

A total of 18 of the 42 pianos installed throughout the region are located within Cincinnati’s center city at locations such as Cincinnati Museum Center, Findlay Market, Fountain Square, and Great American Ball Park. Some of those, like the Sawyer Point piano, will be available all day, every day, while others, like the one at the Cincinnati Zoo, will only be available during business hours.  A list of of all the pianos, their locations and details can be downloaded online.

Play Me, I’m Yours officially runs for three weeks starting with a kick-off celebration on Fountain Square from 11am-1pm on Monday, August 9 where two of the pianos will be located.

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Business News

Dojo Gelato business exceeding expectations, production increased 32%

[This story was originally published in the Cincinnati Business Courier on July 19, 2010. Visit the original story for more comments, thoughts and opinions on Dojo Gelato’s success at Findlay Market – Randy.]


Michael Christner moved to Cincinnati from Austin, TX last year and opened Dojo Gelato at Cincinnati’s historic Findlay Market. Christner expected business might be good due to the limited amount of competition in Cincinnati relative to Austin, but so far business has exceeded expectations for local entrepreneur.

Christner follows a few basic principles in his gelato prep kitchen which he refers to as a “laboratory.” He makes the gelato and sorbetto fresh and in small runs with no artificial ingredients. Milk, pure cane sugar, and cream is all that is used to create their gelatos, while the sorbettos only contain fruit, pure cane sugar, and water. Customers will also find a product free of artificial preservatives, unnatural stabilizers, powders or gels, or hormone dairy products.

“I’ve been like wow, this is working…it’s really working,” Christner said about Dojo Gelato’s success thus far. “When I opened, the Dojo Cart wasn’t even budgeted into the business plan, but we always thought it would be great to do five or six special events a year. With business being so good, the cart has become reality much quicker.”

The quicker arrival of the DojoCart now serving people at special events throughout Cincinnati is not the only mark of success for the Italian-style ice cream maker. Christner says that Dojo Gelato has also increased production, grown its staff, while also increasing sales.

So far sales at Dojo Gelato’s store at Findlay Market and the new DojoCart are 16% higher than what was originally forecasted, and in May, Dojo Gelato set two consecutive sales records at Findlay Market. The business growth has also accelerated plans for increased production. In March, Dojo Gelato purchased an additional gelato batch freezer from Italy that allows Christner to now produce 52 gallons of gelati an hour which represents a 32% increase in production since the business opened in August 2009. During that same time the staff has increased from one employee in last summer, to five employees today.

“It’s been a gradual incline, with every month being a little better than the month before,” Christner explained. “I take my product very seriously, but at the end of the day it’s just food and it’s more about bringing people together.”

According to Christner, Dojo Gelato customers represent a wide variety of people together that includes a business and neighborhood crowd during the week at lunch; older individuals, tourists, and suburbanites on the weekends; and lots of families on Sundays. Young adults between the ages of 20 to 40 are also a big part of Dojo Gelato’s daily business.

“I wanted to do this since I was 20 years old, and I’m 34 now. This is not just some hobby, I live, eat, and breathe everything Dojo Gelato,” Christner emphasized. “I’ve realized that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and everything needs to fall into place for future expansion efforts.”

Dojo Gelato is open at Findlay Market (map) Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 6pm, Saturday from 8am to 6pm, and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Those out and about can find the DojoCart at the Wyoming Farmers Market on Tuesdays, Wednesdays at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center for their summer concert series through July, Saturdays on Fountain Square for movie nights, and at the Hyde Park Farmers Market every Sunday.

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Arts & Entertainment Business News

EACC to host walking tour of Over-the-Rhine’s historic Brewery District – 6/5

The European-American Chamber of Commerce (EACC) YP Committee is hosting a walking tour of Over-the-Rhine’s historic Brewery District on Saturday, June 5 from 1pm to 3pm. Organizers with the EACC say that the tour will focus on the European influence on the architecture and diversity of cultures found within the district.

