So far in September, the Dayton region has seen 12 restaurants open, 5 close

OPEN

2 restaurants open near Wright State

The University Shoppes, located across the street from Wright State University, has added two new restaurants to its lineup with a cafe coming soon.

Baba BQ and Jyot India Restaurant have joined several other restaurants in the shopping center including Dad’s Wings & Burgers, First Watch, Flying Pizza, Kung Fu Tea, Leaguer Baker and Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Baba BQ, a Middle Eastern grill and cafe, opened its doors in early July at 2624 Colonel Glenn Highway where Crazy King Burrito was previously located.

Jyot India Restaurant opened its doors in late July at 2620 Colonel Glenn Highway in the former space of Timmy’s Wok.

Cafe Attaleia in Clayton serves American, Mediterranean breakfast and lunch

Cafe Attaleia is serving American and Mediterranean-style breakfast and lunch in the Randolph Plaza on North Main Street in Clayton.

The new cafe is an extension of Cafe Terra Mediterranean Cuisine, located at 8351 N Main St. in the same plaza. Former owner Tolga Ka originally opened Cafe Bliss in 2023 at this location featuring American breakfast, but after customer requests he reopened a few months ago under a new name with Mediterranean breakfast as well.

Ahmed Salem, who is originally from Cairo, Egypt and now lives in Cincinnati, became owner of both establishments in July. Ka is continuing to help make sure the transition is as smooth as possible.

Everything at Cafe Attaleia is made fresh. Customer favorites include Menemen (scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers and onions sauteed with feta sucuk) and Simit (a sesame bagel that can be served with eggs or on a plate with olives, tomato, cucumber and white cheese)

Butterbee’s opens in Xenia

The Xenia Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, Sept. 17 for the city’s newest restaurant.

Butterbee’s American Grille, a family friendly, sports-themed restaurant and bar, is open next door to Skyline Chili on Progress Drive. The restaurant kicked off a soft opening in early August with limited hours and was operating with normal hours by Aug. 20.

The restaurant is famous for its hand-breaded chicken tenders and fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs.

The Xenia restaurant will be Butterbee’s fourth location. Butterbee’s first opened in Mt. Orab in 2006 and expanded to Cincinnati in 2009 and Milford in 2014.

Dunkin’ reopens in Kettering

Dunkin’ has reopened in Kettering after temporarily closing its doors in July for a branding remodel.

The coffee shop, located at 1864 E. Stroop Road, now features “the brand’s next generation design with a side-by-side drive-thru to make running on Dunkin’ faster and more convenient than ever before.”

On the inside, customers can expect their favorite signature cold beverages such as cold brew coffee served through a tap system and a front-facing bakery case with donuts and other baked goods. NextGen restaurants also feature an area dedicated to mobile order pick-ups. Guests who order ahead via the Dunkin’ App can track the status of their order on a new digital order status board.

Julea Schuh Remke, a spokeswoman for Gilligan Company said all Dunkin locations that do not have the NextGen branding will be remodeled eventually.

Halal Burgers opens second location

Halal Burgers in Washington Twp. has opened a second restaurant location south of Dayton.

The new fast-casual restaurant serving burgers, wings and chicken tenders using halal meat is located at 7037 Yankee Road in Liberty Twp.

Abbad Tahir opened the original restaurant with his two brothers at 767 Lyons Road in Washington Twp. near J. Alexander’s and Chappys Social House in Nov. 2023.

New Japanese-Spanish fusion restaurant SushiNero opens in Miamisburg

SushiNero, a new Japanese-Spanish fusion restaurant with sushi, small plates and entrees, is opening this evening in Miamisburg.

The restaurant is located at 20 S. First St. in the former space of Watermark.

The chef at SushiNero is originally from Japan and had lived in Spain for a period of time. That’s where owner Lauren Stites got the idea to have a Japanese-Spanish fusion restaurant. She said there are many similarities between Japan and Spain in regards to the use of seafood like squid and octopus in their cuisines that they plan to play into.

The menu features sushi, tapas and entrees. The restaurant will have some Americanized dishes including a burger with an Asian twist. Must try items include the Iberian Roll (a shrimp tempura sushi roll topped with seared steak and a chimichurri sauce), Karaage Fried Chicken with gochujang sauce and Pork Belly with tamarind salsa

Dunaways in Troy works with Jimmie’s Ladder 11 owner on food plan

After reopening under new ownership in March, Dunaways in Troy has officially opened its kitchen this week with elevated bar food.

