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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet)

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Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet)

ACEnet is a community-based economic development organization serving the 32 counties of Appalachia Ohio.

The mission of ACEnet is to grow the regional economy by supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening economic sectors. The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) is a nonprofit community-based economic development organization serving the 32 counties of Appalachia Ohio. ACEnet staff accomplishes this mission by partnering with regional microenterprise and development practitioners to cre

ate a healthy local economy, allowing opportunity for all residents to start businesses, obtain quality jobs, and connect with other entrepreneurs for mutual benefit.

06/12/2026

It’s Friday Food Truck Roundup time! Here’s where you can find some of our amazing local food truck partners this week, and give them a follow to find them all season long

🚚 Hot Diggity Dog Unlimited
- Boogie On The Bricks | Saturday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵, 12pm - 10pm (Court Street, Uptown Athens)

🚚 Asian Fusion Cuisine
- Nelsonville Music Festival | Thursday - Sunday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 - 𝟮𝟬𝘁𝗵 (Snow Fork Event Center, 5685 Happy Hollow Rd, Nelsonville)

🚚 Dr.May's Thai Kitchen
- Boogie On The Bricks | Saturday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵, 12pm - 10pm (Court Street, Uptown Athens)

🚚 Rhythm & Food
- Boogie On The Bricks | Saturday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵, 12pm - 10pm (Court Street, Uptown Athens)

- Nelsonville Music Festival | Thursday - Sunday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 - 𝟮𝟬𝘁𝗵 (Snow Fork Event Center, 5685 Happy Hollow Rd, Nelsonville)

🚚 Hot Diggity Dog Unlimited's Hawaiian Shave Ice
- Nelsonville Music Festival | Thursday - Sunday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 - 𝟮𝟬𝘁𝗵 (Snow Fork Event Center, 5685 Happy Hollow Rd, Nelsonville)

Eat local. Support small. Repeat 💛

06/11/2026

SO MUCH is happening! ACEnet June news, events & opportunities with clients, friends & partners, including Sunshine Pet Sitting and Training, Elza Pearl Wildfarm, Hei Hei , River Roasters Coffee Co., Shagbark Seed & Mill, Lone Wolf Lavender, Underworld Feast, Appalachian Herb Company, Wildcat Ridge Farms LLC, Dutch Creek Winery & Taphouse, Century Farm Market, LLC, Keller Market House, Local Roots Market & Café, Public Market, Kindred Market, Market Wagon, Chams Lebanese Cuisine, Boogie On The Bricks, Asian Fusion Cuisine , Dr.May's Thai Kitchen, Hot Diggity Dog Unlimited, Rhythm & Food, Gimme Gimme, Jackie O's Brewery, Happy Snacking Athens, Big Run Kava Bar, Avalanche Pizza, Sol Flour, Scooter Girl's Tech Support, Athens Farmers Market, Jorma Kaukonen, Larry Elefante, and more!
conta.cc/4vyqZF8

06/09/2026

"We are privileged to live in a biologically rich corner of the world, home to countless plant species." This is the mindset behind Appalachian Herb Company, a mission-driven botanical business rooted in the rich biodiversity of the Appalachian foothills.

Founded by lifelong nature enthusiasts Mona and Stan Haught, this unique venture blends traditional herbal knowledge with a deep respect for nature, creating intentional, small-batch wellness products designed to support everyday health.

Did you know they won 3rd Place for Best New Product at the International Herb Symposium with their Appalachian Sweet Dreams tea in 2025?

ACEnet is proud to support Appalachian Herb Company because they represent the spirit of entrepreneurship in Appalachian Ohio: purpose-driven, community-focused, and deeply connected to place. They utilize our Food Ventures Center, and our Multimedia Designer designed their logo and labels, and hand drew the labels for their beautiful seasonal tea tins.

You can find their teas, healing balms, and herbal supplements on their website, at retailers Century Farm Market & Kindred Market, Dutch Creek Winery & Taphouse, and events like Raccoon Creek Market (6/13) & Wisteria Event Site Summer Solstice (6/18-6/21).

Give 'em a follow to find them at more events!

06/08/2026

📣New ACEnet podcast episode! Through thoughtful interviews, our 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 podcast offers listeners insight into the challenges, strategies, and successes of innovative local food organizations across the region.

In our third episode, ACEnet's Ana Leon chats with Adam Schwieterman, Executive Director at Local Roots Market & Café. Local Roots was established in 2009 by volunteers who, with community support, turned an empty building into a marketplace showcasing local food and handmade gifts. Today, Local Roots is vibrant Co-op that features seasonal, sustainable foods and art from more than 300 local producers! youtu.be/4QLgLHQCV1I

Produced by the ACEnet staff, this podcast is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant program.

