Britt said the Covington, Ky.-based Agave & Rye has had its eye on the Dayton market in part because its northernmost location in Liberty Center in Butler County was wildly successful after opening in October 2019, and that success continued after it reopened following the coronavirus-related statewide shutdown of dine-in service at bars and restaurants earlier this year. In fact, the Liberty Township location set a one-day sales record for the four-store chain just this weekend, on Saturday, Aug. 15, Britt said.
Agave & Rye opened its first restaurant in Covington in February 2018, and has added locations in Louisville and Lexington as well as Liberty Township.
“We’re very excited, because even when we had just the Covington location, we had people driving down from the Dayton area just to get our tacos and margarita packages,” Britt said. “This will be exciting for Troy and the surrounding communities.”
Plans call for opening the new restaurant perhaps as soon as late November, Britt said. It will employ up to 50 people.
Agave & Rye restaurants offer more than 75 different bourbons and 75 tequilas on their bar menu. The tacos are large and double-shelled, with 13 different protein options, “from ground beef all the way up to kangaroo,” along with vegan and vegetarian options and a wide variety of toppings, Britt said. A burger also is offered.
Citrus juices are squeezed fresh each day, and taco toppings and dips such as guacamole and queso are made in-house daily, Britt said.
“We’re not a Mexican restaurant, but we take a Mexican staple, the taco, and we turn it on its head,” Britt said.
Curbside pickup is available at all Agave & Rye locations, and to-go orders can be placed by phone or online at the company’s web site, www.agaveandrye.com. Catering is also available at each restaurant.
Central Ohio will be next for expanding the Agave & Rye footprint northward into Ohio, but Britt didn’t rule out adding a second Dayton-area location.
“We’re not opposed to having two restaurants in the same geographic footprint, if the demand is there,” Britt said.
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