Welcome Greek's

CELINA - A pizza restaurant chain with a large presence in Indiana maybe coming to downtown Celina this year.

McCoy Pizza Co. LLC of Portland, Indiana, which owns the Portland Greek's Pizzeria, plans to purchase and remodel the building at 129-131 W. Fayette St., and open its second restaurant, with dining, carryout and potentially delivery services. The total project is estimated to cost $634,000 and would create the equivalent of 11 full- time jobs, according to Mercer County documents. The website for Greek's lists 28 restaurants throughout Indiana.

The property once housed Bottle 'N' Keg and Drunken Monkey Bar and Grill. McCoy's plans call for extensive renovation of the building.

"I think we'll be closing on the building mid-June," McCoy Owner and CEO Shawn McCoy said. "I think we might be able to get started in July."

If that happens, Greek's Pizzeria could open yet this year, he said.

"We are so excited to get going in downtown Celina," McCoy added.

Mercer County commissioners this week, after holding a public hearing on the matter, approved the company's application for a combined $263,000 revolving loan, contingent upon the completion of an environmental review and authorized release of funds by Ohio Development Services Agency.

The funds would be used to purchase the property and equipment. McCoy also has $31,000 in equity and $340,000 from a private lender to finance the overall $634,000 project, county documents show.

The county's $169,000 revolving loan for equipment purchase is for seven years at 3% interest and its $94,000 revolving loan for the building is for 20 years at 3% interest, per county documents.

The project is expected to create 11 full-time equivalent jobs, six of which will be offered to low- to moderate-income people.

Mercer County Community Development Director Jared Ebbing spoke enthusiastically of the proposed restaurant.

"The McCoys have owned Greek's Pizzeria over in Portland for years, and before the whole COVID-19 got started they had been looking in Ohio, Mercer County specifically," Ebbing said.

Ebbing's been in contact with Shawn and Candy McCoy for about nine months, directing them to potential locations and buildings, he said.

"I've seen the renderings, and they look gorgeous," Ebbing said. "You've got to start refurbishing parts of your downtown slowly, one building at a time. If they do what they say they're going to, that facility, both inside and out, will be a gem, and that will, I think, spur other redevelopment opportunities in downtown Celina."

Shawn McCoy told the newspaper the menu would consist of pizzas, sandwiches, pasta, breadsticks and potentially chicken wings.

"I would like to have an expanded wing option so we'll have a lot more unique flavors you just can't get anywhere," he said. "Also, I would like to do some different types of sandwiches."

He described the proposed atmosphere as family-friendly with a sports bar-like vibe, as the restaurant would serve beer and mixed drinks.

"We like to keep it fun. We like to keep it family-friendly also," he said.

Shawn McCoy said he would manage the Celina Greek's Pizzeria while simultaneously training other managers.

The county's revolving-loan program started almost 3 decades ago and is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that are funneled through the state. The local economic development office reviews, approves and distributes the funding.

The low-interest county revolving loans can be used to buy fixed assets such as land, buildings, machinery and equipment and as working capital to expand an existing or start-up business.

Unless used for local infrastructure needs or removal of blight and slums, the loans are repaid to the fund with interest to provide funding for future loans.