ELLSWORTH – The first round of voting in the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce “Best of 2023” Awards competition ended at midnight last Wednesday, Feb. 1. Over 1,000 voters narrowed down the field to determine the finalists in each of eight award categories. The finalists who are now competing for their “Best of” titles were announced via the Ellsworth Chamber’s website on Friday, Feb. 3. The finalists in each category are: Best New Business: Chef Steph’s, River Road Coffee, and Sunrise Coffee on 35 Best Restaurant/Tavern/Bar: Broz Bar, Common Man Tap & Table, and Vino in the Valley Best Tourism Destination: Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, S& S Sugar Bush, The Happy Earth Orchard, and Vino in the Valley (a tie in this category resulted in four businesses making it to the finals) Best Health & Wellness: Ellsworth Ambulance Service, Kollbaum Chiropractic, and YB Urban?

Best Professional Home Service: Harrington’s Greenhouse, Matt’s Electric, Heating & Air, and Reuvers’ Nursery Best Professional Service: CCF Bank, Designs by Jill, WESTconsin Credit Union Best Non-profit, Civic, Religious Organization: C3 Church, Ellsworth Public Library, Hunger Prevention Council/Pierce CountyFoodPantry,andSt.FrancisChurch & School (a tie in this category resulted in four businesses making it to the finals) Best Customer Service: Broz Bar, River Road Coffee, and Vino in the Valley The final round of voting, which will ultimately determine the winners, is now underway. Once again, the community is being asked to cast a vote for their picks on the Chamber’s website. The final round of voting will continue through midnight, Friday, Feb. 10, at which time the organizations receiving the top number of votes in each category will be named the ‘Best of Award’ winners.

The awards, along with the Small Business, Large Business, and Community Leader of the Year, will be presented at the chamber’s Annual Banquet, which will be held at Kilkarney Hills on Monday, Feb. 20. The theme of this year’s event is Time to Boogie, a throwback to the best of the 70s era and an aspirational message for the organization’s goals for 2023.

“Owning and managing a business is a tough job. The past few years with the pandemic, along with ongoing supply chain issues, workforce challenges, the worker housing shortage, and lack of daycare, makes it even more challenging,” remarked Kim Beebe, Executive Director Team Member for the Ellsworth Chamber. “The fact that the community comes out in full force to support their favorite Ellsworth area businesses through this competition means so much to our members and reinforces why they choose to do business here.”

To view the official rules for the ‘Best of 2023’ Awards competition and cast your votes to select the final winners, visit the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce website at EllsworthChamber.com. Additional announcements and news about the competition will be made available on the chamber’s Facebook page at @EllsworthChamber. Individuals with questions can email the chamber at [email protected] Submitted by Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce