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.

All burgers feature a prime half-pound beef patty. Favorites include:

Other must-try items on the menu include the Gourmet Garlic Cheese Curds (white cheddar cheese curds lightly breaded with garlic and parsley), BBQ Pork Wonton Nachos (crispy wonton chips topped with BBQ pork, beer cheese, red onions, diced tomatoes, jalapenos and a side of sour cream) and the Pub Chili Bowl (an all beef chili with pinto beans, tomatoes, onions and house spices topped with cheese and sour cream).

Don’t forget to save room for dessert! The pub has a Chocolate Chunk Cookie and Peanut Butter Toffee Brownie that’s served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The owners said the menu isn’t finalized. They have plans to add pizza and a few other items.

“Never having done this before, I think when people tell me the food is good, even though I don’t cook...it’s a cool feeling,” Circle said. “I like when people say they have fun here. It’s something I didn’t realize I would get so much enjoyment out of.”

Since opening in March for a three-day St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Dunaways has been operating as a bar on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The owners have been in the process of completely renovating the 200-square-foot kitchen and adding new equipment.

“There was a lot of momentum coming off of St. Patrick’s Day and I think we just wanted to show people we weren’t just doing it for that weekend, it was a long term commitment,” Circle said.

Dunaways will host a similar event for Oktoberfest 4 p.m. to midnight on Sept. 20 and noon to midnight on Sept. 21. There will be live music, beer, German-inspired food and much more. Admission will be $5 at the door.

The owners said they couldn’t have had such a successful opening without the support from the city, community and general manager Teresa Smith.

MORE DETAILS

The restaurant, located at 508 W. Main St., is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Open mic is on Thursdays and live music is on Fridays and Saturdays. Customers can choose to sit inside or outside on the front and back decks.

Dunaways is hiring. To apply, click here. For more information and updates, visit troydunaways.com or the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages.