The old Shawnee Tavern, rebranded as the Black Diamond Tavern, draws a full crowd within COVID-19 safety parameters to Wednesday Wing Night. Town residents and Ohioans from nearby communities are drawn to what seems to be the only area restaurant outside Athens and Logan that s not a drive-thru.
Down the street, construction is underway for what will be a co-working space, a retail shop and Airbnb rentals on the second stories. One building, originally constructed in 1912, will eventually house local beer and spirits crafted by students from Hocking College’s fermentation science program in the Black Diamond Brewery & Distillery.
“The plan is to initially focus upon southeast Ohio, and if we have the success, we believe we can have, we will expand beyond a regional beer,” Black Diamond Development company spokeswoman Jenny Maher, said.
From staff reports
The Hocking College-owned and operated Black Diamond Distillery and Star Brick Brewing are pleased to partner with an area development agency to develop and launch a new line of craft beverage products to be featured at the new Black Diamond Tavern in Shawnee.
Black Diamond Development is renovating one of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds â a patchwork of towns built up during the heydey of coal mining â in Shawnee.
âWith the development in Shawnee of a 400-site campground, The Black Diamond Tavern, and a brewery and distillery, Shawnee will reinvent its coal mining past as an eco-tourism destination in the heart of the Wayne National Forest,â a Hocking College press release stated.