Potentially breaking a new record all while making their goals to help neighboring organizations is just what one Greene County organization aims to do.

According to its website, the Greene County Chamber of Commerce works “to provide services and programs that will increase the success of member businesses and organizations and enhance the economy and quality of life in the Waynesburg Area.”

One service that the local Chamber of Commerce offers to promote new businesses in the area is ribbon-cutting ceremonies. This year, the Chamber of Commerce could break its record for the number of ribbon-cuttings in a single year.

“Our highest number prior to the pandemic was 13 in a year,” Melody Longstreth, director of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce, said. “We’re going to be at eight before the first four months are up.”

Listed below are the ribbon cuttings that have and will take place within the first four months of 2023.

Jan. 13- Cut to the Chase: 68 W. High St. Waynesburg

According to Longstreth, Chase Blake, owner of Cut to the Chase Barber Shop graduated from West Greene High School in 2022 and went to barber school.

The business started in Blake’s parent’s garage where clientele was built until he could open a shop of his own.

“It’s doing very well and it’s really sharp looking. His windows are always decorated really nice and it’s really cool inside, so I’m very happy for him.”

Cut to the Chase offers haircuts, beard trims, straight razor shaves, straight razor beard lineups, and more.

But instead of just being a regular barber shop, Blake said he is trying to build an experience for customers.

“I like to say there’s two kinds of barbers,” Blake said. “Your barber where you go in, you’re in the chair 10 minutes in and out. But here at Cut to the Chase Barber Shop, we focus on quality over quantity.”

Although he is local, opening the storefront has meant a lot to Blake.

“I never thought that I would ever open this here in Waynesburg,” Blake said. “But being a kid, walking High Street growing up and such, it does mean a lot now. Fast forward 10 years later walking on High Street and having a shop of my own. But none of this would have been possible without the support of the community.” 

According to Blake, his goal is to return the support from the community.

“I thought it was only right. From the continued support of them to put everything they gave me back into the community and open up a business here.”

Feb. 17- Farley’s Hotel Cafe: 55 S. Morgan St. Waynesburg

According to its website, farleyshotelcafe.com, Farley’s Hotel Cafe is described as having “community … in a Cup or Cone!” Originally an old hotel the website states that the “building has now been transformed into an Ice Cream and Soda Fountain Shop.”

According to Longstreth, Farley’s Hotel Cafe has been an operation that has been a few years in the making.

“When [Farley] bought the building it was in quite sad shape,” Longstreth said. “He’d always had this vision for it but took him a long time to get it, at least the first floor, done the way he wanted to be able to open.”

According to its website, Farley’s Hotel Cafe is open on Fridays from 4-8 p.m. “for now.”

Feb. 24- Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: 130 Greene Plaza. Waynesburg

For Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, the ribbon-cutting ceremony happened after they were already open for some time.

“That week– the week of the 20th of February, that was [Dicky’s] 6-month anniversary week.” Longstreth said. “We did that ribbon cutting for them six months in because when they were doing the construction to get the location ready to open they had a car drive in through their front window. So that set them back. Then they finally get open, they were open I think for two weeks and it happened again.”

According to co-owner Cindy Yorio, the business is new to Greene County, but the family name is not.

Previously, Yorio had a smaller bar restaurant in Mount Morris.

“Everything’s been good. We’ve had pretty good reception so far from the community,” Yorio said.

Yorio is a 1988 Waynesburg College alumna and said that the response from her alma mater has been positive.

“We’ve had people come down from when they had their big wrestling events up there when all the schools came in,” Yorio said. “We were lucky enough when we first opened it was right when the university was putting together packets for new students so we were lucky enough to be included in that packet. We were able to put in a menu and a coupon in there.”

Yorio said that Dickey’s Barbecue Pit offers a variety of smoked meats, catering items, and more.

The restaurant is Veteran owned and operated.

March 3- Bud Cook’s Waynesburg Office: 1640 E. High St. Waynesburg

“Bud Cook is our new state representative,” Longstreth said. “There was the redistricting in Pennsylvania that took place last year and then on January 1, he took over as our state rep. for Greene County. So that was a change and he established an office here.”

According to Longstreth, this will be Cook’s main office.

March 14- Asher’s at the Airport: 417 E. Roy Furman Hwy Waynesburg

This is a location that has been closed since a fire that happened there in 2021.

 “They had all kinds of roadblocks to get that structure back up and open and operational and then they were seeking someone to come in and put a restaurant back in there and Matt and Missy [Harding] seemed to fit the bill,” Longstreth said.

According to the website ashersattheairport.com, the restaurant’s name is deeper than just what the signs read.

“The name ‘Asher’s at the Airport’ is derived from Genesis 49 where it is said of Asher, son of Jacob that he ‘will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings,’ the website reads.

The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch every day of the week.

March 16- Prompt Quality Painting and Design Studio: 169.5 S. Washington St. Waynesburg

According to Longstreth, Prompt Quality Painting has been a successful business that has been in Waynesburg for a number of years. This ribbon-cutting was to celebrate the expansion to include design work into the business.

“They’re just branching out into design services,” Longstreth said. “I think they’ve sort of always kind of done some of that but never was a formal component of their business.”

April 4- Phillips & Ross, LLC, Attorneys at Law: 82 W High St. Waynesburg

While these are ribbon cuttings that have already happened this year, there are still more to come set on the chamber’s calendars, including:

April 28- Shoe Sensation: 120 Greene Plaza. Waynesburg

“So a lot of new stuff and some with some unique things like Bud Cook and Prompt Quality Painting,” Longstreth said.

Although breaking the record seems within reach, the chamber is not able to tell whether it will happen or not.

“There’s really no way to guess,” Longstreth said. “It just depends on what comes down the pipe. We really don’t know until they reach out to us.”

With the influx of new storefronts opening, Longstreth’s goal is to get the word out to keep people shopping locally.

“My challenge is, OK, we’re getting these businesses open, now we have to change the mindset. Don’t get in the car and go to Washington or Uniontown or Morgantown. Shop here. Even if you can’t get everything that you need, get what you can here locally and support these businesses. Because if we don’t support them, we’re not going to have them.”

Community members are welcome to attend these ribbon-cutting ceremonies to help celebrate the opening of new businesses in Greene County.

More information on ribbon cuttings can be found on the Greene County Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook Page.