By Katie Byard

Beacon Journal/ Ohio.com

Posted Feb 12, 2020 at 6:05 PM

Updated Feb 12, 2020 at 10:00 PM

A whole lot of effort went into getting the 25-seat Lil’ Bit Cafe off the ground in Akron’s Kenmore area.

“This is real, and when it’s real it gives you a lot of hope for the neighborhood,” said Tina Boyes, who is working to revitalize the Kenmore Boulevard Historic District, a roughly five-block commercial area where about a quarter of the storefronts are vacant.

Boyes, executive director of the nonprofit Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, talked about the effort at Wednesday’s grand opening ceremony for the eatery at 992 Kenmore Blvd.

The restaurant, which opened late last month and serves sandwiches and made-from-scratch soups and salads, is in a redeveloped former office building.

It is the first sit-down lunch and dinner restaurant to open in years in the area. It’s near the boulevard’s Rialto Theatre, and plans to stay open later during Rialto events.

The restaurant opened thanks to financial incentives and a vision shared by the café’s owner, Akron developer Todd Ederer, Boyes and others.

Wednesday’s ceremony — which included Ederer, café employees and various city officials — moved outside as Akron Mayor Don Horrigan cut red ribbon with oversize scissors.

Among those holding the ribbon was the head of Lil’ Bit’s kitchen and the creator of its menu, Micah Townsend, a resident of Kenmore. Townsend, a 20-plus-year veteran of commercial kitchens, previously worked at Mr. Zub’s Deli in Akron’s Highland Square, where he invented various customer favorites.

At Lil’ Bit, his menu includes Whole Hog (pulled pork, ham, bacon, cheddar cheese and house slaw on a Kaiser bun) and Mac Daddy (panko-crusted fried mac and cheese). There’s also more traditional fare, such as a Pub Burger (with a kaiser bun), egg salad on a croissant and turkey club.

The space has an industrial feel, with its buffed cement floor and unpainted, heavy-duty corrugated steel ceiling. Edison bulbs hang over the tables.

Big step

Sure, Lil Bit is an unassuming place, but Boyes, Ederer and others say it’s a big, eagerly awaited step forward in efforts to revitalize the boulevard.

The café is a training ground for mothers involved with a culinary training program run by JOBS (Jump on Board for Success), a nonprofit that operates out of space in Kenmore’s Park United Methodist Church.

CareSource Foundation of Dayton awarded a $150,000 grant to Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, part of which will go toward paying wages of JOBS workers at the café. The wage subsidy is available to other food-related businesses in the neighborhood that hire JOBS graduates, Boyes said.

Ederer, the owner of the Lil’ Bit business and building, said the idea for the café was hatched more than two years ago at a weekend-long Better Block event on the boulevard organized by the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance.

The Better Block happenings — part of a national program — bring temporary, pop-up businesses and activities to help underused business districts envision a better future.

At the Kenmore Better Block in May 2017, Ederer got to talking with Townsend, the kitchen veteran, about their boulevard dreams.

By that time, Ederer had bought a few storefronts on the boulevard, inspired by work that the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance was doing.

Ederer noted Wednesday in an interview that Akron Councilman Mike Freeman, who was at the grand opening and represents Kenmore in Ward 9, helped persuade him to invest in the area.

Ederer also recalled that as a child he went with his father, developer Alan Ederer, to the now-closed Kenmore Tailors on the boulevard.

“It made me appreciate local neighborhood business districts … over the years, I’ve really become a new urbanist,” Ederer said, referring to those who find inspiration from the way cities developed years ago.

Ederer then found out about Jennifer Herrick, a friend of Townsend, who runs the culinary training program for the JOBS initiative for young mothers.

Herrick said three graduates from the JOBS program are working at Lil’ Bit. Herrick, who ran a cupcake shop on Romig Road in Akron a few years back, runs the front of the house, while Townsend runs the back of the house.

Incentives

In addition to the CareSource grant, the project received a $100,000 loan from the nonprofit Western Reserve Community Fund, which finances ventures in economically distressed neighborhoods.

The project also received a $30,000 facade grant from the city. Ederer used some of the money to install large storefront windows, replacing a single small window. The brick facade has been painted a cream color. A Lil’ Bit Café sign will soon go up outside.

A Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance-commissioned study focusing on retail revitalization was key, Ederer said, in helping convince him to go forward with the restaurant plan.

The study found Kenmore “was leaking restaurant traffic,” with residents going to the Montrose area and other spots to eat out, Boyes said.

She said the study showed demand for up to five additional food-related businesses on the boulevard, roughly five blocks of which were named to the National Register of Historic Places last year. The café is in a 1968 structure, which means it is too young to be included in properties that could land historic tax credits to help developers finance redevelopment projects.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. A walk-up window is available. Phone is 234-718-2233.

Contact reporter Katie Byard at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com.

Updated: Jan 31, 2020

Kenmore Boulevard is home to a new sit-down and carryout restaurant for hungry lunch and dinner-goers. Lil’ Bit Cafe serves up a variety of delicacies, from unique sandwiches to salads and more at the corner of Kenmore Boulevard and 15th St.

No matter what your taste, Lil’ Bit’s menu is sure to satisfy. Signature dishes include the Phillbilly Cheesesteak, Falafel Waffle and Grilled Portabella Sammy: they’re all the creation of Chef Micah Townsend, a 24-year kitchen veteran, lifelong Kenmore resident, and inventor of your favorite pop culture-themed sandwiches at a well known Akron deli and bar.

“Kenmore is home, and one thing the Boulevard has lacked for a while has been a place to sit down and grab dinner,” Townsend said. “I love cooking and I wanted to put my passion back into my neighborhood.”

But Townsend isn’t the only Kenmore-friendly face behind the counter. Lil’ Bit is a collaboration between Townsend, Boulevard property owner Todd Ederer and Kenmore-native pastry chef Jennifer Herrick, who also serves as the lead instructor for the JOBS culinary training program.

“We call the place Lil’ Bit Cafe not only because the building is a bit small, our menu is a lil’ bit of this and a lil’ bit of that,” Townsend explained. He expects the menu to grow over time to become a one-of-a-kind operation in the Akron area.

Another unique aspect of the cafe: Herrick’s JOBS trainees are a part of Lil’ Bit’s day to day operations. The JOBS program offers young mothers culinary skills, time and money management, and one-on-one mentorship. Now, Lil’ Bit Cafe provides them with hands-on training in food service operations, which sets JOBS trainees apart.

In 2018, Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance was awarded a $150,000 Caresource Foundation grant to fund the culinary training program and to provide employment subsidies that encourage local restaurants to hire JOBS trainees.

According to Ederer, these incentives combined with the local demand for sit-down restaurants are what ultimately convinced this developer to try his hand in the restaurant business. A 2019 Retail Revitalization Strategy by KM Date Community Planning uncovered demand for up to five additional food-related businesses on Kenmore Boulevard, including a coffee shop and a fast-casual restaurant like Lil’ Bit Cafe. The lack of Boulevard options meant that residents and their food dollars that could be spent within the district were leaving the neighborhood along their jobs.

“Through this study we see opportunity on The Boulevard,” Ederer said. “We are optimistic Lil’ Bit Cafe will help keep people, jobs, and dollars circulating within the community.”

Lil’ Bit Cafe is open at 992 Kenmore Blvd. Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. with expanded hours on certain nights. For info, catering and to-go orders, call 234-718-2233.

Updated: Dec 31, 2019

This year has been one of history, creativity and fun on Kenmore Boulevard, and we have the donors and volunteers of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance to thank. From cleanups and beautification efforts to street festivals and district marketing, this diverse group of residents is working hard to create an enjoyable, engaging Boulevard experience. Here are a few of the highlights.

#5 HISTORIC DISTRICT & URBAN OVERLAY

On September 6, Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance achieved a major goal: the National Park Service added the Kenmore Boulevard Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places. It was the result of a yearlong effort by KNA with support from the Kenmore Historical Society, City of Akron, State Historic Preservation Office and architects Chambers Murphy & Burge. The goal: to instill pride of place among residents and Boulevard property owners, encourage investment and improve people’s perceptions of our community.

KNA’s volunteer Design & Beautification Committee also partnered with the City of Akron Department of Comprehensive Planning to create special zoning that will preserve the historic scale and charm of the Boulevard. This Urban Overlay also prevents new empty street-fronting spaces like new open-air car lots and out-of-character construction that can detract from the district. We are grateful for their hard work.

