Locals We Love – Small Businesses and Unique Stories
Posted on Jan 4
Get to know some incredible locals and their unique stories.
What makes Butler County, Ohio such a great place to be? That's easy— our people.
Cassie Dyer
Artist + Owner of JellyDoodles
Behind the colorful art and whimsical characters of JellyDoodles, you'll find a talented artist named Cassie Dyer. "Happy art for the young at heart," is how she describes her business. Shop paintings, buttons, stickers, jewelry and more at her studio located in the Middletown Pendleton Art Center.
What has been the highlight for you since opening your business? Making friends with the people that have supported my business through the years. Seeing the improvement in my work year to year has been a big highlight as well… I love progress!
What’s the thing that surprises people most about your business? The most consistent question I’ve been asked lately is “did you make ALL of this?!” Being in business for so many years has helped me build an inventory with lots of different products and characters.
What is your relationship with your customers like? They are truly the greatest people! Making and selling cute things brings out the joy and childlike nature in people, and it brings me a lot of happiness to be able to make people smile. I hope I make them as happy as they make me.
Can you share your favorite Hidden Gem in Butler County? The Pendleton Art Center in Middletown. There are so many talented artists in one building for people to shop from and take classes. On the first Friday of every month from 5-9pm, the artists at PAC open their doors for anyone and everyone to stop by. It's definitely my favorite day of the month!
What are some other Butler County favorites? My family and I love Central Pastry Shop in Middletown. I've made a meal out of their cookies more than once! I also love taking my daughter to Chrisholm Historic Farmstead in Trenton and the music mural in Governor's Square across from PAC.
Brad Baker
A successful journey that started on the show Shark Tank led Brad Baker to open Pinball Garage in Hamilton— an incredible arcade that features over 45 pinball machines, a full bar, restaurant, cotton candy machine, games and more.
What surprises people most about your business? How family-friendly we are. There are a lot of arcades geared towards adults, but we are kid-friendly all year. Even with our bar and 30 draft beers, we are able to keep a family-friendly atmosphere; we even have an old-fashioned root beer on draft for kids!
Do you have a favorite pinball machine? Medieval Madness. It’s the No. 1 ranked pinball machine of all time. I just really enjoy playing it; although every time a new machine comes out I think it’s going to be my favorite.
What’s the best thing about being a business owner in Hamilton? In my opinion, it’s the other local businesses and how we support each other. It’s really the “we” is greater than “me” philosophy. This town works together so that everyone can benefit.
What is your go-to restaurant in Butler County? There are so many good restaurants around, but Mz. Jade’s Soul Food in Middletown is one of my favorites. Her story is amazing and a minority, woman-owned business. She is so sweet and her food is crazy good; she makes an incredible crab leg boil for a great price!
Rosanna Ruwe
Owner of Lulu's Sweets Boutique
It all started with her homemade carrot cake... and in 2022 Rosanna Ruwe transformed her home bakery business into Lulu's Sweets Boutique, where all of her incredible macarons, cupcakes, cookies and custom cakes are made from scratch.
What’s the story behind the name of your bakery? It’s after my youngest daughter’s nickname, short for Lucia. When we voted for the name, it’s a well-known fact that she has the sweetest tooth in the family, so it made sense to go with Lulu’s. It was meant to be!
What’s your personal favorite menu item? It changes a lot with our seasonal menus. Right now it is the coconut macaron— I am obsessed with it. I'm also a chocolate girl , so year-round my favorite item is my chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream.
What is your favorite piece of local art? "Incrementum" the StreetSpark mural that you see driving into Hamilton on High Street, and the electric box across the street is also painted. They're both so pretty.
What’s your favorite color and why? It’s very basic, but I love pink— to me, it sparks joy. I have a lot of pink in the shop and we also have custom pink macaron boxes.
What inspires you? My dad is my biggest inspiration. I get emotional just thinking about it. Growing up, he always reinvented himself and owned his own businesses in Venezuela, so I think I get that from him. When our country started falling apart 10 years ago, he had to sell everything. He came here to start over when he was 55 years old, and he's resilient as ever.
Mark Borison
Podcast Producer + Host at Jungle Jim's International Market
The Jungle Jim’s Podcast was started to broadcast the world of food and discuss people, art, culture, behind-the-scenes secrets of Jungle Jim’s, and more all from inside the enormous amusement park for foodies!
What has been the highlight since starting your podcast? Calling Jungle Jim himself after only working for him for only a few months to say, “Hey Jungle! I made a joke on the internet that got out of control and now I have to bath in 25 gallons of Cincinnati chili at work. Is that cool?” The second highlight was bathing in that chili. Being able to produce something like this in a grocery store is the most crazy, insane thing ever. And I love that I work for someone whose response was, “Do you want to do the most crazy, insane thing ever?”
Do you have a favorite product at Jungle Jim's? A soda called Mezzo Mix made by Coca-Cola in Germany using a fresh orange as the base. It is a beautiful blend, and because they use real sugar, it tastes better than what you usually get in the U.S.
What surprises people most about Jungle Jim's? The scale of everything. I love watching people try to navigate the place. If you asked customers, it would probably be the bathrooms.
What’s your favorite outdoor activity in Butler County? Strolling around Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park with Bark Morison, my Australian Mix pup— but I really want to try wakeboarding at Wake Nation!
The Vinson Family
Co-Owners of BirdBrain Apparel
At age 16, BirdBrain founder Jason Vinson Jr. started his own clothing line with the support from his family. Since the startup, Jason and his brothers, Troy and Donovan, and their mom Sarah, have experienced humbling growth, transforming their dream into an operation. Their motto? It’s just a dream until you act upon it.
Who or what inspires you? Our parents, Jason Vinson Sr. and Sarah Vinson, inspire us the most. They have made many personal sacrifices to put us in a position to better ourselves and our family legacy. Their wisdom and guidance run deeper than just our clothing brand. Our business motto comes from the drive and passion that they have instilled into us.
What’s the story behind your business name? Our clothing brand didn’t start by simply picking a name and printing shirts. “Bird” originated from co-founder Jason's childhood nickname (J-Bird). “Brain” comes from the long process of brainstorming ideas before we found an unforgettable name, BirdBrain.
What surprises people most about BirdBrain Apparel? We are a small, family-owned business. We try to establish a professional environment by the way we present our products and the way we carry ourselves as salesmen. Shoppers often ask us if we are a franchised business, and they are more so impressed than surprised when we tell them we are family-owned and operated.
What is your go-to restaurant in Butler County? That would be SOB Steakhouse at Liberty Center. They have the best food and the best service. When you go, you must try the macaroni pancake. 10/10 spot!
Kathryn Marsman
Nestled in the heart of vibrant Uptown Oxford, Kofenya is more than just a place to grab your morning caffeine; it's a warm, inviting cafe that embodies the essence of the Oxford community. Its cozy atmosphere, local brews, and passion for quality make it a gathering spot for locals and those passing through. Whether you're seeking a quiet moment of reflection, engaging in animated conversation with friends or family, or craving the perfect espresso shot, Kofenya welcomes you.
What surprises people about Kofenya? Kofenya Coffee was started by two women who were in their junior year of college at Miami University.
What's your favorite menu item? This past spring, we started a roasting company above our coffee shop, Firefly Roasting, and it has been incredibly exciting to incorporate these roasts and profiles into our classic recipes.
Do you have any Butler County go-tos? Krishna in Oxford— there are no bad options on the menu. Also, Flub's Dari-ette is a summer must for sweet treats!
What's your favorite outdoor activity in Butler County? Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park in Hamilton is a great way to view unique pieces while enjoying the outdoors.