Customers can find anything from burgers, salads and chili to wonton nachos, a Reuben sandwich and chicken chunks on the menu.

Dunaways worked with Nick Brandell, owner of Jimmie’s Ladder 11 in Dayton, as a restaurant consultant. This was Brandell’s first restaurant he consulted for under his new business, Hospitality Insights LLC.

The new owners, Dan and Nicole Burns, a husband and wife duo known as general contractors throughout the Troy area, Andrew Circle, an architect, and a fourth partner, wanted their food menu to feature items customers couldn’t find throughout the area. And if they could find it, they wanted to make it better. The owners said their intent is to have the best burger in town.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opens in Englewood

A new fast-casual restaurant known for its steakburgers, shoestring fries and frozen custard is now open in Englewood.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opened Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 910 S. Main St.

This was the former site of Bolts Sports Cafe, which closed its doors in June 2023 after 30 years in the community. The building was razed in March to facilitate the development of the 2,500-square-foot Freddy’s restaurant.

The Englewood restaurant is the third Freddy’s location in the Dayton region. Other locations include 3227 Kemp Road in Beavercreek and 5501 Wilmington Pike in Centerville.

Yumi Boba Tea opens at The Greene in Beavercreek

Yumi Boba Tea is now open at The Greene in Beavercreek in the former space of Wick Therapy Candle near Panera Bread.

The Taiwanese bubble tea shop and Vietnamese deli first opened in the Airway Shopping Center at 170 Woodman Drive in Riverside in 2020. Two years later, a second location opened at 204 N. Springboro Pike in Miamisburg.

Bubble tea, or Boba, is a Taiwanese drink that emerged in the 1980s, consisting usually of fresh-brewed tea mixed with milk or fruits and topped off with chewy tapioca balls. Customers are able to customize their bubble teas and adjust the level of sweetness with different ingredients and toppings.

Yumi Boba Tea has a variety of drinks including fresh brew tea, fruit tea, milk tea, lemonade, smoothies and coffee. Food options include mochi donuts and Korean corn dogs.

Build-your-own breakfast burritos now in Dayton

A new food vendor is setting up on East First Street at 420 Dayton offering build-your-own breakfast burritos and sandwiches.

“There’s not very many breakfast places and the ones that are here don’t cater to breakfast burritos,” said Doug Underwood Jr., who owns Breakfast on the Run with his partner, Melynn Hefley. “It was a niche that Dayton severely needs.”

All burritos start at $6 with the customers’ choice of a protein (eggs, chorizo, bacon or sausage) and cheese (four-cheese blend or queso chihuahua). Other ingredients like tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, peppers, fried potatoes and salsa is available for an additional charge.

Breakfast on the Run also has sandwiches such as the Egg McDougie with egg, Canadian bacon and American cheese on an English muffin. The business also offers the Skippin’ Burrito, a deconstructed burrito served in a coffee cup.

Culina opens in Dayton’s Oregon District with Italian-inspired small plates

Roost Modern Italian in Dayton’s Oregon District has undergone a transformation “to be more relatable to the Dayton market.” The restaurant has been rebranded as Culina with a new fine casual service model.

Chef Dana Downs said she decided to make this pivot for several reasons including the change in economic climate.

“Fine dining is not dead, but it’s difficult,” Downs said. “We just don’t want to be a celebration place. We want to be a place you can come all the time.”

The new menu features a lot of the same Roost flavors, but in a new way. For example, the salsa rosa from the bread dip is now incorporated in the New York Strip Tagliata.

Downs also has Lemon Ricotta Cookies, which were once served at her Kettering restaurant, and Grilled Shrimp Alla Pesto Trapanese that was previously a special. Other favorites that remain on the menu include Frittes, Braided Farmhouse Bread, Wedge Salad, Grilled & Roasted Artichokes, Pacific Aquaculture Stripped Bass and Spaghetti Alla Chitarra Con Pomodoro.

COMING SOON

Troni Brothers to open third restaurant location north of Dayton

After opening Troni Brothers Italian Restaurant in Xenia last year, owner Dave Keen is ready to open a third restaurant in the Dayton region.

Troni Brothers Bella Bistro is expected to open in early December at 2311 W. Main St. in Troy. The restaurant will be located in the former location of Rapid Fired Pizza, which closed after business on Sunday.

