MarionMade!: Finding Marion Brewing to open a restaurant led to a 'perfect marriage'

Special to the Marion Star
·4 min read

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Two friends who love experimenting with flavor opened a restaurant inside the Marion Brewing Company at 151 S. Main St.

Eric Morningstar and Denim Franklin have been friends and family for more than 20 years. Denim was born and raised in Marion. He attended Harding High School, graduated from Ridgedale and served in the U.S. Army for three years before returning home.

Eric grew up in Galion and graduated from Northmor. Their wives, Tanya Morningstar and Jessica Franklin, are cousins.

Eric made a bourbon sauce his wife loved. He and Denim tried it for a crowd at a Fourth of July party in 2015. Many people insisted they should do this as a business.

“We started the whole company with $40,” recalls Eric. “It paid for itself!”

Eric Morningstar, left, and Denim Franklin were friends for decades before starting their first business for just $40.
Eric Morningstar, left, and Denim Franklin were friends for decades before starting their first business for just $40.

First came the sauces, then came the restaurant

At first, they rolled out E.D.S sauces, with a variety of fruit, spices and seasonings. Their sauces were discovered by Sherwood Food Distribution. It’s now available in dozens of cities.

“We went to farmer’ markets,” Denim remembers. “When we started offering food for people to eat while sampling the sauce, people told us, ‘You need to open a restaurant.’ So, we said, ‘Let’s try it!’”

Denim and Eric took their bourbon chicken on the road, pulling up tents that blocked up the midway at the Delaware County Fair. They opened a restaurant in 2021 in Mt. Gilead, but it struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

E.D.S finds a home in downtown Marion

Employees from Marion Brewing Company loved the food. E.D.S opened inside Marion Brewing last fall.

E.D.S The Sauce Guys opened their restaurant inside Marion Brewing Company at 151 S. Main St. in downtown Marion.
E.D.S The Sauce Guys opened their restaurant inside Marion Brewing Company at 151 S. Main St. in downtown Marion.

“It’s the perfect marriage,” Denim said.

“All of their stuff is custom. Ours is as well,” Eric said. ‘They came and tried our food and showed us the space. They knew sales dropped at dinner. People wanted something to eat.”

Custom meats, custom flavoring, custom blends

E.D.S offers many items, but the bourbon chicken over jasmine rice is the most popular.

“We deign sauces tailored to different meats. We have over 100 flavors. Everything is from Ohio except the fruit, which has no concentrates or juices. Our bourbon sauce has a blackberry puree. It’s very subtle. It’s a compliment to the flavor, not overpowering.”

They make all of their meats in a custom smoker using a blend of maple, applewood and hickory chips.

“Smoking is a labor of love,” Denim said. “Everything we have is smoked, including the mac n’ cheese and corn bread!”

“It’s a lighter smoke flavor. I love that smell,” Eric said.

E.D.S liked the relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere inside Marion Brewing Company. It includes a free arcade game and a kids’ corner with Legos. The restaurant is in the rear of the building.
E.D.S liked the relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere inside Marion Brewing Company. It includes a free arcade game and a kids’ corner with Legos. The restaurant is in the rear of the building.

Taking fried bologna 'to a new level'

In addition to their bourbon chicken and smoked chicken sandwiches, they have daily specials. On Wednesdays, they offer thick-cut double-smoked bacon BLTs. Each Thursday, they offer pulled pork with a custom rub over rice or nachos. Fridays feature half-inch-thick smoked bologna.

“It’s very different from fried bologna,” Denim said.

“The smoked flavor takes it to a new level!” Eric said.

Saturdays include a smoked steak burger and smoked pretzel bites with beer cheese. Smoked sides include cowboy beans, mac n’ cheese and corn bread. They also offer craft sodas for those who aren’t stopping in for the Marion Brewing Company’s 16 custom beers or seltzers.

“We’re very passionate about what we do,” Denim said.

“Marion’s downtown has grown leaps and bounds in the last several years,” Denim said. “As a Marionite, it’s exciting to see us turning downtown Marion into a destination. We rival other downtowns.”

“A lot of people are investing time and money into it,” Eric said.

They are open 4-8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and noon-8 p.m. Saturday. They offer free delivery in walking distance and will deliver big group orders.

Mary Stansbery from Upper Sandusky stopped in for a custom brew at Marion Brewing Company during March Madness.

“I like their City of Kings IPA. Their selection is really broad. They have something here for everyone,” Stansbery said. “I’m excited they have a food option now. Downtown Marion has turned a corner. A lot of nice restaurants are here. Things are looking up!”

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Sauce business expands into full-service restaurant at Marion Brewing