Did you know that Dayton once had a UNICORN bar?

Credit: Source: Shutterstock

Credit: Source: Shutterstock

Yaaaas, my mystical queen and kings, what you’ve heard is true.

Downtown Dayton DID have an unicorn bar.

>> What are the oldest bars in Dayton?

But as co-owner of the Century bar Diane Spitzig remembers, the Unicorn Restaurant and Lounge wasn't exactly firing rainbows from where the sun don't shine.

>> Future downtown speakeasy’s name pulls from Dayton history

>> Daytonians of the Week: Meet the duo whose love for craft beer led them to this popular downtown Dayton bar

“It was just a bar,” she recalled.

The small corner bar was at 100 E. Third St. next to the Century in what has been rebranded downtown Dayton's Fire Blocks District.

>> 8 classic local restaurants that we miss

From what we can tell from a search of state records, it was incorporated in 1984 as Unicorn Lounge.

Its official closing date is listed as March 9, 2004.

>> PHOTO SNEAK PEEK: Take a look inside Devil Wind, the area’s newest brewery

The name at least was ahead of its time, as unicorns are all the rage these days.

Local resident and musician Aarika Voegele hung out at the bar with her brother.

>> Best of Dayton 2017 Winners: Food & Dining

“They were always real nice,” she responded on Facebook. “I remember a wooden bar that stretched (through) the place, and it being somewhat packed with regulars. If I remember correctly, there was a jukebox towards the back. It was a very mellow bar, from my experience.”

>> 6 international food markets in Dayton you HAVE to try

As some recalled, the bar owned by John Demetriades had a neon unicorn head in its window.

>> This Dayton restaurant's GINORMOUS sandwich will blow your mind

Little evidence of the Unicorn could be found in the Dayton Daily News archives.

Articles uncovered point to difficult times in the Unicorn’s final years.

A 1999 story involved two brothers attacking a bartender.

In an a 2002 article about the city’s objections to the renewal of its liquor permit and those of about a dozen other businesses, it was reported that the Unicorn’s owner insisted that crimes around the bar were unrelated to the business.

>> Where to eat Easter brunch and dinner in Dayton 

The space that formerly held the Unicorn was the site of the Dayton Circus art event in 2009.

Since there is no Unicorn for us to visit today, we can only imagine the shenanigans that could be going down there at this very moment.

Credit: Photo source: Shutterstock

Credit: Photo source: Shutterstock

Credit: Photo source: Shutterstock

Credit: Photo source: Shutterstock

Credit: Source: Shutterstock

Credit: Source: Shutterstock

About the Author