#4 “KENMORE OHIO” MURAL

In July, Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance commissioned a mural by Kenmore resident Caleb Aronhalt called “Kenmore Ohio,” which brought color and community pride to the side of 998 Kenmore Blvd. The mural was created in partnership with the University of Akron Art Bomb Brigade, including Kenmore residents Arlie & Paula Sandusky Holman and dozens of local art students. It has quickly become a point of pride and de facto selfie spot for residents and visitors alike. So if you haven’t already done so, snap a selfie and post it to your social media accounts with the hashtag #kenmorerocks. Our social media team loves sharing.

#3 KENMORE CLEAN TEAM

We are grateful to neighborhood groups like Kenmore Kiwanis, First Glance Man Up, Youth2Adults, Girl Scout Service Unit 926 and Church on the Boulevard, as well as volunteers Ryan Boyes and Randy & Debbie Blake for working hard to keep the Boulevard and 18th Street Prayer Garden clean and inviting. Are you looking for an easy service project? KNA is always looking for individuals and groups to help with trash pickup and landscaping help for our Clean Team. Let us know!

#2 BOULEVARD DISTRICT BRANDING

In June, KNA worked with the city to install light pole banners in the Kenmore Boulevard median. This is thanks to KNA’s Promotions Committee, which works to brand Kenmore Boulevard as the center of commerce, culture and community for residents and visitors alike. The banners each represent an aspect of Kenmore, from our musical present, trolley car past and coffee and culinary future. We are grateful to TRIAD Communications Design4Good program for donating their banner design services and to resident Jason Chamberlain for the logo concept.

#1 KENMORE FIRST FRIDAYS

This summer, more than 1,500 people returned to Kenmore Boulevard for live music, food, shopping and free family fun during Kenmore First Fridays. An all-volunteer committee organized an outdoor marketplace, free hands-on activities like art-making, ukulele-playing and golf instruction, food trucks and live performances from some of the region’s best musicians. Artists like Floco Torres, Marc Lee Shannon, Colin John and hometown boys Mr. Pink entertained folks on nearly every corner of Kenmore Boulevard from 13th to 16th St. Food from Flamingo Jack’s Food Truck and Johnny Lotes Latin Street Corn, plus Pierre’s Brooklyn Pizza & Deli, the Kenmore Eastern Sports Bar and Live Music Now Beer Garden made Kenmore Boulevard the place to be for great music, eats and local brews. With your help, the KNA Promotions & Events Committee hopes to make these events bigger and better in 2020.

TOGETHER, WE CAN DO MORE

Thanks to our volunteers, supporters, funders and you, we accomplished much together in 2019. But as we all know, much work remains to be done. Here’s how you can help.

1. Volunteer: Have time or a talent you’d like to contribute to the community? Does your organization or teen need community service hours? Let us know.

2. Donate: All gifts, big and small, can make a huge difference. KNA is a 501(c)(3) charity, so gifts are tax deductible. You can give online or make your checks payable to Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, 1014 Kenmore Blvd. Akron, OH 44314.

Photo: Jesse Barton

On Sept. 6, the National Park Service added the Kenmore Boulevard Historic District to its National Register of Historic Places. Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance Executive Director Tina Boyes announced the designation during the organization’s final Kenmore First Friday event of 2019. It is the first such designation for a neighborhood business district in Akron.

National Register inclusion makes Kenmore Boulevard Historic District properties eligible for historic tax credits, which according to the state’s Office of Strategic Business Investments can have “catalytic economic impact.” When combined with Kenmore Boulevard’s Opportunity Zones, which delay tax on capital gains when invested in properties or businesses the district, Boyes said the impact could be even greater. One project, 952 and 956 Kenmore Blvd., is already in the works by Ederer & Associates, she said.

“We know how daunting commercial revitalization can be, but when you factor in all the city, state and federal incentives and the increased neighborhood retail demand coming with Romig Road development, Kenmore Boulevard suddenly becomes an attractive place to invest your money,” Boyes said.

