Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Daughters.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Chillicothe, OH. I graduated from Chillicothe High School in 2000 and attended college at Ohio University. I majored in business and completed Army ROTC. I graduated in 2004 and was commissioned an Officer in the US Army. I served from 2004 – 2012 as an Infantry Officer, holding various Command and Staff assignments in the United States and two year long deployments; the Horn of Africa in 2006-2007 and Afghanistan in 2011. In 2012 I left the Army and moved back home to Chillicothe with my wife Kelly and daughter. Upon moving home I joined the family business, the Chillicothe Dairy Queen. Immediately my wife and I saw an opportunity to expand and modernize the brand and opened up a new Dairy Queen location in 2013.
When we moved back home in 2012 we were inspired by the revitalization effort that was just beginning in Downtown Chillicothe. Young families like ours were moving back home, starting businesses and eager to improve our community. Kelly and I were excited to be a part of the revitalization movement and jumped head first into opening an independent restaurant. In 2016 we purchased a building on 2nd St. named Machinery Hall by the original owners which was built in 1881. After extensive structural and cosmetic construction, we opened the Pour House at Machinery in the summer of 2017.
The Pour House at Machinery Hall is a full service, Chef driven Gastropub. The concept is built around the historic 1881 building and is a quilt work of ideas inspired in Kelly and me from our 8 years of living around the country while serving in the Army and saying “why don’t we have this in Chillicothe”.
In the 8 years since opening the Pour House, we have faced countless challenges including COVID. Through the adversity, we have learned, grown and deepened our passion for the hospitality industry and the community we serve. We continue to work every day to improve both the Pour House and the Chillicothe Dairy Queen’s.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
If this has been a smooth road, I would hate to see a bumpy one! We have faced challenge after challenge. When we got into the Dairy Queen business we had to immediately figure out the process of not only starting a new franchise business, but we also had to navigate the process of commercial construction. After about three years of operating the Dairy Queen, we naively thought we knew everything there was to know about running a restaurant, and commercial construction. In hindsight, we knew very little. Our 1881 built Machinery Hall had numerous structural issues that had to be addressed. We also had the challenge of designing and building a commercial kitchen, full service bar and 160 person capacity restaurant in a space that was designed and built 135 years earlier. After launching the restaurant and getting off the ground we were feeling good moving into 2020. When COVID hit in 2020 we had to figure out things at both the Dairy Queen and Pour House. Our immediate concerns shifted to employee and guest safety, financially managing the fallout and struggling to find motivation in the day to day. After COVID we faced many of the same challenges as other businesses. Soaring inflation, employee shortages, supply chain disruptions and raising interest rates pushed us to work tirelessly to improve our business a little more every day. Through the struggles we have found success by focusing on providing the best value and experience for our guests, placing the culture of our teams at the center of our attention, staying motivated to be a little better today than we were yesterday and remaining positive!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am extremely focused on growing our businesses. I take great pride in building teams, setting audacious goals and attacking the goals to the best of our ability. I am also extremely passionate about improving our community. Chillicothe, OH is a special place with a deep history, natural and outdoor beauty, unique architecture and a rich culture. There is something very special about our community which is a large reason Kelly and I chose to move back here and put down roots. I don’t want to just live in this community, I want to improve this community! I have had the opportunity to serve on the boards of the Ross County Health District, Chillicothe Education Foundation, Ross County Convention and Facilities Commission and founding board member of Downtown Chillicothe, Inc. Through service in these organizations I have found great joy in developing impactful relationships and building community partnerships. I am extremely proud to be a part of these organizations and to help shape the future direction of the community as a whole.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Here is a little more history and background on the Pour House and Machinery Hall:
The Pour House at Machinery Hall is Chillicothe’s original Gastropub. The restaurant opened on June 30, 2017. The menu features recognizable chef driven cuisine with an emphasis on craft beer and craft cocktails. The food and beverage menus are constantly evolving and changing with the seasons. The space is designed to welcome friends and family to gather and “eat better, drink local and live social”!
The building located at 25 East Second Street that is home to the Pour House, was built in 1881 and named “Machinery Hall” by the original owners. When completed, Machinery Hall was used as an Implement Store selling farming and other equipment. The buildings architect designed the exterior to correspond with the building next door at 21 East Second Street. The property was described in the Ross County Register on September 18, 1880:
“The lower room will be 15 feet high and 100 feet deep. A partition will divide the room, but leave an opening 24 feet wide and 12 feet high. In the rear of the building will be a door 16 feet wide to allow admission of machinery. The second story will be used as a dwelling containing a parlor, bedrooms, dining room and kitchen.”
Over the past 135 years, Machinery Hall has gone through various renovations including a 100’ rear addition. The east facing exterior wall features a 19th Century iconic Mail Pouch mural. The building was home to various businesses including a record store and office supply store. In 2016, Ben and Kelly Daughters purchased Machinery Hall with the intention of opening a restaurant.
In December 2016, a full renovation construction project began. The renovation took seven months. Numerous structural issues had to be addressed including replacing a wooden support beam with a new steel beam that supports the 2nd floor of the building. Additionally, the entire 100’ rear addition was demolished and rebuilt. The rebuilt addition now houses a modern commercial kitchen and stage for live entertainment/private dining, and features a 16’ glass garage door paying homage to the original door used to move machinery into the building. Great care was taken during the renovation to salvage the original history of the building. Original brick walls have been brought back to life. Lumber from the building has been repurposed throughout, including as the bar top, picture frame around the 15′, 1889 map of Chillicothe, beer flight paddles, beer tap handles and wood accent wall. A portion of the original wood floors were refinished and are in use today. The exterior store front was rebuilt to the original architecture specifications, and historically correct windows were replaced on the 2nd floor which now houses office space. In 2022 an outdoor rooftop Terrace was constructed overlooking the Historic Majestic Theatre with seating for 60 guests.
View menus, book a table, and learn more about the Pour House: www.pouronchillicothe.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pouronchillicothe.com
- Other: https://linktr.ee/pouronchillicothe?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=7db6d465-7e38-4bb9-99e9-9e240ff279a5
