'Closure' spoiling business' beginnings

OXFORD TWP. — For two years running now, an utterly devastating situation continues to steer people away from Country Cow Ice Cream. When spouses Amy and Shawn Vargo bought this Monroeville-area business — at 6812 Ohio 113, it's formerly known as Ice Cream Stop, Tracy's Treats and Chilly Willy's — their dreams of serving frozen treats in a quaint community and running a small business took a detour for the worse. Quite literally, it's somewhat spoiled their entrepreneurial spirit yet hasn't stopped them from serving up snacks with a smile, trying to remain positive. What happened? Right before Country Cow debuted in April 2024, a two-year-long bridge project overseen by the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission commenced. The problem? Crews placed "road closed" and "local traffic only" signs at Ohio 99 and U.S. 20 smack-dab in Monroeville's village limits, roughly 3 miles south of Country Cow. It's among the main thoroughfares to reach the business. Though the road isn't closed there. It remains accessible between Monroeville's village limits up until and past Country Cow heading north. An additional 4 miles north beyond Country Cow on Ohio 99, or just about 7 miles in total from Monroeville's downtown area, at Harris Road, is actually where bridge work forces traffic to turn around and head elsewhere. Last year's closure took effect throughout most of spring, all of summer and a good portion of fall, completely overlapping with Country Cow's entire inaugural operational year. The Vargos — hailing from Lorain, they're not related to Vargo's Drive-In, which operates in Norwalk — dealt with this burden in 2024, experiencing great hardships. "Before we first opened, we were trying to get everything ready and were all excited because there was so much traffic going down (Ohio) 99," said Amy, noting they couldn't give their staff enough hours, often letting them go early. "And then, all of a sudden, it was shut down, and it was a ghost town around here." After taking a steep financial loss in 2024, both Amy and Shawn said they couldn't sustain a repeat of what had already transpired. Being a seasonal business, Country Cow only stays open for seven months a year: from April to October. There's not enough traffic in the other months to operate. "If things don't improve, we are probably going to have to sell it," Amy said. "We made no money last year and paid out of pocket for so much. We were really hoping to have a good year this year." Reaching out When learning that the bridge work would resume in 2025, thus creating another "road closure" conundrum, both Amy and Shawn publicized their frustrations. They expressed, on Country Cow's Facebook page, how they reached out to various state officials in hopes someone could enact change. But they never heard from anyone in a state government office, making their efforts futile. After seeing the social media post, the Register contacted turnpike officials, alerting them of this problem: "Road closure signs" when, in fact, Ohio 99 leading up to and through Country Cow is not closed. Turnpike officials, after going through a recent exchange of emails with a Register reporter, agreed to change the signage in Monroeville. They swapped out "road closed" to "open to all local businesses" signs in Monroeville. "It should help," said Shawn, who made many accommodations to Country Cow, hoping it could bring community members together. This would include placing outdoor furniture behind this business and enhancing its on-site playground. "We have a great atmosphere out here," Shawn said. "We want it to be very inviting." Both the Vargos hope people see these signs, head down Ohio 99 from Monroeville and visit them. Beyond ice cream, they're serving hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and other treats. "A lot of people like our food just as much as our prices, which they're very affordable," Shawn said. Monroeville Mayor Joe Galea welcomes the new signage, yet it signals an ongoing problem for him and other locals. "Both the length of the two-year project and the detour signage suggest that the turnpike commission could give better consideration to local communities' needs," Galea said. He continued: "I am frustrated and disappointed for the Vargos and everyone else who travels north and south to and from Monroeville. This is an example of the north-south transportation challenges the Monroeville area faces. I hope that Country Cow can still have a successful season in spite of these challenges." Galea himself intends to support the business. Whether he or others, anyone stopping by for a shake or snack could make the difference between the Vargos staying open for a while or shutting down for good. "I worked at an ice cream shop every summer and always said that, 'I wish I could buy one,' and really love this spot," said Amy, noting the "country" branding in the business name pays homage to the area's ruralness. And the "cow" portion plays a big role in their business model, ranging from ice cream to hamburgers. "We really want to make this work and hope this change helps us," Amy said. "We love everyone who has supported us thus far. We have not met one rude customer yet. We just hope we can get even more support so we are here for many more years."