Credit: Submitted Photo

Credit: Submitted Photo

“It’s doubling down on the belief that Daytonians want a place made by Daytonians, for Daytonians to celebrate their most important moments,” Carroll said.

A passion for taking care of people through food and hospitality

Carroll, a 1997 graduate of Dayton Christian, spent a period of time in Florida and South Carolina before moving back to the region in 2004. When he founded the non-denominational evangelical church in 2008, he wanted the church to be in downtown Dayton, but there wasn’t a space available.

The church went from Vandalia to Beavercreek to Dayton within two years and shortly after, Carroll realized there was a different way he could serve people.

“In 2014, I just thought that maybe a better way to meet people and take care of people was through food and hospitality versus a Sunday morning approach to God,” Carroll said.

He identified that downtown Dayton was missing a breakfast spot and started renovating a space at 33 N. Ludlow St. — hence the name Table 33. After realizing that space was not a good fit, he and his former business partner started working on the space at 130 W. Second St.

Credit: Submitted Photo

Credit: Submitted Photo

“I really had no idea what I was doing,” Carroll said. “The idea was just to be a locally sourced restaurant that focused on brunch, food and to meet and take care of people.”

With no prior restaurant experience, but a love for hospitality, Carroll opened Table 33 in October 2016.

“Hospitality is a word that comes from the time of antiquity where kings and queens had everything they could ever want,” Carroll said. “Their way of feeling happy and creating joy for themselves was by making other people feel like kings and queens.”

“For me, hospitality is the opportunity to take care of others with awareness and intentionality,” Carroll said.

Table 33 returns to its roots

Table 33 started off as a full-service restaurant with an elevated approach. During the coronavirus pandemic, the restaurant pivoted to a fast-casual approach with family meals being offered.

“It wasn’t until later in (20)21 or (20)22, that I realized the pandemic had shifted us out of, or away from, our original identity,” Carroll said. “During the pandemic you really had to make changes if you wanted to stay alive.”

When the restaurant opened at 45 W. Fourth St. on Nov. 22, it returned to a full service restaurant with elevated American fare that’s locally sourced whenever possible. It’s described as casual, fine dining.

“A big part of that decision, though it costs the restaurant about 20% more to be full service, is it’s hard to really make people feel like kings and queens if you’re not waiting on them at the table and instead making them stand in the line,” Carroll said.

The move to the Dayton Arcade

Carroll started talking to Cross Street Partners, the main Arcade developer, in 2019.

“My parents used to come here when they were kids and the Arcade was the epicenter of downtown,” Carroll said. “The Arcade was always symbolic to me of the city starting to revitalize, and it really...was at the second half of 2019 and the beginning of (20)20. There was a tremendous amount of momentum.”

Carroll said the COVID-19 pandemic probably caused a four- to five-year restart on that momentum.

Table 33 was originally planning to open in the Arcade’s Kuhns Building at the corner of Fourth and Main Streets, but was able to shift its restaurant development to the former space of Est! Est!! Est!!! when that restaurant closed in July.

Moving Table 33 into the Dayton Arcade was a $3 million dollar project, Carroll said. They used many of the Arcade’s original materials in its space. For example, there is a private room made by old doors from the Arcade. They also tracked down photos from back in the day to hang on the walls “because what it will be is always built on what it was.”

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

“We’re honored to be a part of it,” Carroll said. “The goal for us ... is we want to earn people’s trust when it comes to being a great place to celebrate.”

What to expect in the new space

The new 5,800-square-foot space features several different dining areas for guests to enjoy:

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Guests can also get pastries and other food to-go from the restaurant’s Market. The Market will also feature 150 wines and other local goods for sale.

Table 33 is seasonally driven with all beef, chicken, eggs and milk being sourced locally. The restaurant typically rolls out four menus a year.

The restaurant is currently open for brunch and is expected to open for dinner service starting Dec. 18.

An employee first mentality

When asked what Carroll is most proud of with Table 33, he said it’s the employee first mentality.

“We’ve always kept a holistic mindset when it comes to the order of service and making people feel important,” Carroll said. “I’ve always believed and done my best to help the employees understand or feel that they are my first priority.”

“I can’t expect them to make our guests feel like kings and queens if I’m not making them feel that way,” Carroll said.

The restaurant has 35 to 40 employees with chef Keith Taylor leading the kitchen. He formerly worked as the executive sous chef at L’Auberge in Kettering. Brent Wagener is the restaurant’s wine sommelier with nearly 40 years of experience at Heidelberg Distributing and Deja Mangos is the restaurant’s pastry chef that previously worked in Colorado.

“It’s a place by Daytonians for Daytonians,” Carroll said. “Our people are Daytonians to their core.”

A victory for perseverance

Carroll admitted “it’s been a really hard couple of years” coming out of the pandemic.

“We’ve been closed now for four months, but there’s a real possibility that in being open for a month and a half we will get the closest we’ve been to 2019 revenues,” Carroll said. “Between inflation and just still recovering from COVID there’s a lot of independent restaurants that are struggling.”

He said he’s received a decent amount of advice to just close.

Credit: Submitted Photo

Credit: Submitted Photo

“I never would have held it against myself or anyone else that closed up shop during the last six months, let alone the last four years, because at times it’s been unbearable,” Carroll said.

The reopening of Table 33 in the Arcade is “a victory for perseverance (and) for patience.”

MORE DETAILS

Table 33 is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. These hours will expand with the addition of dinner service. Reservations are strongly recommended.

The Dayton Arcade, in the city’s central business district, is home to several other food-based businesses including Gather by Ghostlight, 6888 Kitchen and StartUp Grounds. It has a collection of nine buildings with more than 500,000 square-feet of space.

Carroll said he is in talks about potentially two or three more concepts in the Arcade. He is also working with the owners of the 130 Building on what to do with Table 33’s former space.

Table 33 isn’t the only restaurant concept Carroll owns. He also owns Tipp City Pizza.