TSEP Award Spotlight: MST Pub

Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership is proud to have named MST Pub as a 2021 Outstanding Business Award winner during the 2021 Annual Meeting June 3. Owner Chris Chase started working at MST Pub, then Madison Street Tavern, in 2004 when he was getting his master's degree at Tiffin University. "What I found was just a really great community, and that's basically why I chose to stay," he said. A year after he started working there, he became a manager and then purchased the business in 2009. One of Chase's goals was to take the business from a college bar to a full-service restaurant. Since he took ownership, Chase has invested in updating the business' interior and exterior, including adding permanent tables, and creating a whole different atmosphere. "It was really a matter of trying to clean it up and give Tiffin something that I think they needed, which is a different eating option, which is how I progressed to it being a restaurant from just a bar," Chase said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MST was forced to close for a few weeks, but quickly pivoted to carry-out and curb-side pick-up. "The community really supported us, in buying gift cards and showing us a lot of love with the to-go food. My staff was great, making the transition seamlessly," Chase said. "Taking phone calls, running food out to the curb, making sure we're sanitizing everything. It was very difficult in the beginning, but I think we transitioned well, and without the love from the community and all the support we got from them, it wouldn't be as good for us." MST has a tradition of supporting the community, by providing food and gift cards for the high schools and local sports teams when asked. Chase was especially proud to have supported the Front Line Proud initiative by selling T-shirts at the restaurant, as well as making donations so that the group could provide lunches for hospital staff and other front-line workers during the pandemic. The mission of that group is to generate funds to recognize and support frontline workers while promoting unity and supporting our essential workforce through diverse and distinct actions. "We don't say no too often. If we can help somebody out, we definitely try," Chase said. Chase thanked his family, his wife and their two children for supporting him and his staff, and the community for helping to make the business a success. "That's why we do all this, for the community. We really appreciate all the support they've given us through the years," Chase said. To view video of the award winner, visit https://youtu.be/-1rIxoT4Yec.