Raising the Bar with Cheers & Gears

Siobhan Marquardt’s plans didn’t include owning the local bar in Convoy, OH. But after working there part-time initially and then becoming the manager, when the owners were ready to sell, she decided she was ready to buy. “I’m just not someone who is good at sitting still,” states Siobhan. In spite of holding a full-time job that often requires travel, and holding the roles of wife and mom, she still felt there was an opportunity to make a go of the beloved town bar, Cheers and Gears.

She credits the staff at Cheers and Gears and her husband for giving her the support she needed to move forward with the purchase. “I told them I was thinking about purchasing the bar, but was concerned about how much time I needed to be away from it. They said, ‘don’t worry, we got this. ’ It really eased my mind,” says Siobhan.

Never having owned a business before, Siobhan turned to friends who were also local business owners in the Convoy area to ask their advice for a bank to work with. “Multiple people said Citizens National Bank and mentioned both Al (Saylor) and Brent (Kohn). I called them both and they both replied the same day – so I work with them both!”

She was pleasantly surprised at the suggestion CNB made to work with the Van Wert Economic Development Group to finance a portion of the bar to save her money on interest. “Brent and Al could have just said the bank would finance the whole thing, but they went the extra mile to help coordinate this option. They didn’t have to do that.”

Now that the purchase is complete, Siobhan is comfortable managing the day-to-day finances through CNB’s Online and Mobile Banking services. “Traveling often and not being able to be here every day, I’m still able to transfer money, manage payroll and stay on top of the business accounts wherever I am. That’s peace of mind,” says Siobhan.

Siobhan is happiest mingling with the customers, pouring their beers and serving up piping hot pizza. “Knowing that we’re a place that people come to unwind and have a good meal, that’s what makes it worthwhile. Working with CNB to purchase this place – they just really made it easy.”

Interested in learning more? View Siobhan’s story on our YouTube channel.

Ready to pursue your dream of being a business owner? Contact a CNB Business Banking Officer today.