In July, the Dayton area saw 8 restaurants open, 3 reopen and 3 close

NOW OPEN

Taste of Belgium opens at Austin Landing

Taste of Belgium opened its second bistro in the Dayton region on July 29 at Austin Landing.

The new bistro is about 20% larger than the bistro at The Greene in Beavercreek with seating inside for 140 people and an 80-seat patio. The interior reflects Taste of Belgium’s brand revitalization with a bold, but inviting color palette.

Taste of Belgium is best known for its waffles and brunch, but they also have a dinner menu, specialty cocktails and an extensive beer list with Belgian brews. The restaurant fuses Belgian and American cuisines with locally sourced ingredients.

The bistro, located at 10267 Penny Lane in Miami Twp., is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Troni’s Pizza & Pasta opens in downtown Dayton

Troni’s Pizza & Pasta has opened in the lobby of the Stratacache Tower on North Main Street in downtown Dayton, serving pizza by the slice and more.

Owner Beto Troni, who operates the restaurant with his wife, Qelja, described the establishment as a New York, Florida-style pizzeria catered to those on the go. There is a large display window featuring a variety of 20-inch pies, calzones, strombolis and garlic rolls. Each pie is cut into six large slices and ready to be served.

Slices range from $5-$8. The type of slices will rotate with staples like cheese, pepperoni, pepperoni sausage, white (ricotta, mozzarella and romano cheese), white classic (ricotta, mozzarella, romano, spinach, tomatoes and fresh garlic) and chicken bacon ranch.

Other items on the menu include baked pasta dishes, cold and hot sandwiches, wraps, chicken wings and salads.

New restaurant opens in Old North Dayton

A new restaurant serving pizza, subs and more has opened in the former spot of Paisano’s Pizza Pub in Old North Dayton.

Christine Fowler, who owns 201 Tavern with her husband, Shante, said she has always wanted to own her own restaurant/bar. Fowler had been working at the post office for about 12 years when the opportunity to open a restaurant came about. She said she is friends with the Condi family, who previously owned and operated Paisano’s Pizza Pub for more than 50 years. The restaurant had closed in September 2023.

“This isn’t the same place as I like to remind the people, sadly, and it’s not the same menu. The Condi family took all of their recipes with them, which I was completely fine with,” Fowler said. “They closed their chapter and I’m starting mine.”

The restaurant, located at 201 Brandt St., has been completely remodeled from the bar top that once contained boxing trading cards to the ceiling that was covered in boxer names.

Frost Factory opens at Austin Landing

The Frost Factory, a boutique bar with boozy slushies, cocktails and shots, is now open at Austin Landing.

Jamie Gregory, who owns the bar with her husband Kei, originally opened The Frost Factory in 2020 at the Liberty Center in Liberty Twp. She recalled being in Texas for one of her son’s basketball tournaments and going to a hole-in-the-wall daiquiri bar. That’s where the idea to open a bar with boozy slushies came about.

“We want to be more than that and that’s what this (location) is for,” Gregory said.

The Austin Landing location has nearly double the space compared to their bar previously at the Liberty Center. Gregory hopes to partner with other businesses in the Dayton region to host a variety of events like bingo and karaoke. The new space has several TVs perfect for football season. They are planning to have beer and seltzer specials during the big games.

New Mediterranean restaurant opens in Centerville

A new fast-casual restaurant serving modern interpretations of Mediterranean favorites is now open in Centerville.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is at 5409 Cornerstone N. Blvd. in the Cornerstone Plaza. The 1,500-square-foot space once housed Which Wich Superior Sandwiches.

Customers can expect classic dishes like The Great Greek Gyro, lamb, steak or chicken Souvlaki plates, Greek salads and four signature house-made dips including Hummus, Tzatziki, Melitzanosalata (eggplant dip) and Tirokafteri (spicy roasted red pepper). The restaurant also has desserts such as Baklava, Baklava Ice Cream and Rice Pudding.

7 Brew opens in Springfield

The first 7 Brew drive-thru coffee stand has opened in the region with two more on the way.

7 Brew officially opened Monday, July 15 at 2001 E. Main St. in Springfield near the intersection of South Belmont Avenue. Customers can expect teas, lemonades, smoothies, shakes, as well as their own branded energy drinks..

“We have over 20,000 flavor combinations,” said regional manager Maddie Turner.

