Will Hollingsworth opened his first business,
Spotted Owl, nine years ago. Since then he has added a second Owl location in Akron, purchased
Prosperity Social Club in Tremont, did the same with
Good Company in Battery Park, and soon will open Old 86, a neighborhood bar, in Detroit Shoreway. Now, working under the umbrella Buildings & Food, Hollingsworth’s hospitality group has its sights set on further growth and expansion, as detailed in this week’s
dining feature.
Following the debut of Old 86, likely to happen in February, the next order of business for Buildings & Food is the expansion of the Good Company brand. Chef-owner Brett Sawyer opened the contemporary neighborhood tavern in 2019. Last year, Hollingsworth partnered with Sawyer to bring the restaurant into the Buildings & Food family.
Apart from a summer run as Twin Palms, a patio-centric concept shared by the Tremont location, Spotted Owl Akron has been closed to the public since March of 2020. Since then, the space has served as a production facility for beverage products used company wide. In the coming months, the space will be converted into the second Good Company location.
“The Akron space turned out beautifully and we get a lot of requests for private events there,” Hollingsworth explains. “As I was considering putting in a more serious kitchen there, I realized that Good Company might be a perfect fit.”
Aesthetically, adds Hollingsworth, the Akron Spotted Owl already aligns with the original Good Company with its green and white walls. blond wood, and light and airy vibe. Most of the work ahead will be focused on the addition of a proper kitchen. When it opens sometime this summer, Good Company Akron (60 S. Maple St.) will mimic its northern sibling in terms of food, service and setting.
“Good Company is for families,” states Hollingsworth. “You want to give your kids the kind of food that they want – chicken nuggets and french fries and cheeseburgers – but you want to know that it’s made from scratch from good, whole ingredients.”
At Good Company, everything but the ketchup, mustard and mayo are made from scratch in-house. As Buildings & Food continues to grow, there might come a time when a central bakehouse will become necessary to better facilitate the production of items like bread, buns, pretzels, ice cream and pastries for all the properties.
Hollingsworth says that the Akron Good Company will be a “good test” for the brand. Down the road, he says that he can easily see expanding the concept into suburban locations throughout the region.
“When you go there and have that experience, it’s very easy to imagine bringing it out to where the families are,” he says.
click to enlarge Douglas Trattner
Spotted Owl Akron
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