The FlorentineÂ
The new owners of an historic Dayton-area restaurant that traces its roots back more than two centuries have reopened the eatery.
And theyâre promising not to do anything to diminish the historic significance of the 202-year-old structure.
Clay Alsip and Beth Vanden Berg, the local husband-and-wife team that purchased the Florentine on Jan. 3, had their âsoft openingâ at the the 7,000-square-foot restaurant in the former inn at 21 W. Market St. following some minor kitchen renovations and a top-to-bottom cleaning. Now, theyâre ready to introduce the restaurant more broadly to the community and to diners seeking a slice of Ohio history with their meals.
Double Deuce Tavern & Family PizzeriaÂ
The Double Deuce Tavern & Family Pizzeria has officially opened its doors.
The business relocated from north Dayton to Huber Heights, where it renovated the former site of Câs Pizza at 5186 Brandt Pike (State Route 201).
Williams and co-owner Ralph Mueller first opened Double Deuce in 2009 at 17 Brandt St. in Dayton. In 2017, Williams noticed the then-vacant former Câs Pizza spot, which had also been the Myung Sung Asian restaurant prior to that.
The new tavern and pizzeria will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week.
StarbucksÂ
Starbucks has added two new Dayton-area coffee shops in highly visible and well-traveled locations.
A Starbucks opened at 860 W. Central Ave. (Ohio 73) just east of the I-75 interchange in Springboro.
That Springboro opening follows the opening of one of the largest Starbucks shops in the Miami Valley, at 919 Lyons Road at Miamisburg-Centerville Road (Ohio 725) in Washington Twp. The 3,400-square-foot structure previously housed a KeyBank branch.
Penn Station East Coast SubsÂ
Penn Station East Coast Subs â which got its start in Cincinnati in 1985 â has opened its 15th Dayton-area restaurant.
The latest Penn Station sub shop served its first customers Friday, Feb. 9, at 195 Hospitality Drive in Xenia. The new restaurant seats 42 and employs more than 20, a spokeswoman for Penn Station told this news outlet today.
âDayton has been a great market for Penn Station, and weâre excited to bring the brand to Xenia,â Penn Station President Craig Dunaway said in a release. âWe know Xenia residents will love our fresh grilled sandwiches and hand-cut fries.â
OinkADoodleMooÂ
OinkADoodleMoo Barbecue opened a new location in the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Area A Kittyhawk Area food court outside the Base Exchange. The local barbecue chain has operated out of a mobile unit at the base since 2010, according to owner Steven Meyer.
And Meyer said he is gearing up to open a new Kettering location at 912 E. Dorothy Lane at Ackerman Boulevard, in space that previously housed the original Dayton Beer Company taproom. That opening is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 27.
Coming Soon
COMING SOON
Troll Pub at the WheelhouseÂ
Credit: Photo: Amy Walbridge,
Credit: Photo: Amy Walbridge,
The general manager of the Troll Pub at the Wheelhouse coming to 220 Wayne Ave., has told this news outlet that his new restaurant and watering hole is gearing up to be open by â you guessed it â St. Patrickâs Day.
The new Troll Pub Wheelhouse isnât some cozy little hole-in-the-wall, either. Itâs a 6,500-square-foot restaurant and bar that is expected to seat as many as 250. The second location for the popular Troll Pub Under The Bridge in Louisville, Ky., the Dayton pub will offer an extensive selection of craft beers and bourbons and will offer a food menu that General Manager Ben Barker has described as âpub grub, but made from scratch.â
Dunkinâ Donuts
A new doughnut shop is moving in to a Far Hills Avenue property that has housed a fast-food restaurant and, more recently, a pharmacy.
The Dayton areaâs eighth Dunkinâ Donuts will be located at 5901 Far Hills Ave. (Ohio 48) in Washington Twp., Pat Gilligan, the Dunkinâ Donuts franchise owner in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas, told this news outlet.
The regionâs newest Dunkinâ Donuts will be designed and built out as part of the chainâs âNext Generation Concept Store.â
The Next Generation stores include digital kiosks that will allow customers to place an order without the help of a crew member; a faster drive-through experience for members of Dunkinâs âDD Perksâ loyalty program who order ahead through a mobile app; and an expanded âgrab-and-goâ selection of bottles beverages, snacks and fresh fruit.
Rezaâs Roast
After searching for a location for more than two years, Rezaâs Roast, a Fairborn coffee roastery which specializes in wholesale sales of coffees and beans, is gearing up to open its first retail coffee shop, âRezaâs Downtown,â in Dayton.
The new shop is coming to 438 Wayne Ave., according to Audria Maki, founder of Rezaâs Roast coffee roastery in Fairborn. If all goes well, Rezaâs Downtown could open as early as this fall.
Old Mason JarÂ
A new bar called the âOld Mason Jarâ with an adjoining cafe is in the works in Fairborn.
The new business is coming to 604 and 606 W. Xenia Drive. It is the brainchild of James L. Baker, who grew up in Fairborn, worked in law enforcement in the Dayton area, and has returned to Fairborn.
Plans call for opening a pub this summer or fall, followed later by an antique-themed cafe that would open in the adjacent space and that would serve items such as pastries, cannolis, coffee and tea, Baker told this news outlet.
Fuzzyâs Taco ShopÂ
A new restaurant coming to a high-profile space at the main entrance to The Greene Town Center has pushed back its projected opening date by a month or so.
A spokeswoman for Fuzzyâs Taco Shop told this news outlet that the projected opening date for the chainâs first Dayton-area location has been pushed back to early April.
âFuzzyâs is a first and foremost a fun brand with a great atmosphere that sells large portions of Baja-style Mexican food for a value price,â Fuzzyâs vice president of marketing, Linda Veatch, told this news outlet.
Closing
CLOSINGS
La PiazzaÂ
La Piazza â founded and owned by a member of the longest continually operating restaurant family in the Miami Valley â shut its doors for good at the close of business Saturday night, Feb. 3.
Located at 2 N. Market St. on Troyâs town square, La Piazza was launched by Michael and Jennifer Anticoli in 1992, and celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.
âBeing the last operating member of my family's 87-year restaurant history creates a feeling of importance but it also helps me put it into perspective,â Michael Anticoli told this news outlet on the day his restaurant shut down for good. âI want to feel as if I've done my name proud and know that, as I leave, I was able to make a contribution to the effort that began so long ago.â
Buffalo Wings & RingsÂ
The Centerville restaurant that closed permanently earlier this week may not be gone for long, according to a spokesman for the restaurantâs owners.
This news outlet reported Wednesday morning, Feb. 7 that the Buffalo Wings & Rings restaurant at 894 S. Main St. (Ohio 48) in the Centerville Square Shopping Center had shut down for good on Monday, Feb. 5 â but the chain apparently hasnât given up on the Dayton area.
According to a company spokesman: âWe recently made the decision to close our Centerville location. With the lease ending, we have decided to explore other options for where a restaurant can thrive within the area and best serve our fans in Montgomery and Greene counties.â
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