The company plans to open a 7 Brew in Beavercreek just south of the intersection between North Fairfield and Rex Drive, in front of the new REI Co-op, by the end of September. This will be followed by a stand in Springboro at 827 Central Ave. in the Midway Plaza Shopping Center.

Entropy Brewing opens in Miamisburg

What started as an idea for someone else to do has turned into a family project with an opening date right around the corner.

Springboro natives Brianna and Jordan Joo found themselves in desperate need of a date night after a miscarriage in 2018. They wanted to go to a brewery to talk, but didn’t have a babysitter for their daughter. They had joked that someone needed to open a brewery in the Dayton area with an indoor playground, but over the next couple of months they realized they should be the ones to do it.

Entropy Brewing Co. is a 10,000-square-foot brewpub in Miamisburg featuring an indoor playground, outdoor patio and a speakeasy in the basement.

The brewery features a total of 16 taps including beer, cold brew coffee, a margarita mix and eventually root beer. Jordan is planning to have about four staples and the rest of the taps will be rotating.

The food menu features a variety dips like guacamole, salsa, queso and corn dip. Brianna said the guacamole is her homemade recipe that she has been making for years and the corn dip was inspired by a friend’s recipe. They also have tacos, burgers and sandwiches.

Waffle House opens in Xenia

The Dayton area’s newest Waffle House has opened.

Tom Blanton, vice president of J. Thomas & Co., which owns 19 Waffle House locations in the region, said the Xenia location at 1963 Harner Drive opened July 30.

“We’re trying to expand our footprint in the Dayton area,” Blanton said. “All of our stores in Greene County have always done well and we just wanted to move into Xenia. We thought that would be a good market for us.”

The restaurant will initially open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. After a month or two, they will launch their third shift crew and be open 24 hours.

REOPENED

First look inside Bill’s Donut Shop after main area reopens

Bill’s Donut Shop in Centerville has reopened its main area after several weeks of renovations.

The doughnut shop was closed for about 10 days after the Fourth of July as they laid new floors, put in new ceiling titles and transformed the side room into an area specifically for online orders and online delivery services.

On July 17, Bill’s Donut Shop reopened for carryout only through its side room as the main area was still being finished. Today around noon, they reopened with new cases, cabinets, countertops, bar seating and booths in the main area.

The doughnut shop has embraced its 1960s diner feel, but has upgraded its point-of-sale system and ordering methods. The side room will allow customers to choose, order and pay for their doughnuts online — which means they won’t have to wait in a line.

The main area still has cases showing the variety of doughnuts that they have to offer, but it does have digital menu boards.

The Ugly Duckling reopens in new location

The Ugly Duckling has reopened in a new location with an expanded menu featuring new items such as gluten-free waffles and salads.

The restaurant, a collaboration between Blazin’ Dayton Spice Co. and Uncle Boof’s World Famous Pancake Mix, is located at 1430 E. Fifth St. in Dayton’s St. Anne’s Hill Historic District.

The new space is two to three times bigger than their original location and they’ve hired several employees.

Customers can expect the original favorites like the World Famous Breakfast featuring one of Uncle Boof’s World Famous Pancakes, two eggs, choice of protein and tater tots. They also have a variety of Loaded Tots, Cinnamon French Toast, Biscuits & Gravy, a Breakfast Burrito, a Breakfast Quackadilla and a Breakfast Sandwich.

New items they are excited about are the Gluten-Free Waffles that can be ordered as an entree or as a bun on a breakfast sandwich and a Berry Sunny Salad featuring mixed greens, goat cheese, blueberries, strawberries, sunflower seeds and a lemon vinaigrette.

Dayton region Chick-fil-A reopens after renovations

Chick-fil-A Franchise Owner Rex Brooking said “it’s a relief” to reopen his free-standing restaurant on North Fairfield Road in Beavercreek.

“This store is 17 years old and we are doing considerably more business than was ever projected,” Brooking previously said. “About the only thing that will not be touched in the store are the four outside walls.”

The first thing guests will notice is the dining room. It looks completely different with a new color palette, decor and front counter. Brooking said the dine-in space is about 40 percent smaller because they expanded the kitchen and drive-thru area. They did keep the play area.

COMING SOON

Socialite Cafe in Kettering to open in August

Scott and Rebekah Allendevaux have spent the last 10 years traveling back and forth from the United Kingdom to Kettering and will soon share their experience by opening a new cafe in the region.

Socialite Cafe, located at 4011 Marshall Road in Kettering behind Speedway, is expected to have a soft opening Aug. 8 followed by a grand opening on Aug. 15 — pending final inspections.

