Closing date set for 5th Street Deli; Canal Street Arcade & Deli coming

The 5th Street Wine and Deli at 416 E. Fifth St. in Dayton's Oregon District will shut down after the close of business on Jan. 28 in anticipation of a move and its transformation into Canal Street Arcade and Deli, which should open by early March, according to owner Rob Strong.

Renovations are still underway at the new pub, deli and arcade-game destination, which will be located in the former Canal Street Tavern space at 308 E. First St.

“The 5th Street Deli has been there for 10 years, so it is a bittersweet departure,” Strong said. “We have loved feeding sandwiches to the Oregon District patrons and making lots of friends with our regular customers and the employees from the many businesses in the neighborhood.

“At the end of a decade, it is time to switch gears and progress with our new project. My staff is very excited about the move and the opportunity to provide a new experience for our customers with the same menu from the deli but with many new additions.”

RELATED: Photos of Canal Public House, formerly Canal Street Tavern, through the years

The new Canal Street Arcade and Deli will include as many as 20 classic arcade games and pinball machines.

Here's how Strong described the menu at his new venture when it was first announced in July:

“We will have all the same sandwiches and salads, and we will be offering an extended menu of sandwiches and personal sized pizzas. And we will have a full bar with specialty cocktails, wine, and craft and mainstream beers on 14 taps”

RELATED: Downtown Dayton music venue loses liquor license

The East First Street space is surrounded by multiple development projects, including the Water Street project a couple of blocks to the east and north. And the Dayton Dragons’ Fifth Third Field is just down the street. But the building itself has been vacant since March 2016, when the Canal Public House music venue was stripped of its liquor license because of unpaid sales taxes.

The space developed its following and reputation as a popular music venue from 1981 to 2013, when it operated as Canal Street Tavern. Its founder, Mick Montgomery, sold the business in April 2013.

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