KNA began pursuing the National Registry designation in 2018, the same year the city of Akron named Kenmore one of 11 Great Streets Districts eligible for competitive façade grants and infrastructure investments. The designation won support from both the Kenmore Historical Society and Kenmore Boulevard property owners and received funding from the City of Akron and Ohio Historic Preservation Pipeline Initiative. The state’s historic preservation office approved the nomination March 22. The

Kenmore Boulevard Historic District runs roughly 872-1030 Kenmore Blvd. and includes 2181 14th St. SW, 2200 15th St. SW and 940 Florida Ave. The district’s properties reflect the architecture of the early 20th century, with entrances built to the sidewalk to accommodate pedestrians and street car users, said historic architect Lauren Burge, principal at Perspectus Historic Architecture, the Chambers, Murphy, & Burge Studio and author of the district’s nomination.

“The district retains its sense of scale and feeling,” she explained. “Most of the contributing buildings to the Kenmore Boulevard Historic District were constructed within a 20-year period between 1908 and 1928 and retain their materials and workmanship, imparting the overall feeling of an early 20th century ‘streetcar suburb’ commercial district.”

In 1901, the Northern Ohio Traction and Light Company developed street car lines to connect new suburban developments to factories. The Kenmore Boulevard line was sited down the center of Kenmore Boulevard, creating a connection between rubber factories in Akron and neighboring industry in Barberton. That same year, the Akron Realty Company began developing Kenmore to be what they termed “the choicest residence section for both the busy cities, as well as for all the factories between them.”

Kenmore’s street car line stopped operating in 1947, but its impact can be seen in the tree-lined center median in its former location and in the growth of the neighborhood, which grew from 1,561 residents in 1910 to 12,683 in 1920 to – today – more than 18,000 residents, making Kenmore the second largest of Akron’s 24 neighborhoods.

ABOUT KENMORE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance is a community development corporation formed in 2016 to preserve, enhance, promote and develop the Kenmore neighborhood in southwest Akron by engaging residents and stakeholders in effecting physical, cultural, artistic, recreational and business revitalization. For more information, visit www.betterkenmore.org or follow KNA on Facebook (facebook.com/knacares), Twitter or Instagram (@kenmoreohio).

Examples of signs in Cincinnati implemented through the CoSign program

Today, the Knight Foundation announced Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance’s “Big Boulevard Sign Build” as one of 36 finalists in the 2019 Knight Arts Challenge. The project would transform Kenmore’s historic business district by leveraging the power of visual art to produce business signage through an artistic sign design competition, education and fabrication process.

Should KNA receive the funding, the group would partner with the CoSign program of the American Sign Museum to engage local business owners, KNA Design Committee members, city zoning officials and sign experts to work alongside and educate local artists to bring their winning submissions to life. A CoSign project in Cincinnati’s Northside neighborhood grew the vibrancy of its retail district while increasing retail sales by 25 percent in its first year.

“Artists are experts in iconography: using design to encapsulate and sell an idea,” said Tina Boyes Executive Director of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance. “By pairing them up with our local businesses and other experts, we believe we can make an immediately noticeable and lasting impact on our community.”

The Knight Arts Challenge aims to help individual artists and arts organizations—across Akron, Miami and Detroit—bring to life authentic works and experiences that capture the spirit of each city. This is the fourth year for the community-wide initiative that funds projects designed to engage and enrich Akron through the arts. Final recipients will be announced at an event at the Akron Art Museum Sept. 25. The 36 finalists include Friends of Chestnut Ridge Park for their “Many Voices, One Akron” project. See the full list of Knight Arts Challenge finalists here.

Where can you see a 12-piece jazz orchestra, taste-test hot sauces, shop for jewelry, t-shirts and bath bombs, and learn a four-chord song in just a few hours? Nowhere other than Kenmore First Fridays.

Every first Friday of the month from 6 to 9 p.m., May to September, Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance welcomes hundreds of residents young and old to back to the Boulevard for a night of family fun and entertainment. The celebrations include food trucks, children’s activities like bounce houses, and craft beer at the Live Music Now Beer Garden, where you can also catch some of the region’s best talent in local rock, hip-hop, jazz and blues.

The Sept. 6 Kenmore First Friday theme is Back to School Superheroes. Kids, adults and even pets are encouraged to dress up as their favorite superhero. Kenmore Komics & Games will be the landing spot for surprise visitors from far-off galaxies. Plus, kids can create bike decorations at stops along the Boulevard, then show them off during a 7:45 bike parade. Prizes will be awarded to best-decorated bike and runner-up.

