Local
Several new businesses set to open in Tiffin
TIFFIN, OH — A slate of new businesses are set to open in the city of Tiffin in the new year.
Some are local startups while others are established national chains that see Tiffin as a great market to open a location for their companies.
The Pregame: Indoor sports & recreation center
Tiffin’s first indoor golf and hunting simulator will open its doors after the New Year. The indoor sports center will feature various gaming areas for all ages, with a wide variety of options. In addition to the simulators, The Pregame will offer billiards, darts, ping pong, corn hole, shuffleboard, as well as a slot car track and a video game arena. The owners say “the goal is to provide Tiffin residents of all ages with a fun and family friendly complex to enjoy gaming.”
Owner, Troy Albright, has been touring various sites and researching the Tiffin market with the assistance of Shuff Consulting LLC for the past year and a half. Troy has been looking forward to making the move over to Tiffin from his previous location in Clyde. He feels this will be a perfect fit for his business as well as add value and something new to the people of Tiffin. Mr. Albright also intends on working with local vendors and having food for patrons as well as allowing them to bring in their own beverages. Renovations are currently taking place and The Pregame aims to open within the first few months of 2019.
Planet Fitness: 24-Hour Gym & Fitness Center
A franchise of the national fitness chain Planet Fitness has signed a lease with Tiffin Mall owners. The 24-hour gym will be located in the former Dollar General and Label Shopper spaces. The facility is projected to open in mid-late 2019.
This will be the eighth facility for franchise owner Mark Christie. He said he has been looking at Tiffin for a two to three years, waiting on the right space. “We are very excited to come to the Tiffin market and provide a low price, high value option for community members to get into fitness,” he said.
Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz commented, “This is the fourth announcement for the Tiffin Mall site since it was purchased nearly two years ago and things are not slowing down. I am pleased to welcome Planet Fitness and look forward to continued development in our commercial corridor.”
Planet Fitness is open 24 hours a day, staffed at all time, and provides free personal fitness training, and a Judgement Free Zone, providing a comfortable, safe, and energetic environment where everyone feels accepted and respected at any fitness level. The spacious, 16,000 square foot facility will hold more than 70 brand new pieces of cardio and strength equipment, as well as a lobby, locker rooms and showers.
A standard Planet Fitness membership is $10, or members can choose the $21.99 PF Black Card plan, which comes with additional perks including tanning, red light therapy, hydro massage and massage chairs, use of any Planet Fitness facility, and guest passes.
Dan Perry announced in October the formation of the Tiffin Pedal Company, a mobile party venue allowing patrons to pedal their way through different tours in Tiffin. The custom-made vehicle, which is powered by bicycle-like pedaling, is expected to hit the streets in April 2019.
On Wednesday, Perry announced that the bike to be used for the company has arrived in Tiffin, making the business one step closer to reality.
The bike seats 14-15 people as well as a provided driver to steer the vehicle. It can be reserved for groups at an hourly rate of $140 (minimum two-hour reservation) or individuals can join mixer tours, reserving a seat for $11 per person per hour. The tours are expected to last an average of 2-3 hours, including stops at different locations, depending on the tour. All food and beverages are BYOB, and tours will include stops at bars, restaurants, retail shops, and places of interest.
Alcohol is allowed on the bike with a couple stipulations. Patrons can each have up to a 36 oz. beer or 18 oz. wine on the bike, in a non-glass container. Tours that might make use of this are bar crawls, bachelor and bachelorette parties, anniversaries, birthdays, and beer/wine tastings. The bike is open to all ages, so long as they meet the height requirement, and can be used in a variety of family friendly activities as well, such as town history tours, ice cream crawls, and kid birthday parties. Groups can decorate the bike to suit their party, and a Bluetooth stereo system will allow them to play their own music. Perry has a list of possible tours and uses for the bike but is always open to suggestions.
Perry is a Tiffin native, where he lives with his family. He is a barber at Champs Barber Shop in downtown Tiffin and a partner in a residential rental business he runs with his brothers.
Look for more information as it develops and/or shoot Dan a message with suggestions on the Tiffin Pedal Company Facebook page. Their website, which will offer online booking, is currently in development.
Rolling Thunder: Family Fun & Entertainment Center
Findlay-based roller skating rink Rolling Thunder announced today intentions to close their current location and to work toward opening a new location in Tiffin in early 2019.
Owner Tim Thwaits said he has been looking at the Tiffin market for more than a year and has identified a possible location. “Our research over the last couple years shows that much of our business is from Tiffin and Seneca County.
We have the opportunity and the time is right to move our business here and provide a family friendly activity center to the community,” he said.
Rolling Thunder has been a staple of the Findlay-Hancock County community since the end of 2010, providing kids and family entertainment through a skating rink, arcade, birthday party services, as well as skate sales and repair.
The same amenities will be offered in the Tiffin location, which is anticipated to be larger than the current Findlay location, allowing for the possibility of a larger rink and/or more entertainment options. Several details have yet to be finalized. The Findlay facility has closed January 1, 2019 in anticipation of the relocation.
Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz supports the planned development. “I am pleased that Tim is looking at Tiffin to relocate his operations and the City of Tiffin will do whatever we can to help facilitate the move,” he said.
Rolling Thunder announced Friday that they have started moving to the Tiffin location.
Panda Express is a fast-casual dining chain serving American Chinese cuisine. The chain plans to open in a location in Tiffin sometime in 2019. Founded in Glendale, CA in 1983, Panda Express has more than 2,000 locations throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, Guatemala, Canada, Mexico, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Korea, Panda Express is part of the family owned and operated Panda Restaurant Group, the world leader in Asian dining experiences that also includes Panda Inn and Hibachi-San. For more information, visit pandaexpress.com.
