Sweeney’s, at 28 West Franklin St., was founded by Ron and Christy Sweeney in 1994. The Sweeneys sold the restaurant in 2012, and recently opened Sea Jax Tavern in south Kettering.
Sweeney’s Seafood Bar & Grill’s ownership now includes Larry and Holley Thompson of Springboro, both veterans of LexisNexis. Larry Thompson retired from Lexis Nexis in 2006 as the company’s chief global marketing officer, and Holley Thompson retired from LexisNexis the same year, as senior vice president of U.S. marketing. Lisa Long, Sweeney’s general manager, and Michael Kruse, the restaurant’s chef, are also partners in the restaurant.
A new menu is set to make its debut July 5, Lisa Long said. It will include several existing favorites and will add new seafood dishes as well as an expanded selection of steak, chicken, pork and pasta dishes, Long said.
Some changes are already in place: The restaurant has launched a “First Catch” menu that is available between 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Daily specials are available. And this spring, Sweeney’s doubled the number of craft beers on draft to 12.
The restaurant turns 20 in September, and Long said plans call for a special menu and several events to mark the anniversary.
Long worked for 13 years at Sycamore Creek Country Club in Springboro, including more than three years as club manager supervising food service and other non-golf operations. Before that, she operated a catering business in Pennsylvania. Kruse previously worked at Moraine Country Club and Sycamore Creek Country Club in restaurant-related positions. He was the executive chef at Brown’s Run Country Club.
The Centerville restaurant seats 180 and another 16 on a patio. It has 22 employees, and is open seven days a week for dinner.
For more information, call (937) 291-3474 or check out the Sweeney's web site at www.sweeneysseafood.com.
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