As always, every 15 minutes starting at 6 p.m. musicians perform outside businesses throughout the Boulevard District. On Sept. 6, the band Kissmass will play hits off the Kiss’s “Alive” album, and rappers Floco Torres and LDG will keep the crowds moving. Plus, don’t miss Martha’s Mistake as they cover all eras and genres, and Michael Stanley guitarist Marc Lee Shannon, who will inspire fans at the New Beginnings stage.

More than a dozen vendors will sell everything from Kenmore t-shirts to jewelry made with guitar strings used by local musicians. Dawn Meehan, a Castle Homes resident and owner of MeehanMakings, sells Kenmore-pride and nostalgia items, including Nesmith Lake mugs and Arena Roller Rink koozies. She sees the First Fridays as more than a way to make money, but a means of bringing pride back to the community.

“First Friday events are such a positive time for Kenmore. It is a great time to showcase local talent, artists and makers,” Meehan said. “I also believe it is a great way to get people back out on the Boulevard to see what is happening and to check out the local businesses. There are great things to down there.”

The events are also a launching point for new businesses, including Kickstand Coffee Company and Lil Bit Café. During First Fridays, Kickstand owners Patrick and Maggie Jackson, both Kenmore residents, sell coffee and iced drinks in front of their soon-to-be location at 975 Kenmore Blvd., a building KNA bought in April with hopes of attracting a coffee shop to the Boulevard. Each month, JOBS (Jump on Board for Success), a nonprofit that provides culinary training to single mothers in the area, offers a taste of what will be featured in their space at 992 Kenmore Blvd. when the café opens this fall.

“The First Fridays get us out of the kitchen to promote the program,” said Jennifer Herrick, the JOBS culinary program coordinator. “Folks get to see the girls and talk to them about what they have learned. It has also gets us in front of potential new students and mentors.”

Kenmore First Fridays are presented by Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance and Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realty and are sponsored by Kenmore Chamber of Commerce, Akron Promise, A-Z Insurance-Dustin Burgess Insurance Group, Freedom Tax Akron, Kenmore Komics & Games, Pegasus Lounge, Schlup-Pucak Funeral Home, Smith’s House of Carpet, Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro, Summit County Public Health and the City of Akron. For more information about this and other events, visit the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance Facebook page at www.facebook.com/knacares.

Kenmore resident Caleb Aronhalt and the University of Akron Art Bomb Brigade worked together to beautify an emerging enclave of activity at Kenmore Blvd. and 15th St. Aronhalt’s mural, entitled “Kenmore, Oh,” now fills the wall of Project Three Gallery and faces the future outdoor seating area of Lil Bit Café.

Funded in part by the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, the work is the culmination of 2017’s Kenmore Imagineer mural competition, conducted by Mac Love as part of his @Play project. Mac distributed a coloring book, which included black and white photos of Kenmore buildings and public spaces, at places like schools, libraries and Boulevard businesses. They drew more than 120 entries from residents of all ages. A group of residents and local leaders named Aronhalt’s concept winner because of its positive depiction of the Kenmore name.

“With the merger of our school, and with so many in our neighborhood fearing – even feeling – a loss of identity, Caleb’s mural helps to ensure our identity is here to stay,” said Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance President Jeffrey Vujevich.

The Art Bomb Brigade is an art and education program that arms University of Akron students and alumni with paint brushes and spray cans to “muralize” highly trafficked sites in our region. Brigade participants include Kenmore residents Arlie and Paula Hollman. To learn more, visit www.akronartbomb.com.

Updated: Jul 11, 2019

Calling all Kenmore homeowners! Are you in need of large and small home repairs? Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohio is looking for two homeowners in the Kenmore area to receive repairs such as: roof replacements, electrical/plumbing repairs, landscaping, accessibility modifications, painting, etc. Kenmore residents who own their homes, meet an income requirement, and are current on their property taxes/on a payment plan for delinquent taxes are eligible to apply.

Work will be completed with the help of volunteers and contractors as a part of Rebuilding Together’s Rebuilding Day event in September. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis – so get your application in as soon as possible! Download the app here.

For questions or more information, contact Justin Chenault at 330-903-3110 or justin.chenault@rebuildingtogetherneo.org.