Ironwood Steakhouse recognized with Entrepreneurial Spirit Award by TSEP

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Seneca County Commissioner Mike Kerschner (from left) poses for a picture with Mitch Felton and Steve Shuff, two of the investors of Ironwood Steakhouse, during the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership 2020 Annual Meeting Feb. 27.

TIFFIN, OHIO – March 11, 2020 – Opened in 2017 as the flagship of the investors of the Seneca Restaurant Group, Ironwood Steakhouse, 4399 S. SR 231, Tiffin, has continued to grow to be an asset to the community. For that, its investors were recognized by Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership at the 2020 Annual Meeting with the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

“A lot of the reason the 45 investors stepped up and put their money in was just to be part of everything positive in Tiffin and Seneca County. We’re just excited we can be a small part of that,” said Mitch Felton, president of IS Insurance & Investments and an investor with the group.

“We started with the idea of a hamburger restaurant, modeled after (In and Out Burger), and we had a company called ‘Thick and Thin,’ but after a while we decided that really, steak was better than hamburgers, so we decided that Tiffin and Seneca County could use a really outstanding steakhouse. So, that is the journey that we started through many years of planning, and discussing and looking at sites,” said Steve Shuff, Seneca County Common Pleas Court Judge and member of the investor group.

The group wanted to create a casual and friendly, but nicer dining experience and focus on using quality ingredients at affordable prices. Jimmy Jones, chef and general manager, said that was the idea that was pitched to him during a conversation with Felton.

“The idea seemed appealing to me at the time, being a little more creative, doing things on my own, versus some of the bigger companies I’ve been with,” Jones said.

After doing some searching for locations, Shuff said the group approached the board at Mohawk Golf Course to see if they could take over food and beverage and open the club’s restaurant to the public. After approval, the group went to work to make improvements to the kitchen and dining room, renovating the look of the existing space to give a fresh, modern look.

“We created a place where business people and families could have a little bit more formal dining experience,” said Felton, who was the winner of the 2018 TSEP Lifetime Achievement Award.

Last year, constructed a tent that can hold up to 300 people for events, such as golf outings and weddings.

“We’ve just had a lot of events that are open to the community, open to the public, and the plans are to do a lot more of those things this year,” Felton said.

Felton and Shuff thanked the other investors, their families and the staff, many of whom have been involved from the beginning. Jones echoed their comments.

“I’d just like to thank the investors and the community of Tiffin, Ohio, for supporting Ironwood Steakhouse and making us a slow — but a good — success,” Jones said.

For more information about Ironwood Steakhouse, visit http://ironwoodtiffin.com/.

About the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership

Started in 1983 as the Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC), the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to driving positive economic, downtown, and community development in Tiffin and Seneca County, Ohio, which consistently ranks among the top communities nationally for economic development. Learn more about the great things going on in Tiffin and Seneca County at www.tiffinseneca.org.

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