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Public markets, farmers markets, and food halls offer great insight into a community’s food culture. You’ll find Columbus has all three — and really good ones. Award-winning Budd Dairy Food… Continue Reading You’ll find 5 of the country’s best festivals in this Ohio city
One of the highlights of this growing effort is the strong partnerships SWACO is building with local restaurants—like Budd Dairy Food Hall, which has played a key role in piloting… Continue Reading Turning Scraps into Solutions: SWACO Locally Saves More Than Food
13 Stunning Rooftop Bars In Columbus With Amazing Views
If you’re looking for a laid-back rooftop with tons of food options and a strong community feel, Budd Dairy is where it’s at. The rooftop bar is a great hangout… Continue Reading 13 Stunning Rooftop Bars In Columbus With Amazing Views
Boni, the Filipino street-food vendor inside Budd Dairy Food Hall in Italian Village reopened April 5 as Beep!Beep! The new name more closely reflects the culture of the Philippines –… Continue Reading Restaurants are reborn, reopened in central Ohio in April 2025
So many options for Mother’s Day Brunch in Columbus
We’ve gathered a list of places for brunch on Mother’s Day in Columbus, as well as lunch and dinner options, plus carryout. So many options from chef partners – there’s… Continue Reading So many options for Mother’s Day Brunch in Columbus
Margaritas and mint juleps at Budd Dairy Food Hall. Looking to add a bit of Kentucky Derby flair to your Cinco de Mayo festivities? Budd Dairy Food Hall, 1086 N.… Continue Reading Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated at many places around central Ohio
Columbus’ food scene ranked top in the nation by USA TODAY
Columbus is the city for foodies. Don’t just take Dispatch dining reporter Bob Vitale’s word for it; USA TODAY readers ranked four food hubs among the best in the nation… Continue Reading Columbus’ food scene ranked top in the nation by USA TODAY
Taste your way through the 10 best food halls in the US
Offering a variety of cuisines and dishes to suit different tastes and preferences, food halls are great spots for trying new flavors and meeting up with friends and family. Not… Continue Reading Taste your way through the 10 best food halls in the US
Budd Dairy Food Hall’s Boni to become Beep Beep
A Budd Dairy Food Hall tenant is trying something new. Boni Filipino Street Food is converting its concept in the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants- owned space to Beep Beep, which will… Continue Reading Budd Dairy Food Hall’s Boni to become Beep Beep
The Ultimate 3-Day Columbus Guide for DIY-ers
Pop over to Italian Village and enjoy dinner (and happy hour) at Budd Dairy Food Hall , one of Fodor Travel’s top ten new food halls in the U.S. This… Continue Reading The Ultimate 3-Day Columbus Guide for DIY-ers
Simon T. Budd started a direct delivery milk service from his family farm in Mifflinville, Ohio. Today, it is located in Northeast Columbus near the intersection of Cleveland Ave. and Agler Rd.
- 1st Day of Sales: 10 quarts of milk for 60 cents.
Simon Budd (born 1877) moved the business (deemed “S.T. Budd Dairy Company”) to a new plant at 1390 Wesley Ave.
- Production and delivery capacity increased to 60 gallons per day.
- William H. Budd bought out his father’s interest in the company and renamed it “Budd Dairy Company.”
Budd Dairy Company had the only sanitary refrigerated milk wagon in the country.
On December 7, 1916, the Budd Dairy Building and plant opened in the Italian Village on Fourth St. between Fourth Ave. and Detroit.
- Believed to cost about $100,000 at the time, the company was advertised as “America’s finest milk bottling plant” and “buyers and distributors of sweet milk & ice cream.”
- At that point of time, the dairy company had the most modern features of a milk processing plant.
- The building was 70′ wide and 150′ long with two stories and a full basement. It had red brick with black mortar and a terra cotta façade.
- On the second floor, Budd Dairy Company announced the opening of “Budd’s Assembly Hall” … “our assembly hall is popular for clubs, luncheons and private parties.”
- Budd’s Assembly Hall sponsored some of the first “radio dance” events in Columbus with KDKA broadcasts from Pittsburgh.
Milk came through the site daily by train and truck delivery. - Milk production increased even more to 900 gallons per day with 20 wagons for delivery.
The building expanded to accommodate more garages for horse drawn wagons and vehicles.
Budd Dairy advertised a new product in the KKK-owned newspaper, The Fiery Cross. Almost immediately, Budd Dairy was boycotted by the African American community and quickly joined by Catholic and Jewish community as well. The boycott immediately caused a drop in orders of over 600 gallons of milk a day.
Seven months after the boycott had started, the Hamilton Milk Company bought the financially weakened Dairy. This boycott is thought to be one of the earliest successful racially-based economic boycotts in the history of the United States.
With the new ownership in place, customers and sales came back.
- Capacity of the plant was up to 9,000 gallons per day.
- Columbus population grew to 45,000 families in 1925. Budd Dairy Company delivered to 25 percent of this population. This amounted to roughly 11,000 families per week.
- After 31 years in business, the company had never gone a day without providing service or closing for any reason.
Budd Dairy Company services grew with 41 horse drawn wagons, electric wagons and gas trucks.
- The company built a garage/barn that was 100′ wide and 140′ long on the back of the property.
- At this time, a charging plant was added to the structure for electric vehicles.
- Budd became the first company in the United States to use electric vehicles for milk delivery.
Hamilton Milk Company continued to innovate and expand. They added repair garages to service their delivery vehicles including spots across 4th street (now Seventh Son Brewing Co.)
Borden Dairy Company (known for their iconic cow “Elsie”) buys the Hamilton Milk Company and has an amazing 33 consecutive years processing milk in the building.
The last shipment of milk was processed in the building.
