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Clinic Opens in Historic Building

by | Dec 27, 2021 | History, In the Media | 0 comments

Clinic Opens in Historic Ekelberry’s Groceries Building

Ekelberrys Groceries - Delaware Gazette - Delaware Ohio - Northwest Veterinary Clinic

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By Glenn Battishill – gbattishill@aimmediamidwest.com

 

Dr. Joey Abbruzzese, the owner of Delaware Northwest Veterinary Clinic, stands next to the reception desk in the lobby of the clinic. Abbruzzese said the desk is made of one of the old barn beams from the historic building.

Dr. Joey Abbruzzese, the owner of Delaware Northwest Veterinary Clinic, stands next to the reception desk in the lobby of the clinic. Abbruzzese said the desk is made of one of the old barn beams from the historic building.  [Courtesy photo | Angela Mack]

A historic building on the northwest side of the city has reopened as Delaware Northwest Veterinary Clinic, and the owner is happy to be there.
Dr. Joey Abbruzzese, the owner of the clinic, said the building at 109 W. Lincoln Ave. in Delaware, has been around since about the 1880s when it served as a barn. Abbruzzese said it’s been many things, including a grocery store twice and recently served as a taxidermy shop.“The building has a pretty long history behind it,” Abbruzzese said. “(It used to be) Ekelberry’s Groceries. Everybody remembers it pretty fondly. We decided we wanted to purchase it and be in the northwest neighborhood and renovate it.”

Abbruzzese said she purchased the shop from taxidermists Jay and Di Bailey.

“It was a little rough around the edges but it wasn’t an eyesore,” Abbruzzese said. “They took care of their shop and their building. They were retired and were ready to move on. We were excited to give it a facelift and a renovation, and make it something even cooler for the community.”

Abbruzzese said she’s something of a “history nerd” and is excited to be part of the building’s long history.

“There’s a lot of history in the building,” she said. “We’re all about preserving history. There’s actually old Ekelberry’s grocery store aisle markers in the attic. (We got asked), ‘Why not tear it down and start over?’ It needed a lot of work and a lot of renovations, but I think for us, it’s the history. It’s been part of this neighborhood for so long. We wanted to preserve that. It was extra work, and the building is a little quirky, but that’s part of the charm of it.”

Ekelberry Groceries Building - Delaware ohio

A photo of Ekelberry’s Groceries, a business that used to exist in the building that now houses the Delaware Northwest Veterinary Clinic. [Courtesy Angela Mack]

Abbruzzese said she grew up in the county and graduated from the Olentangy Local School District before moving away. She said she moved back and has lived in the city for about 20 years.“It’s a cool opportunity to bring back my vet clinic to Delaware, my hometown,” Abbruzzese said. “The northwest neighborhood has got a really cool community feel. There are lots of folks in the neighborhood with cats and dogs. What’s really cool is there’s always people walking their dogs past our clinic.”

Abbruzzese said her clinic offers many standard veterinary services like checkups and shots. She also focuses on dental and is equipped to do animal X-rays.

“(We’ve been open for a month and) are going strong,” Abbruzzese said. “It’s been pretty busy already. It’s a really cool experience so far being back in the hometown. It’s amazing. It feels like a homecoming honesty. It’s amazing you can live in a town for 20 years and still meet new people and have a community.”

More information about the clinic can be found at https://www.delawarevet.com/ or by calling 740-971-0230.

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