My brother, sister, and I inherited this big old, 1894 building overlooking the Ohio River in our original hometown of Sardis, Ohio.

Our grandfather had operated a combination grocery, pool hall, and apartment rentals in it. Before that, the building had served as a department store, shirt factory, assembly point for Model A Fords, and casket factory, among other things.

We spent two years rehabbing every inch of the place, inside and out, restoring its original appearance. Then we opened a restaurant named Marv’s Place in honor of our grandfather, Marvin E. Merriner.

Marv’s Place has become a popular institution in the Upper Ohio Valley. People check our Facebook page daily to see my sister Sharon’s menus, homemade desserts, and ingenious seasonal window decorations. I wanted to put up a big neon sign saying ARTISANAL HILLBILLY CUISINE but this brilliant idea was rejected.

Visit us also at www.marvsplace.com.