Main Street Grille Restaurant - North Canton, OH

123 S. Main Street, North Canton, OH 44720

http://msgrille.com

From 1908 to 2013, North Canton, Ohio was synonymous with the Hoover Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of vacuum cleaners. Just steps away from that former factory is Main Street Grille Restaurant, one of the only casual upscale restaurants in town.

Owner Larry Owens started his career in computers. He worked for Goodyear before becoming an instructor at Stark State College and running his own software business. His office was located upstairs at 123 S. Main Street. He eventually bought the building and became landlord to the restaurants below him. From 1947 to 1987, Granny’s Restaurant served basic home cooking. Smokin’ Joe’s was a rib joint that moved in afterwards. They were once winners of the annual Ribs Burnoff, a competition that brought in restaurants from across the country to participate in part with the National Football Hall of Fame festival.

When Smokin’ Joe’s owners had trouble meeting their rent, Owens tried to lease the restaurant space to others. “I just didn’t feel comfortable with anyone I met. So I thought, ‘Let’s see what I can do with it,’” he says.

Owens, with the help of his sons and a few friends, took on a five-month task of renovating the space. He wanted to sell liquor at the restaurant, but North Canton is a dry town and it required a license and approval by residents. Owens spent a year going door to door telling residents about his plans and gaining approval from individuals as well as many churches in town.

Getting into the restaurant business wasn’t anything Owens knew about, so he picked a relatively generic name and originally made his menu large. “At first, I did everything for everybody. I didn’t know what would stick.” Gone are the pub food items he first featured. Today, the restaurant is known for steaks, seafood and pastas. Two items on the menu showcase the history of the address. “We have baby back ribs,” Owens was quick to point out. One of the cooks from Smokin’ Joe’s shared the recipe. The apple dumpling that Granny’s Restaurant once served is here as well.

Owens says he had the owner from Granny’s in his restaurant a number of years ago. She was treated to the apple dumpling and, sensing that the Main Street Grille Restaurant cooks had improved upon it from the simple recipe she used, commented that she “loved it, but wouldn’t through all that trouble [to make it that way].”

Main Street Grille Restaurant has grown in popularity and Owens has made renovations and improvements little by little during the 10 years it’s been open. He's added a wine cellar, party room, patios, wine shop and an area known as the New Berlin Room. “North Canton was originally known as New Berlin,” Owens reminds. New Berlin was the first village to be plotted when Stark County was organized in the mid-1800s. By the mid-1900s, even though most of the residents were of German descent, Germany was an enemy in World War I.

An article in the Canton Repository quoted Christopher Post, assistant professor of geography at Kent State University Stark Campus, regarding the reason for the change, “All over America, things bearing Germanic names were changed — hospitals, schools, towns, streets, even family names…after a petition drive, New Berlin, population 926, changed its name to North Canton on Jan. 30, 1918.”

Owens makes a point of incorporating the village history in his place. He tips his hat to the vacuum giant with a “Boss” Hoover “Succit Up” martini. Lining the walls of restaurant are black and white photos from the historical society. Customers can view images that show Main Street when it was nothing more than a dirt road.