The Century Bar in Dayton has reopened with full staff

Credit: Sarah Babcock

Credit: Sarah Babcock

Milligan comes to the bar “with 25 years of management experience and very extensive bourbon knowledge,” Spitzig said.

He previously worked as the general manager at Whiskey Wine & Roses in Fort Jennings for six years and most recently as the beverage manager at the Marriott in Dayton.

“This is a hard bar to work behind between the cocktails and 847 whiskeys,” Spitzig said.

On a typical Friday or Saturday night, the bar needs five bartenders plus a person at the door to operate.

She described her staffing issues as the “perfect storm” just as Joe Head stepped away to pursue another opportunity.

The Century is in the process of creating a new seasonal cocktail menu. It should be available in the next week or two.

Spitzig wanted to thank the local businesses that reached out to help — especially the Van Buren Room at the Belle of Dayton Distillery.

The Century is downtown Dayton’s oldest bar, dating back to 1942 under its current name, but the history of having a bar on South Jefferson Street dates back even before then.

In the 1890s, Kette & Sons Rye Whiskey Distillery was established in the bar’s previous space and lasted until the flood.

Frank Steffen is said to have purchased the famous back bar customers see at the bar today around 1924 for Steffen’s, a male-only “coffee shop” that opened in The Century’s previous space three years after the Great Dayton Flood of 1913. The back bar was constructed in 1862 and had been in Gibson’s Hotel in Cincinnati.

“The magnificence of the back bar has always taken my breath away,” Spitzig said. “I fell in love with this business 29 years ago.”

Before becoming the owner of The Century, Spitzig was a restaurant manager for three years at Charley’s and one year at Kitty’s.

Back in the day, The Century was a classic dive bar with darts, pool and a jukebox on the wall. Today, the bar is known for its selection of whiskeys — especially its bourbon.

In 2020, The Century moved from 10 S. Jefferson St. to its current location at 18 S. Jefferson St.

MORE DETAILS

The Century is open 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

For more information and updates, visit centurybardayton.com or the bar’s Facebook or Instagram (@thecenturybar) pages.