Troy’s newest downtown restaurant opened June 9
Market and Main’s owners hope to add brunch, to-go orders later
By Charles Bolinger
Editor • Anticipation was high as Troy residents awaited the completion of the downtown area’s newest dining spot, Market and Main, which opened earlier this week.
Co-owners Gina and Evan Buchholz, owners of Edwardsville’s Cleveland Heath restaurant, have been working behind the scenes since winter to get the former American Legion Hall converted into a restaurant.
“We wanted to be a staple in Troy and that’s a big staple intersection,” Gina said.
“We had another name we originally thought about but somebody else had it, so we thought, ‘What else could be a good name?’ We heard someone else mention it and we really like that,” Evan said. “It brings that community feel that we’ve always had.”
The rest of the week after Memorial Day was devoted to training the employees, which number in the mid- to upper 30s, she said, while the first week of June was dedicated to soft openings to get everyone ready for the June 9 grand opening.
“I think every shift has gone exponentially smoother, which is all you can really ask for,” Gina replied. “Everybody’s picking up on things really quickly and the staff is doing an amazing job remembering the critiques we’ve given them.”
Evan said the same process has occurred with the cooking staff in the back.
Even though they were not open officially until this week, Market and Main has already made a couple of splashes with visitors – at the inaugural First Friday event May 1 and The Market at Jarvis Square on May 21.
“We were super busy; all of our food items have been popular and we’ve blown through quite a bit,” Evan confirmed.
For June’s First Friday, they chose not to open the restaurant or the bar; instead, they took food and drink orders through the pair of roll-up doors that face North Main, however, the doors are not floor-to-ceiling. They stop about 36 inches above the floor.
“It’s fun because it’s like a bar top; which is unique,” Evan said.
There’s a short set of steps or a ramp to access the front entrance. A small maitre d’s kiosk greets visitors, behind which are the restrooms. Turning right from the door takes one in the dining room, with its own waiting area of benches and chairs.
The ambience inside is contemporary; the floors are bare concrete while the walls are a dark blue. For now, the hours of operation are 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed on Sundays and Mondays. Later, they hope to change the hours around.
There are high-top tables and regular height tables; there is at least one table for two, tables for four and tables for six. Along the north wall are three booths. Adorning the western wall is the bar. Ceiling fans help keep the air flowing. Maximum occupancy is 87 people.
City officials are working on helping, too, with a planned parking lot across the street at 107 N. Main. By fall, they hope to have 25 new parking slots on that site, which should aid with First Friday traffic in September and in 2027.
Turning to the menu, there are such starters as pepperoni rolls (a West Virginia staple, Evan said) and chicken wings.
Sides/shareables include fries with a secret sauce, mashers, cole slaw and pretzel crusted mac. For those of the vegetarian persuasion, the restaurant will offer grilled carrots; broccoli; parmesan green beans; and salt-roasted beets.
Salad lovers can choose from Thai Peanut; Kentucky Wedge; Caesar; or a Market Salad. Any protein toppings desired will cost extra.
Beverages are Coca-Cola products along with pink lemonade, plaid coffee and tea both iced and hot.
Sandwiches run the gamut from veggie to a Classic Burger to Cubano to Crispy Szechuan Chicken and more.
Entrees include North Atlantic Blue Mussels, Pappardelle, a Creek Stone Filet and Peruvian Chicken. To finish, desserts include G.F. Chocolate Cake, Banana Pudding and a rotating section of cookie and ice cream sandwich flavors.
Prices are modest for the side and veggies – $6 to $11; salads span $10 to $13 minus any protein choices; starters are in the teen dollars while sandwiches are in the mid- to upper teens and the desserts range from $9 to $12.
At the bar, there is a large selection of beers and wines available as well as cocktails such as Mojitos, Bloody Marys, Mimosas and more. Happy Hour is Tuesday-Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. with $2 off draft beers and $2 off all wine.
Brunch and to-go orders are future goals, they said, as are expanding hours of operation. The couple hopes to have everything in place to open for the next Troy First Friday event on Aug. 7 but in the near-term, Evan says he still needs to hire some cooks.
For those qualified and interested, contact him at [email protected] and there will be open interviews, too, for walk-in candidates. For those who would like to see the entire menu and/or get more information, visit the restaurant’s website, marketandmaintroy.com.