The couple, with the help of their five children, Chris, Tim, Chara, Adin and Elora, transformed the 2,400-square-foot space into a European-style cafe serving coffee, tea, smoothies, soup, salad, sandwiches and other light bites.

Everything on its menu will be available gluten-free at no extra cost — this stems from their son having celiac disease.

Socialite Cafe has partnered with Proud Hound in Cincinnati as its coffee roaster and plans to have products from Purely Sweet Bakery and Ordinarie Fare.

In the evenings, they hope to offer charcuterie boards and wine. They will also have a full case of hand-dipped ice cream

The Silos: Dayton’s new food hall announces first vendor

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

Nood Bar, a concept by Chef Dane Shipp, will serve authentic Asian-inspired hot and cold noodle dishes with an assortment of bao buns and dumplings.

Shipp is a Dayton native who owns and operates CULTURE By Chef Dane in Dayton’s Oregon District at 416 E. Fifth Street. He presented a tasting of his new concept to the food hall owners and operators in March and they said his food was “out of this world” from the ingredients, flavors and composition of his dishes to his enthusiasm for the concept.

“Chef Dane embodies the hospitality and the creativity we aim to provide,” said Shannon Thomas, who owns The Silos with Wes Hartshorn.

Table 33 temporarily closes, will soon move to Dayton Arcade

Table 33 has temporarily closed its doors on West Second Street as the restaurant prepares to move to its new location inside the Dayton Arcade in the coming weeks.

“Sometimes navigating big transitions requires more time and space than we’re afforded in our day to day routine,” a July 13 post on the restaurant’s Facebook page stated. “While we hoped to be able to do it all without missing a beat, we’re finding that we need to step away for a few beats as we focus on our quickly approaching move to the Arcade just weeks from now.”

Table 33 will open in the fall in the former space of Est! Est!! Est!!! at 45 W. Fourth St. in the Arcade’s Commercial and Fourth Street buildings.

According to a previous release, Table 33′s current space in the 130 W. Second St. Building will house another concept developed by its owners.

New family restaurant to open in Trotwood

Dayton natives Tae Winston and her brother, Mark Lee, are teaming up to open a new restaurant in Trotwood.

Mar’Tae Kitchen & Cocktails will be located at 5212 Salem Ave. The 5,400-square-foot space most recently housed Mr. Bourbon and John Anthony’s Southern Cuisine.

The siblings want the restaurant to be known for its “nice, elegant cocktails.” The cuisine will feature a mix of soul and bar food, as well as homemade desserts like pies and cakes.

“We wanted a family restaurant,” Winston said. “We talked about what could bring people together and just creating a nice vibe for families and our community.”

CLOSED

The Frost Factory at Liberty Center closes

After four years, The Frost Factory location at Liberty Center in Liberty Twp. has closed. The bar’s last day open was July 28.

The owners have opened a new location at Austin Landing featuring boozy slushies, cocktails and shots.

The Frost Factory typically features nine alcoholic slushies, two non-alcoholic slushies and one slushie with THC, as well as six specialty cocktails and shots. It has a full liquor license to serve a variety of spirits, beers and seltzers.

Italian restaurant Est! Est!! Est!!! closes at Dayton Arcade

Italian restaurant Est! Est!! Est!!! has closed its doors at the Dayton Arcade, and Table 33 has announced it will move into the space.

Located at 45 W. Fourth St. in the Arcade’s Commercial and Fourth Street buildings, Est! Est!! Est!!! closed July 20.

“Thank you for your support of this restaurant,” a sign on the location’s door reads.

Est! Est!! Est!!! was an extension of Mayfair Hospitality’s flagship restaurant in downtown Winston-Salem, N.C. When the Dayton restaurant opened in July 2023, it was led by Chef Simone Conosciani of Rome, Italy. The restaurant served fresh pasta, deep fried calzones and pizza.

Ghostlight Coffee closes Dayton location

Ghostlight Coffee has closed its location at the intersection of Patterson Boulevard and Stout Street in Dayton.

The coffee shop’s last day for business was July 23.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the closure of our Ghostlight Midtown,” said founder Shane Anderson. “Balancing the stability of the business with pressing family medical issues has made it necessary for us to simplify our lives, leading to this difficult decision.”

Ghostlight’s original location at 1201 Wayne Ave. remains open, as well as its bagel shop and bakery at 2nd Street Market and its coffee, cocktails and small plates restaurant at the Dayton Arcade.