Restaurant
“We stayed open and offered carryout, which was very well-received in Johnstown,” Denise Blankemeyer said. “Definitely, a very loyal customer base kept us going. Our carryout service continues to be a big part of our business. Prior to closing, we did very little takeout.”
Ghostwriter laid off most of its 20 employees during the shutdown but kept executive chef Brett Fife, general manager Coty Gilchrist, sous chef Jacob Daruda, assistant manager Jacob Blankemeyer and a floater to help with dish-washing, food preparation and carryout.
The restaurant reopened on June 3, but changes needed to be made to provide for proper social distancing to avoid spread of the virus. The public was ready to return.
“We had Crow Works provide custom partitions for us, to provide social distance, and added outdoor patio dining,” Denise Blankemeyer said. “We were able to create partitions on top of each of the booths, and in between bar stools.
“Johnstown is just an amazing community. We were at capacity and sold out the first couple weekends. It’s very humbling and very positive.”
Owning the building allowed Ghostwriter to avoid a major expense for most restaurants rent. The owners brought back all the employees who wanted to return; they had received unemployment benefits during their layoff.
Johnstown Village Manager Jim Lenner praised the restaurant and the company for providing an economic boost to the community through the building renovation and workforce
“The public response has been overwhelmingly positive for Ghostwriter,” Lenner said. “The restoration of the building, table service and food has all be very well received.
“Crow Works has been a great addition to our downtown economy. They’ve become the anchor to our downtown-revitalization efforts. By coming from the Short North to downtown Johnstown, Crow Works has stoked the imagination of others wanting to be part of something great in our community.”
Crow Works is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its 1995 founding in Grandview Heights, and the growing company moved its corporate offices from Columbus to Johnstown last year. Its 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is on a 100-acre campus in Killbuck in Holmes County. Crow Works has served more than 1,000 clients across North America.
Johnstown provides the company a strategic location along Route 62 between Killbuck and the John Glenn Columbus International Airport.
Before the move to Johnstown, the owners decided they needed to sell their workers on the idea of coming to the Licking County village. The purchasing, engineering and marketing employees, who live in places such as Granville, Columbus, New Albany, Westerville, Lewis Center and Dublin, took a field trip to the town, which is expected to officially become a city after the 2020 census.
“We didn’t know how that was really going to go over,” Denise Blankemeyer said. “I don’t know if anybody was freaked out by it.”
One employee said the field trip helped paint the picture and put everyone at ease about what work life would be like in Johnstown. Sixteen employees have returned to the Johnstown office.
“Crow Works continues to thrive,” Denise Blankemeyer said. “We are picking up new clients and maintaining partnerships with our existing clients. Our team has continued to collaborate and work hard to drive the business forward.”