Brick House Grill holds fifth ‘Meet & Greet’

The Brick House Grill was the place for the fifth Entrepreneurial ‘Meet & Greet,’ organized by the Huntington County Chamber of Commerce, on September 9. Entrepreneurs speaking about their business ventures included Barb Sprinkle, co-owner with husband Andrew, of the Brick House Grill, and John Paff, founder and CEO of Fort Wayne Marketing.

Steve Kimmel, Chamber executive director, began the evening by thanking the Brick House Grill for hosting the evening, and for the delicious food they provided. He then introduced Fortitude Fund entrepreneur in residence Gio Martinez. Martinez explained the support the Fortitude Fund provides to entrepreneurs, and the access to capital they offer through $1,000 grants. He encouraged anyone in the northeast Indiana region beginning a business less than five years ago to apply. He said that the grant cycle begins in September and closes in November.

Barb Sprinkle then spoke about the beginnings of the Brick House Grill. She manages the business end while husband Andrew is the chef. She talked about the couple’s early struggles beginning the business in 2009, and said that it took working every day for two to three years for the business to be successful.

Barb also attributes their success to their team. Barb and Andrew believe they surrounded themselves with the best team, “We have six incredible servers, employees that have been with us eight years with no turnover.”

“Starting your own business is hard. In the beginning we spent all the money we got from the bank. We bought this place in December and opened in April, and completely renovated the place ourselves. We have made this place our home,” Barb concluded.

John Paff then spoke about founding Fort Wayne Marketing, and all the avenues that led him to begin this business. Fort Wayne Marketing is located in the Electric Works building in downtown Fort Wayne, but its beginnings were in Huntington. It is a marketing agency for mid-size businesses and community organizations that reaches all over the country.

Deeply committed to the regional community and to a business’s growth and success, Paff began his quest at Huntington University. He has worked and taught at HU, and through Huntington County Community Network (HCCN) at that time, Paff explained that he helped to bring Interent service to Huntington. He gained experience in marketing and social media through being a partner in a marketing agency in Fort Wayne, and having an office in the UB Launch building in Huntington. “Wanting to be a difference maker,” Paff formed Fort Wayne Marketing. He also formed Petra Communications and Tulip Tree Honey. He explained that he enjoys working with his bee hives.

He went on to describe all the services Fort Wayne Marketing provides including brand strategy, marketing tactics, public relations, web development, social media and video productions. Paff said he has a staff of ten that are “wonderful” about working with their clients. He also advised some of the entrepreneurs in attendance about promoting their businesses. His final comment was a “core response to his success: gratitude.”