“What my goal has always been is to hire the right people that have that entrepreneurial spirit in them that want to eventually have some type of ownership,” said owner Dave Keen. “That’s the ultimate goal to create future ownership for future people that are invested into it.”

The Troy restaurant will be led by one of Keen’s chefs in Xenia. The goal is for him to work himself into some type of ownership role, Keen said.

Qdoba returning to Beavercreek in early 2025

QDOBA, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant, is expected to make its return to Beavercreek early next year.

The restaurant was previously located at 2781 Centre Drive in Beavercreek. When it closed in Sept. 2019, there was a sign posted on the door that read, “We have moved to 1524 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, our new location. We will be coming soon to our new location in Beavercreek.”

The Beavercreek restaurant had closed at that time “due to a natural lease expiration,” a spokesperson for QDOBA said. “As a brand, we continually evaluate markets, and Beavercreek showed strong potential for a QDOBA return.”

The new restaurant will be located next to Buddy’s Carpet & Flooring at 2476 Commons Blvd. Suite 3 in the shopping center that houses Lounge Nail Spa, Jimmy John’s and Osaka Japanese Steakhouse.

Glazed Donut Eatery in Xenia to open second location in region

A doughnut shop in Xenia is planning to open a second location in a nearby city by the end of October.

Glazed Donut Eatery will open at 3800 Colonel Glenn Highway Suite 200 in Fairborn near Wright State University. This is the former location of Gigi’s Cupcakes that most recently housed Mamaw’s Bakery and Gifts.

The Fairborn location will have the same doughnuts as its flagship location, but will not carry specialty coffees due to its proximity to Starbucks. The doughnut shop will have drip coffee.

Doughnuts will continue to be made fresh daily at its Xenia location, but some items will be made in-house at the Fairborn spot.

New cafe called miDDay to open in Dayton, will have speakeasy in the back

A new cafe with coffee and elevated American cuisine is opening in Dayton this October.

miDDay will be located at 800 S. Patterson Blvd. next to Old Scratch Pizza in the former space of Ghostlight Coffee.

Owners Greg Innocent, Chris Cheng and Taylor Moberly want to not only offer great coffee, but a great hospitality experience.

“It’s coffee reimagined,” Innocent said. “We really want people to experience coffee in a way that it’s connected to the people that they encounter when they are here.”

In addition to coffee, customers can expect elevated American cuisine with an egg sandwich expected to be the star of the show during breakfast. miDDay will also have waygu burgers, salads, wings and more.

New cafe to open near Wright State

The University Shoppes, located across the street from Wright State University, will soon have a new cafe.

Chai Corner, specializing in masala chai, Adani chai, Turkish coffee and Arabic qahwah, will be located at 2632 Colonel Glenn Highway in the former space of Don Patron Mexican Grill.

The new cafe is planning to open in November, according to its Facebook page. A menu is coming soon.

Wingstop to open in Huber Heights

Wingstop is continuing to expand throughout the Dayton region with a third restaurant location expected to open in Huber Heights.

A sign has been hung and work is being completed at 6243 Old Troy Pike in the College Square Plaza next to Jet’s Pizza.

Wingstop will occupy a previously unused space which has been the “construction office” for the plaza, said Don Millard, manager of zoning and code enforcement for the city of Huber Heights. He did not have additional details on when the restaurant is expected to open.

Haymarket Deli & Sweets to open in Dayton’s Wright Dunbar in Spring 2025

Before opening the SOCA food truck in 2020 with his brother, Shafton Greene and his wife, LaShawn, had the idea to open a deli. That idea will finally come into fruition in spring 2025 when they open Haymarket Deli & Sweets in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood.

“The idea was always there, but we just didn’t get the right time or the right space,” Shafton said. “This couldn’t have been more perfect because we live here and already have a business here.”

Customers can expect sandwiches such as a meatball, Cuban, Reuben or turkey. Having fresh ingredients is something that’s important to the couple. They have plans to cook their own turkey breast and slice it themselves instead of using pre-packaged products. The deli will also have a variety of vegan options, in addition to cakes, soups, salads, boba tea and ice cream.

Haymarket Deli & Sweets is joining several other businesses with plans to open on West Third Street including XO Burger Vibez + Cocktails, Saoko Tea and Wine Bar and Wright Dunbar Cigar Shoppe & Lounge.

Ordinarie Fare owner to open new concept at The Silos

The Silos, a new food hall and beer garden expected to open in the fall near 2nd Street Market in downtown Dayton, has announced its final food vendor.

