This is just one of the many stories Tyson has of his years of running the business, even when it was embarrassing or difficult for him.

His business is built around the sale of beer, wine and spirits, and he takes pride in the wide range of options he has for everyone.

“We have cold national beer and import beer, craft beer, wines, spirits and other malt beverages,” Tyson said. “Along with wine, we have 600 varieties and wines and feature 10 Ohio wineries. There are over 60 craft beer selections and over 300 beer and malt drink choices.

The little party store is unique and known statewide for its fish stories, big bucks, and the lottery. Sometimes these three topics converge, but this is serious business for Tyson, who grew up hunting and fishing. Logically, he made each of them a big part of his store’s circulation.

His store is the # 1 lottery business in Wood County, out of 126 stores, and ranks 261 out of 10,701 statewide. Several lottery customers watched television wearing T-shirts from his store.

“We pay a lot of winners,” Tyson said.

Most of these winners are paid in his store. His biggest winner was $ 300,000, but he doesn’t keep that kind of money in the store.

A graduate of Elmwood High School in 1973 and a graduate of Owens Community College in 1975, he has close ties to Wood County and Bowling Green. He was 20 when he started his business and did so on a shoestring with a small loan from his parents.

From the start, he also sold hunting and fishing licenses, as well as bait. The store is one of the best-selling fishing license locations in the state.

Its most recent commercial backbone has been outdoor sports. Their popularity was waning, but Mike’s Party Mart is a vital business and he predicted the pandemic would bring people back to hunting and fishing. He believes that sport facilitates social distancing. He is always ready to answer questions from people new to the business.

“We love our customers and the community has been good to me, and we’ve tried to serve them as well,” Tyson said.

This dedication to its customers also extends to its employees, who are usually university students.

“I really feel like I’ve had an impact on their growth and their lives. I know I had an impact, ”Tyson said. “I like to think of it as a stable environment for them that they can rely on.”

He periodically contributed his knowledge to business courses at Bowling Green State University.

“I try to tell students about the dedication it takes to be successful. I ask, “Are you ready to do this or are other things more important?” “

He also talks to them about the benefits of being a planner and having a balanced life as a small business owner.

To avoid burnout, he embraced a long-standing passion for baseball.

“I played on two 45-year-old Roy Hobbs World Series men’s amateur baseball teams with Huntsville, Alabama, and Kent, Ohio. I have stopped playing now, but I am now coaching third base in the world tournament, ”said Tyson.

Family is also very important to Tyson and he gives his wife a lot of credit for supporting him in his dedication to the business.

Tyson likes to remind people, when they stop to buy beer or wine, to take a look at the wall of pictures of trophy fish and deer. With over 10,000 deer screened there have been state winners, including a 27 point buck from Perrysburg.

There are also pictures of a 47 inch catfish, a 25 inch bass and a 35 inch walleye. Tyson said these are fishy stories you can trust.