Though it is now commonly listed among Pennsylvania’s top 10 most iconic and historical restaurants, The Jean Bonnet Tavern was not always that way. In the 1990s, this beautiful piece of history was just a decrepit, abandoned building that was falling into disrepair. However, one enterprising and sentimental man did not want the history to vanish, and so Mark Baer (my uncle) purchased the building and set about restoring it into a new vision of grandeur. He refinished the interior and exterior of the building, and began an uphill journey of introducing this historic restaurant into a market place.

In 2006, my uncle sold the building to a pair of visionaries, Shannon and Melissa Jacobs. Melissa Jacobs is a Grove City alumnus, and truly lived out her undergraduate values through the continued restoration. With a full bar, outdoor patio, legendary ghost stories, overnight rooms, and a charming atmosphere of quaint history, the Jean Bonnet tavern is a  must-see restaurant. In addition to being used all of the way back in 1760s, it has been the host of George Washington, this nation’s first president! The Jacobs family has emphasized so much of the restaurants rich history, that it is quickly becoming one of the oldest buildings in use in the state of Pennsylvania. I am proud to say that my family has played a small part in saving the life of this building.