Indigo, a concept by Ordinarie Fare, will feature a variety of items including seasonal farm-to-table salads, grain bowls, West-Coast inspired burritos and a line of herbal “elixirs.”

The menu is entirely gluten-free and designed to ground the body with plant-forward food.

“I opened Ordinarie Fare in 2020, aiming to provide better gluten-free and plant-forward options to Dayton,” said owner Katie Mathews. “Over the last four years, we have grown our community and served our food via pop-ups, a meal delivery service, a brick-and-mortar, and a food truck. To settle into a space at the Silos as Indigo feels like a coming together of the highest and best of every iteration of our business.”

Indigo will join The Burger Bistro by Cece’s Kitchen, KungFu BBQ and Nood Bar by Chef Dane at the food hall.

Piqua Station is a new hub for coworking, restaurants and other businesses

Small Nation, a Bellefontaine-based real estate developer, is teaming up with Winans Coffee & Chocolate to open a hub for commerce and community engagement in Piqua.

The Piqua Station is located at 113 E. High St. Renovations have already begun on the property, with expected completion in early 2025.

This will be Small Nation’s third location of BUILD Cowork + Space, a modern and flexible shared office space designed to foster collaboration and innovation among entrepreneurs, freelancers and small businesses. Small Nation opened its first coworking concept in Bellefontaine and its second space in Marysville this past April.

Other business expected to open soon include Smoothie Life, Sushi Kazu and a new Winans headquarters.

Chick-fil-A aims to open new location near Austin Landing

Chick-fil-A is looking to build a new location just across Ohio 741 from Austin Landing at the southern edge of Montgomery County.

The fast-food restaurant chain recently submitted plans to Miami Twp. for a new 4,852-square-foot eatery with a drive-thru on a 3-acre property east of Ohio 741 and south of Taos Drive.

The restaurant, if approved, will be built on a new roadway approved by the Ohio Department of Transportation, one that would extend Landing Way east of Ohio 741 and onto a now-residential site at 10322 Springboro Pike.

The Miami Twp. Zoning Commission is scheduled to discuss a final development plan for the site at its regularly scheduled Oct. 8 meeting.

CLOSED

Taco John’s franchisee in SW Ohio planning new concept

Meritage Hospitality Group, a franchisee for Taco John’s, that closed two restaurants in southwest Ohio last week plans to reopen as a different concept.

“We have made the difficult decision to close our Taco John’s restaurants. We appreciate our employees’ commitment and hard work as well as the community’s patronage as we have endeavored to make this concept a success,” a statement from Meritage said. “In regard to future plans, we intend to reopen as a different concept and look forward to once again serving the community in days to come.”

The restaurants that closed in Southwest Ohio are located at 4045 Wilmington Pike in Kettering and 8155 Highland Point Drive in West Chester Twp.

According to Meritage’s website, the hospitality group is a franchisee of Wendy’s, Morning Belle and Stan’s Tacos.

Moeller Brew Barn closes in Troy

After five years in downtown Troy, Moeller Brew Barn has closed its doors.

“Unfortunately, we were just not able to do enough business to keep things going,” said owner Nick Moeller. “Our sales had dipped and that had been going on for over the course of the last year and we just weren’t able to recover.”

He said it’s hard to blame one specific thing for the closure, but confirmed they were on a downward trend

The Troy brewery was Moeller Brew Barn’s second location. The brewery had opened its flagship location in Maria Stein, south of Celina in Mercer County, in May 2015. The Maria Stein location remains open, as well as the downtown Dayton brewery.

Riverside restaurant closing as owners shift focus to catering and rentals

The owners of Christopher’s Restaurant & Catering have permanently closed the restaurant portion of their business.

The Catering House by Christopher’s, located at 4211 Linden Ave., will now be available for private party space, weekly or monthly meetings and corporate events.

“Erika and I have found ourselves at a crossroads in our lives where we must decide how we can best serve our community, have a positive impact on the lives of those we serve, continue to produce amazing food, and provide levels of service that exceed expectations at fair and reasonable costs. And while we have been blessed, yet again, as our current restaurant continues to grow more and more, we have decided that it is best for us to focus our time, treasures and talents on growing our catering business and further (developing) our facility rentals,” said Dave Krites, who owns the restaurant with his wife.

The owners have plans to host “community building nights” on Linden Avenue featuring family dining, dessert/ice cream socials, wine tastings and specialty menus.