WHEELING, W.Va. — A new YouTube mini-series is set to shine a spotlight on local restaurants and the growing food culture in the Ohio Valley.
LaBowls, the popular Wheeling-based smoothie bowl business owned by Brian Campbell and Sami Labelle, has announced the launch of “Beyond the Bowl,” a six-episode mini-series created in partnership with Wheeling Heritage.
Filmed and produced by Wheeling Heritage, the series will pair LaBowls with a different local restaurant in each episode for a fun culinary challenge. Participating restaurants will recreate one of LaBowls’ signature bowls, while the LaBowls team will attempt to recreate one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Guest judges will score each creation based on taste, creativity, presentation, and how closely it matches the original.
Organizers say the series is designed to celebrate collaboration, creativity, and community while highlighting the people and businesses helping shape Wheeling’s growing food scene.
“Since we started LaBowls last July, the support from the community has been incredible,” the LaBowls team said in the release. “Beyond the Bowl is everything we stand for. It’s a new and creative way to give back to Wheeling while having fun along the way.”
Wheeling Heritage officials say the project is another example of creative local entrepreneurship helping bring positive attention to the city.
“We love supporting small businesses through a variety of our programs, and we’re always excited by innovative, fresh ideas,” said Riley Carpenter, director of programming for Wheeling Heritage.
Filming for Beyond the Bowl is expected to begin in early June, with participating restaurants and episode release dates to be announced in the coming weeks.
LaBowls says the series aims to boost visibility for local restaurants, encourage tourism and foot traffic, and create positive digital content that showcases Wheeling and the Ohio Valley’s entrepreneurial spirit.