The Brewery District Tour is part of YP Committee’s 3-D/Multi-Dimensional Series that focuses on Discovery, Diversity and Development.

“The tour will highlight Cincinnati’s German heritage as we learn how German immigrants brought their beer brewing skills to Cincinnati,” said Anne Capel, EACC Executive Director. “We’ll learn about Cincinnati’s beer barons like Christian Moerlein and Ludwig Hudephol, the historic breweries they built, and experience first hand the European/American culture that infused the neighborhoods around them.”

In addition to experiencing Christian Moerlein and Ludwig Hudephol, attendees will also tour Clyffside, Lafayette and Jackson Breweries as guided by the Brewery District Foundation. The Brewery District, Over-the-Rhine and Cincinnati to a much larger extent was heavily influenced by German immigrants that brought customs, dialects, religions, occupations and classes with them that are still often found today in the region.

“The Over-the-Rhine neighborhood has recently become a focal point of renewed interest in Cincinnati history and culture,” explained Capel. “The Germans’ entrepreneurship skills built the brewing industry in a part of the neighborhood which we call today the Brewery District. Due to this industry and various others, commercial activity of the area became centered on Findlay Market.”

Registration is open to anyone interested, but the tour is limited to 40 people. Registration is open until Tuesday, June 1st, but those interested are encouraged to register early due to the limited availability. Tickets can be purchased online for $15, and include a free beer during the networking and socializing time at the Findlay Market Biergarten after the tour. Organizers state that tickets will be fully refunded if there is inclement weather.

The tour group will meet at the Over-the-Rhine Biergarten (map), located on the southwest side of the Market House along Elm Street, at 1pm.  Free bicycle parking is available at Findlay Market along with on- and off-street automobile parking.  Metro bus service is also available (plan your trip).

Get a taste of Over-the-Rhine’s historic Brewery District and its treasures by watching this great video.

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Arts & Entertainment Business News

Over-the-Rhine Biergarten opens for summer, wraps up American Craft Beer Week

Following a week delay in opening due to permitting issues, the Over-the-Rhine Biergarten returned last weekend to its summer-long post at historic Findlay Market. The biergarten provides the perfect opportunity to round out American Craft Beer Week in Cincinnati once the beers start to flow this Saturday and Sunday.

Offerings include cans of Hudy and Burger beer for $2 a piece, as well as three Christian Moerlein selections on tap. Drafts will run you $4 for a 16 oz. pour, or $5 for the larger 22 oz. size and you can have your choice of OTR Ale, Lager House and the newly released Northern Liberties India Pale Ale.

Over 600 guests got to enjoy samples of Moerlein’s first venture into hoppier beers with the Northern Liberties IPA keg tapping event at Rookwood Pottery when it was officially released on Friday, May 6th. A traditional British style, the IPA got its descriptive name as a result of the increased level of hops and alcohol, both natural preservatives, needed to allow the beer to keep for the long sea voyages from the UK to the colonies in India.

The beer style has evolved over the years and American IPAs tend to push the envelope of hop additions much more so than their British counterparts. The Northern Liberties may be the best Moerlein brew to date, and despite the increase in hops, it still retains the distinctive, malty Moerlein taste and mouthfeel. American IPAs can range from 40-70 International Bitterness Units and 5.5-7.5% Alcohol By Volume, and Moerlein’s IPA comes in at 55 IBUs and 6.3% ABV.

In an effort to make the biergarten more accessible to all Findlay Market patrons, a cooler has been added to the operation that will allow shoppers to keep any perishable groceries cool while they enjoy a cold beer in the summer sun. The taps will be flowing from 11am to 5pm on Saturdays, and 12pm to 4pm on Sundays, every single weekend from now through Labor Day, and all proceeds benefit both the OTR Brewery District and the OTR Foundation.

Whether you plan on heading to Findlay Market already, or you decide to use this as your excuse, venture down to the Over-the-Rhine Biergarten this weekend to toast the closing of American Craft Beer Week, and come back all summer long to enjoy the sights and sounds of one of Cincinnati’s greatest assets, all while drinking for a good cause. Cheers!

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News

Craft beer tasting at Market Wines – 4/10

For many people Findlay Market is a frequent destination year round, but when the weather becomes warmer there is just something different at the historic market. There are more vendors, more patrons, more events and just an overall more festive atmosphere and sense of camaraderie. As it stands, Ohio’s oldest open air market serves as the weekend activity epicenter in Over-the Rhine, and up until a couple of years ago, the one thing the market lacked was somewhere for patrons to gather and easily engage in conversation. Sure you see familiar vendors and friends in the aisle of the market house, or you may grab a coffee and take a seat at an available table, but nowhere could you go to satisfy the yearn to truly interact.

Thankfully Market Wines has provided this piece of the puzzle. Aside from the carefully selected retail offerings of wine and craft beers to take home and pair with your next meal, their weekend wine and beer tastings inside the cozy space offer an inviting venue to take a break from the task of shopping and actually become part of the Findlay Market experience.

Having just celebrated a two-year anniversary and fresh off a Best of Cincinnati award for “Best Wine Tasting” in the city, Market Wines is switching gears from wine to its other focus this Saturday. Teaming up with local beer connoisseur Gregg Wilson, for $5 Market Wines proprietor Mike Maxwell is offering a delicious assortment of five hand-crafted brews to taste from 11am to 3pm.

The tastings add a different dynamic to the market Maxwell notes, “Often times customers come in to just to do a tasting, but by the time they leave they have found themselves discussing wine, food, beer, current events and even politics with people whom 10 minutes prior were complete strangers. It is such an added dimension to your Findlay Market visit that helps build the sense of community that we are all striving for in Cincinnati and OTR.”

Aside from helping build relationships on the personal level, it seems as though it also helps build synergies between the Findlay Market business owners. Multiple vendors such as Kroeger & Sons Meats, Taste Of Belgium, and Dojo Gelato pop into Maxwell’s store to buy craft beer to use in their respective treats such as beer brats, crepes and….you guessed it, gelato.

When Market Wines first opened, most of the sales were driven by already existing Findlay Market customers willing to support the new kid on the block. Since then however, Maxwell has seen an increasing number of customers come down specifically for wine and beer tastings having never before stepped foot in Over-the Rhine. By the time they leave they are a fan for life, most re-visiting on a weekly basis for groceries, and of course those wonderful tastings. Maxwell couldn’t be happier, “It’s great to feel like we are really adding to the market and pulling our own weight.”

Findlay Market patrons enjoying Market Wines – photos provided.

This Saturday’s tasting will begin with a few lighter bodied and easier drinking beers. “Hopsun” is a delicious, dry-hopped summer wheat from Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, NY, followed by Marshall, MI-based Dark Horse Brewing Company’s “Raspberry Ale”, a very easy drinking ale with a hint of real raspberries and then “Combined Harvest” from Batemans Brewery, located in Lincolnshire, UK and representing the only imported beer of the day. This ale is brewed as a “multi-grain” beer with Barley, Oats, Wheat and Rye as opposed to just the malted barley used in most.

The flavor profiles will then take a step up into a couple of richer beers, starting with the “Slam Dunkel” Weizenbock and its bready notes of banana and clove, from Weyerbacher Brewing in Easton, PA, then moving into the crowning achievement of the day, with Avery Brewing’s yearly release of the highly regarded “Maharaja” Imperial IPA. Savor every sip of this regal ale and all of its intense hop goodness, but be aware of its potency at over 10% Alcohol by Volume (ABV).

The tasting is open to the public and will run from 11am to 3pm at Market Wines’ location at historic Findlay Market (map) which is open from 8am to 6pm every Saturday. Whether you are already headed to Findlay Market, or if you are still looking for something to bide your time, head down to Market Wines and engage yourself. Cheers!