Jan. 19—Red Creek Bar and Grill has welcomed local residents and provided food to community groups in nearly seven years of business, and later this month its efforts will be recognized by the Eastern Lake County Chamber of Commerce.

The Painesville Township restaurant was selected by the Award Committee to receive the chamber's 2023 Business of the Year Award at its Jan. 26 awards luncheon, according to a chamber news release. At the same event, Painesville United Methodist Church will receive the chamber's 2023 Beacon Award.

Chamber Executive Director Kelly Donahue explained that "the Business of the Year...is a business or industry that devotes time, financial capital resources and effort back into the community, operates a successful enterprise and promotes business development in the eastern Lake County area.

"The business principal or organization must have demonstrated community involvement and/or made civic contributions."

The release noted that Red Creek "is affectionately known as the 'Cheers' of Painesville Township, reminiscent of the iconic television show bar." It also recognized restaurant owner Nick Raischel for contributing food to local schools and charities.

"We're all about the community around here," Raischel said. "We've got a whole bunch of schools very close. Our staff is made up of a lot of kids that attend those schools. So any kind of awards, banquets or just functions that they have, we try to help out as much as we can. Feeding the football team, feeding the cheerleaders, just anything that we can do to help."

Raischel noted that the community helped Red Creek navigate the challenges of the pandemic.

"The pandemic was crazy," he said. "We had to switch roles and go like a lot of people and completely change our model. Once we figured it out, the community just kept ordering, kept supporting us, and they would leave us lovely notes and send us cards. It was great."

Donahue said the restaurant was "notable throughout the pandemic," adding, "the restaurant found ways to push through that situation, the pandemic, and continue to support local nonprofits, support local schools, despite the challenges to its own industry and business."

Raischel learned that Red Creek would be named Business of the Year in December.

"They kind of ambushed me here at the restaurant one day," he said, adding that he felt "complete surprise, complete joy, very honored."

According to Raischel, Red Creek includes a restaurant, a bar and a banquet room that can fit close to 100 people. He describes its meals as "comfort food," including meals such as pizza and pasta.

Other menu items include burgers, fries and wings.

"Good food, big portions, great services, that's kind of our thing," said Raischel, adding that the restaurant also offers delivery, takeout and catering options.

He said that he has 20 years of experience running restaurants, including in Painesville and Mentor. He previously worked with the building's owner, Anthony Zapatelli, and they decided to open Red Creek in April 2016.

Raischel expressed appreciation for the restaurant's patrons.

"There's great people here," he said. "We're in a great spot. There's not much around here either, so that kind of helped out too, but we have die-hard regulars, people I see every day, and they've taken great care of us."

He also said Red Creek has "a great team, great family," adding, "Most of them have been with us for years, some from day one, and we've got a good thing going."

Red Creek Bar and Grill is located at 1820 North Ridge Road.

Meanwhile, the Beacon Award "recognizes accomplishment of uncommon deeds," Donahue said.

She added, "The recipient shall have had a positive impact on the community through their actions and demonstrated devotion to a cause for the benefit of the community and provided leadership, participation and support to the cause."

Beacon Award winner Painesville United Methodist Church was recognized for "working to make the lives of those it touches better." It mentioned the church's food pantry, support for Hope Chest and similar groups, an appreciation luncheon for first responders, partnerships to host various community groups and other acts of service.

Painesville United Methodist Church to mark building's 150th anniversary in 2023

"We're here with one single mindset," said church Director of Outreach, Marketing and Support Services Maria Strickland. "We're here to focus on our mission, to bring the word of Christ, the word of the Lord to the community and to demonstrate that through our actions."

She added that the church "is 90 percent volunteer powered."

"Nothing takes place here without volunteers," Strickland explained. The church's volunteers include people who vacuum and polish the brass, make prayer shawls or other items for people in difficult situations and distribute food from the pantry.

"I would be remiss if I made a statement that didn't say thank you to them for all that they do," she said.

Donahue also said the church is celebrating its building's 150th anniversary in 2023.

"That's a very significant milestone for any organization, and clearly, the church is extremely vibrant," she said.

"We just want to showcase that we are an open facility," Strickland said, adding, "The door is open wide to everybody, and everybody is welcome to worship with us and everybody is welcome to participate in the life of the church."

Painesville United Methodist Church is located on Painesville Square at 71 N. Park Place.

Donahue said that registration deadline for the luncheon is Jan. 24. Perry High School students will create videos honoring both award recipients, and Harvey High School students from the chamber's ECITY program will show products that they have created.

Food will be catered by Red Creek, which she said was decided before the award winners were named.

The luncheon will be held at the Painesville Township Park Community Center, located at 1025 Hardy Road, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 26. Registration costs $40 for chamber members and $50 for non-chamber members. Both groups can register and learn more at easternlakecountychamber.org.