When Christina Goehrig and Paul Montgomery met seven years ago, they immediately started talking about opening a restaurant together. Paul has been in the restaurant industry for his entire life, and Christina has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. So, when a historic building in California, Ohio on the banks of the Ohio River went up for sale five years ago, they saw their opportunity. The building was home to the California Jail in the early 1900s. They worked closely with the historical society to pay tribute to the character of the building during the renovations to enhance features from that time period.
The name “Pig Candy” comes from the restaurant’s signature dish, a fluffy gluten-free waffle pressed with house-smoked pulled pork and served with salted pecan butter and maple syrup. Their menu is designed to balance health with indulgence. Their colorful logo is a playful interpretation of candy and the pig, and the bicycle is a nod to the bike trail that is underway to connect Lunken Airport to Coney Island. “We love being a part of this beautiful river town, both living and working here allows us to see the community flourish,” said Christina and Paul.
Christina and Paul owned the building and had a clear vision for the architecture and engineering when they came to HCDC to make their dream a reality. With the help of an SBA 504 loan, they were able to fund the construction and purchase the equipment needed to complete the project. Pig Candy BBQ will be a place that is easy to pop in to eat or carry out. They will have seating for 28 inside and over 35 outside under their new covered deck. The silver lining of the pandemic is that it allowed them to be innovative in their design from the start. Their outdoor seating will feature heaters in the ceiling that pipe the heat out more effectively than standalone heaters.
Pig Candy is targeting hosting a grand opening in their historic building in the Cincinnati riverside neighborhood of California in March of 2021. Their plan is to create 20-25 jobs upon their opening.
