“We’re off the beaten path, and we don’t advertise,” said Kelly Woodard, who co-owns with her husband, Matt, Boyne City’s popular Italian dining destination Bella Vita. While it’s not a traditional recipe for restauranteurs, the Woodards’ low-key approach works; Kelly Woodard said that the majority of their regular guests dine with them more than once a week during the summer season.
 
“We rely on word of mouth,” she said. “If you love us, you will be back, and most likely tell a friend or two along the way — or, as we have discovered, you’ll bring them with you the next time you visit.