MASON, Ohio — With a bigger and better United Dairy Farmers store coming to a Tylersville Road shopping strip, some longtime businesses are closing their doors.
For nearly 20 years, the shopping strip at U.S. 42 has a featured a handful of businesses, including a butcher shop, a dry cleaners and UDF, who owns the property.
This summer, UDF will begin to tear down the entire plaza to make way for a 6,500 square-foot updated store, with more bakery goods, coffee, deli selections, parking, gas pumps and seating. It's a new concept for UDF, but it doesn't include the existing tenants.
That means nearly 20 years owning Butcher Bill’s for Bill and Patti Price is coming to an end.
"Our lease was up last July, but we knew that they were going to get into this UDF and they were going to remodel it and everything,” said Bill Price.
It's more than a remodelling; UDF will tear down the entire plaza to make way for a 6,500 square-foot updated store, with more bakery goods, coffee, deli selections, parking, gas pumps and seating. It's a new concept for UDF, but it doesn't include the existing tenants.
"We looked into moving, but it was going to cost us too much money to move everything, so we chose to close,” said Patti Price.
UDF shared the plans with surrounding businesses well in advance, but the news came as a shock to some loyal customers.
"I just found out now. I'm crushed,” said Mason resident John Douglass. “They really have wonderful service, wonderful product. We cook out all the time so it's really been nice and it's convenient."
Butcher Bill's has built its customer base by offering a variety of top line meats, in addition to sides and even homemade key lime pies.
"Fifty years cutting meat, that's enough,” Bill Price said. “I don't want to do it anymore."
The owner of Tylersville Cleaners also says he will cease operations May 31 because moving is expensive, and much of his equipment is too old to move.
"He's a very nice man,” said resident Marian Rider. “You get good service, reasonable prices. It's clean, and then to go to Butcher Bill's. I go in there to buy different meats.”
Meanwhile, Butcher Bill’s is set to close May 1. The Prices say their shop has been inundated with final orders.
Construction on the new UDF store begins this summer, with an opening set for next year.
