BENJAMIN WOO

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPH:

I live in the downtown Middletown area. The photo is actually The Meadows. That building has been here for 90 years. And when my parents and I were able to purchase it and take over, this photo is when we first got into it, and had not done any of the renovations yet. It was on my birthday in 2019.

We got it when the business hadn't been as lively and after they had done some major road construction. So looking at that photo was an opportunity to look at the past as well as what could potentially be the future.

The whole restaurant business is basically something my mom wanted more than anything else. She is somebody that is extremely important to me. She basically sacrificed her own personal goals and drive to make sure that my dad got to live out his dream, get to do everything he wanted to do professionally, one, and to make sure that we were successful at school. But then my mom was like, ‘Hey, I still want to do something that can carry my namesake. I want to have a restaurant.’ I actually quit my job up in Columbus to come down to support her.

When we purchased the restaurant, we didn't really know what to expect. We weren't familiar with the clientele or the people of Middletown, because we are not originally from here. But they welcomed us. They told us all the stories and history of the restaurant. They were able to really cheer us on because they support local, they support the history and historical aspects of the Middletown. So it was very nice to see the community rally around and support us.

I don't think people should underestimate Middletown.