06/07/2026

ACEnet is hiring! We’re looking for a Workforce Development Coordinator who is passionate about expanding employment opportunities for underserved and impacted communities.

At its heart, this work is about creating access, building confidence, and helping people move toward meaningful employment and economic stability. For full position details, including pay & benefits, and how to apply: tinyurl.com/acenet-hiring

06/06/2026

Join ACEnet's Leslie Schaller at OhioMeansJobs - Athens County in Nelsonville, Ohio this month to learn about cooperatives and social enterprises! This is a two-part series but you don't have to go to one to go to the other.

All are welcome! These workshops are FREE, but space is limited so registration is encouraged.

Intro to Alternative Business Models - Launching a Social Enterprise
🔸When: 2pm - 3:30pm, June 10th, 2026
🔸Where: OhioMeansJobs - Athens County, 10 W Washington St, Nelsonville, Ohio
🔸Registration: lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/vxcq5gk

Intro to Alternative Business Models - The Cooperative Business Model
🔸When: 2pm - 3:30pm, June 24th, 2026
🔸Where: OhioMeansJobs - Athens County, 10 W Washington St, Nelsonville, Ohio
🔸Registration: lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/25c2swh

06/05/2026

It’s Friday Food Truck Roundup time! Here’s where you can find some of our amazing local food truck partners this week, and give them a follow to find them all season long 👇

🚚 Dr.May's Thai Kitchen
- Logan Washboard Arts & Music Festival | Thursday - Sunday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟰𝘁𝗵 - 𝟳𝘁𝗵, 12pm - 9pm (Historic Downtown Logan, Hocking County)

🚚 Hot Diggity Dog Unlimited
- Logan Washboard Arts & Music Festival | Friday - Saturday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟱𝘁𝗵 - 𝟲𝘁𝗵, 11am - 9pm (Historic Downtown Logan, Hocking County)

🚚 Rhythm & Food
- Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery - Discovery Fest | Saturday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟲𝘁𝗵, 10am-2pm (67 Columbus Road, Athens)

AND sneak peek at next weekend, Dr. May's Thai Kitchen, Hot Diggity Dog Unlimited, and Rhythm & Food will ALL be at Boogie On The Bricks in Athens!

Eat local. Support small. Repeat 💛

06/04/2026

ACEnet works with small businesses in many different sectors. One of them is Appgirls Cannabis Co., who offers a product sourced locally in the heart of Southeast Ohio. Josh Crosier, co-founder and dedicated legacy grower, is a strong advocate for the sector, and a featured speaker in the upcoming Ohio Cannabis Lobby Day at the Ohio Statehouse.

Be sure to follow ACEnet tenant, App Girls Cannabis Co. on Instagram, FB and YouTube! (youtube.com/)

06/04/2026

ACEnet staff enjoyed a fantastic lunch yesterday at Chams Lebanese Cuisine, and it's always good catching up with some of our original Food Ventures tenants!

When siblings Cham Ekelman and Rick Helou came to the Food Ventures Center, they brought something deeply meaningful with them: Lebanese family recipes, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to build something new. Their small beginning grew into a beloved restaurant that has served its community for more than 20 years, and Chams Extra Virgin Olive Oil, an authentic Lebanese olive oil imported directly from Cham’s family olive orchard in Lebanon.

Cham remembers those early days clearly.

“I started doing lunch Wednesday, Thursday, Friday in Athens,” she said. “I never worked in a restaurant. I was a school teacher and my English was still developing. But the people were so good to me.”

For more than two years, she served lunch three days a week from a retail space at the Food Ventures Center. Those early meals helped her establish a loyal customer base and build confidence as a new food entrepreneur.

Cham decided it was time to grow and open her own restaurant in Parkersburg. As she was thinking about what to call it, ACEnet’s Leslie Schaller suggested the name Chams Lebanese Cuisine. “It was a good idea,” Cham said. “Because when I came here, a lot of people did not know, what is Lebanon? What is Lebanese?”

That simple name became an invitation and a way to introduce people in Appalachian Ohio to Lebanese food, culture, and hospitality.

Twenty years later, the restaurant remains part of everyday life for many people in the region. "I've been here 20 years and I still have customers who come here daily after 20 years. In the winter, in the snow, daily we are open. We get people from Morgantown, from Charleston, from Beckley, they come."

Link in bio for their full story on our website!

As we celebrate 30 years of introducing new small food businesses and restaurants to the world, we invite you to help us launch the next generation of food entrepreneurs as they get their start! Please donate through the link in our bio (or send a check to ACEnet, 94 Columbus Road, Athens, OH 45701)

Address

94 Columbus Road
Athens, OH
45701

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.acenetworks.org/, https://acenetathens.start.page/, https://acenetworks.org/support-us/

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