Wednesday, February 02, 2000
Big Sky sold; one store closed
BY LISA BIANK FASIG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Big Sky Bread Co., the artisan bread and sandwich chain founded in Cincinnati 10 years ago, has been sold to a local businessman and its downtown Fourth Street location abruptly closed by its former owners.
David Rentschler, who owns several businesses, including five Great Steak & Potato restaurants and Honor Snack LLC, signed the deal with Big Sky's owners late Tuesday afternoon. He said he is a co-partner in the venture
with Nicar Management, a Hamilton-based firm that owns Great Steak..
Mr. Rentschler declined to disclose the selling price.
“Our plans are to grow as a company into regional malls, strip centers and airports all over the country,” Mr. Rentschler said. “We have three deals on the table in Cincinnati that we're considering.”
Sources at Big Sky could not be reached Tuesday, but Lauren Koon, a spokeswoman for former Big Sky investor and part owner, the Walnut Group, confirmed that the chain has changed hands.
“Big Sky's operations and locations have been sold to David Rentschler,” Ms. Koon said. “It all happened very quickly.”
Big Sky's former owners closed and evacuated the downtown location near Carew Tower during the weekend. It still operates nine other locations, including one on Sixth Street, downtown. A Quizno's Sub shop, owned by local franchisee John Cipriani, will open in the spot in about three months.
Mr. Rentschler said there are no plans to close any other Big Sky locations. He wants to use his connections with Great Steak and Potato to help the chain grow. Great Steak operates more than 225 locations in North America and abroad.
Rumors about changing operations at Big Sky have persisted for the past year. Two years ago, the chain handed the operational reigns of the business to then-President Keith Kinsey, who wanted to hold off on further expansion in favor of refining operations. Last spring, Big Sky opened an airport location at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Big Sky founder Roger Elkus opened his first bakery — then called Stonemill — in 1990, on Madison Avenue in Oakley. Co-owners included his brother Barry Elkus, Hal Tieger and several investors including Blue Chip Venture Co. and Walnut Venture Fund.
Barry Elkus said Tuesday that he owns a small, minority interest in Big Sky but was not aware of the sale. He declined to comment until he gets more information.
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