“It was a hard decision,” said Michelle Corbin, who bought the restaurant in 2019 with her brother, Pete Jazenski. “Local restaurants are tough, and people have got to go and support their local restaurants.”
Struggles after the pandemic
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic, CBCB has been grabbling with a smaller lunch crowd — despite having a $10 lunch special.
“Covid ruined everything in the restaurant industry,” Corbin said. “Everyone works from home. There’s no one coming out to have lunch.”
The lunch crowd has dropped down to about half of what it was prior to Covid. Today, the restaurant only served seven people during lunch.
On top of a decrease in foot traffic, restaurant owners have been dealing with a variation in cost of goods.
For example, a large tub of grease has tripled in price since Covid. Corbin said they go through 10 tubs of grease each week, averaging nearly $600.
Another example is the cost of chicken wings. Prior to Covid, a case of wings cost $50. During Covid, a case was around $250. Corbin said the price has dropped, but they’re still double the cost compared to what they were.
“We buy fresh food every single week,” Corbin said. “We have good business, and there are good days, but there’s other days I need the consistency. I wanted to leave on my terms.”
What’s next for the owner?
Corbin recently got married and is looking forward to having her weekends off and spending time with her family, children and grandchildren. She’s also excited to take a vacation.
She is planning to return to the corporate sales world.
“It was a tough decision coming up with this, but I was getting ready to have to sign a new lease.” Corbin said. “I know that I physically probably cannot handle it for another five years.”
With a love for cooking and being a hospitable hostess, Corbin bought the restaurant in 2019 from Bob Byers.
The history of Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers
Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers opened its first location in the Dayton region in 1991 across the street from the Ervin J. Nutter Center.
Dayton native Steve Head saw an opportunity to open a casual place for friends to gather for a cold beer and a quick bite to eat before or after sporting events and concerts at the Fairborn venue.
Restaurateur Bob Byers teamed up with Head to open the second Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers location on South Jefferson St. in Dayton later that year and by 2003, eight restaurants had opened.
In 2013, Byers introduced a more refined version of the Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers concept with the opening of his third restaurant, CBCB Bar & Grill in Beavercreek. This location offered an expanded menu and craft beer on draft.
The Beavercreek restaurant is the last remaining Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers.
“When I originally bought it, I was going to change it around but there was just so many people that loved the name,” Corbin said. “The regulars here have made this place like a family.”
Corbin’s sister-in-law works as the kitchen manager at the restaurant. She had left her job as a legal secretary to work for the family. Corbin’s niece and nephew also work at the restaurant.
“I want them to know that both me and my brother and everyone here has enjoyed our time with everyone,” Corbin said. “We’ve enjoyed meeting everyone and the hospitality that they’ve granted us has been a joy and we’re going to miss everybody.”
One last ‘cheers’
On the last day of business, CBCB will celebrate “an end of an era.”
“I hope that people will come in and see everybody and experience Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers,” Corbin said. “Come in and have a last cheeseburger, have a last cold beer here and do a cheers and celebrate.”
Corbin said the space will remain operating as a restaurant.
The Demnika family, who owns Tuscany’s Grill & Market at 881 E. Franklin St. in Centerville and Demnika’s Italiano at 2667 S. Dixie Drive in Kettering, is opening an Italian restaurant.
More details on the new restaurant are coming soon.
MORE DETAILS
CBCB is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant will be closed on Easter.
For more information, visit cbcbbarandgrill.com or the restaurant’s Facebook page (@Beavercreekcbcb).
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