Most people know Hot Springs, VA as the home of The Omni Homestead Resort. This historic tourist attraction, which offers a variety of amenities and activities, brings people from all over the mid-Atlantic and beyond and has inspired a spark of economic growth in the area.
One of the businesses that has taken advantage of this growth is Michel’s Wood Fire Pizza, which opened up in early August of 2019. John Ellinger and Eddie Neutlings have partnered up with the shared vision of building a place for locals and tourists to come together in the community and enjoy great food. The restaurant is located on Main Street next to Bacova Beer Company. The two businesses are connected so you can get a delicious wood fired pizza and enjoy a beer from next door.
“If it wasn’t for Highlands Community Bank, we would never have opened our doors,” says John.
John also owns Mountain Ways Contractors and leads the charge on business management. Eddie has a background as a cook in the food service industry and leads the kitchen and recipe creation for the pizza shop.
In addition to the funding for renovations to the building from Highland Community Bank, the duo received support from The Gauntlet program run by the Advancement Foundation, which we sponsor, winning the Community Choice Award. Their passion for being a part of building up the Hot Springs community was clearly recognized during the competition.
“I’ve dealt with some of the other banks in the area but we wanted to get the support and relationship that you get from a local bank,” he adds. “They helped us prepare for opening and are still supporting us as we get into the groove of things. We’ve been busy since we opened up so that’s a good problem to have.”
We’re looking forward to seeing the impact of this new restaurant on Main Street in Hot Springs and watching Michel’s Wood Fire Pizza thrive.