May restaurant news: 13 coming soon, 9 making moves, 7 opened, 6 closed

If you know of a new restaurant coming to the Dayton area, email Natalie.Jones@coxinc.com with details.

COMING SOON

I Heart Ice Cream to open brick-and-mortar space

I Heart Ice Cream, a Thai-inspired rolled ice cream business, is opening a brick-and-mortar location in Dayton’s Wright Dunbar District.

Dayton.com spoke with Danny Cortes, who owns the business with his wife, Liz, hours after they signed the lease for the new space. He said the news was still sinking in, but they are excited to open the doors at 9 N. Williams St.

The site was previously an office space. The owners have a little bit of work cut out for them, but said they are hoping to open by late June or early July.

The couple previously had plans to open inside Rabbit Hole Books at 29 W. First Street, but said plans fell through.

UD grad to open food truck specializing in açaí bowls

Springfield native Jillian Tedeschi is turning her passion into a business by opening a food truck specializing in açaí bowls.

Blended By J will offer açaí bowls topped with different fruits like strawberries, bananas or blueberries in addition to toppings like granola, seeds, honey, peanut butter and chocolate.

Tedeschi, a 2019 Northwestern High School graduate and 2022 University of Dayton graduate, said she had always thought about having a food truck and figured “what better time than now.”

Blended By J is expected to open on weekends by the beginning or middle of June.

Piqua candy shop owners to open new business featuring rolled ice cream

Tom and Cindy Lillicrap, owners of This & That’s Candy on Main in Piqua, have announced they are opening a second business in the heart of downtown.

Bits & Pieces, located at 122 High Street, will feature rolled ice cream, edible cookie dough, Italian ice and deli-style sandwiches.

Tom explained when they first opened the candy shop at 408 N. Main St. he had high hopes of opening a new store every year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, they were unable to do so, but thought this new dessert shop and restaurant would bring something unique to the area.

3 new restaurants coming to Brookville

Three new restaurant projects are underway in Brookville. Rod Stephan, economic development law director with the city of Brookville, told Dayton.com the projects are still under development and opening dates have not been announced.

- JB Wright Ventures, LLC is developing a cafe and restaurant in the former fire station.

- Tik Takos, a new Mexican restaurant, is coming soon to the former space of The Sugar Shoppe Bakery.

- El Bronco Mexican Restaurant is planning to open in the former space of K’s Restaurant.

El Toro to open new concept in Beavercreek

El Toro has plans to open a new concept in the former El Toro location at 4448 Indian Ripple Road in Beavercreek.

Vallarta, a restaurant focusing on Mexican seafood, will open sometime this year.

El Toro moved the Beavercreek restaurant location across the street to the former space of Mimi’s Bistro & Bakery at The Greene Town Center in January.

Anime-themed restaurant, bar to open at The Mall at Fairfield Commons

The owner of two stores at The Mall at Fairfield Commons is bringing a new anime-themed restaurant and bar to the area.

Izakaya is expected to open this fall on the upper level near Morris Furniture in the space that previously housed Spinoza’s Pizza and Good Spirits. The pizzeria closed in March 2022 due to labor shortages, inflation and supply chain issues.

The restaurant and bar will offer pizza, spirits, Korean corn dogs and Japanese pop culture, according to a news release. There will also be karaoke nights and anime watch parties.

New gelato shop to open in Miamisburg

Tom & Dot’s Gelato Shop is opening Saturday, June 3 from noon to 9 p.m. in downtown Miamisburg.

Kathy Klein, who owns the shop with her husband, Gregg, said the name is in tribute to her grandparents, Tom and Dot McGrath, who owned an A&W Root Beer Stand in Indiana.

Tom & Dot’s Gelato Shop will be located at 36 A S. Main St. in the former space of a hair salon.

The business is expected to have 16 different flavors of gelato and sorbetto. Klein explained customers will be able to order an afagato (an expresso drink with Madagascar vanilla bean gelato), shakes or gelato sandwiches. The signature shake will be a root beer float in honor of her grandparents. Gelato and sorbetto flavors are expected to rotate with seasonal offerings.

Agave & Rye sets opening date for Centerville location

Agave & Rye, a Tequila and Bourbon Hall delivering “epic tacos” and more, is kicking off summer with the opening of its Centerville location.

The opening date is Wednesday, June 21, according to Agave & Rye’s communications team.

Agave & Rye will be located at 11 N. Main Street in the space that formerly housed Panera Bread. The new space will seat 200 people inside and 90 people on the patio.

Caribou Coffee eyes return to Dayton area

A Minneapolis-based coffee company could soon return to the Dayton area after a decade.

Caribou Coffee has announced the signing of several multi-unit development agreements to franchise over 300 new locations. Sixty are expected to open in the Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus areas, according to a press release.

“We have three locations currently under development in Columbus market,” said Michael Mariola, president of Mike Mariola Restaurants. “We have been looking in the Dayton market and although we have seen a few sites we like we don’t have anything under contract yet.”

In March 2022, Caribou Coffee signed its first multi-unit development agreement with Mike Mariola Restaurants to open locations in Ohio, the release explained. Mike Mariola Restaurants opened its first Ohio location in Nov. 2022 in Wooster.

Biggby Coffee coming to Middletown’s East End

The owners of the Biggby Coffee shop on Ohio 741 in Springboro has plans to open a new location in Middletown.

Scott Bunch and his wife, Molli, will open their second Biggby Coffee franchise at 3593 S. Dixie Highway at the corner of Ohio 122. The building was formerly occupied by OrthoSport Physical Therapy Center.

At the Middletown location, they plan to invest more than $425,000 into the interior build-out, addition of a drive through, and equipment procurement, according to the city.

New restaurant, deli to offer wraps, subs, sandwiches; numerous waffle options

A new eatery is set to join Centerville’s growing dining scene.

International Restaurant & Delicatessen is scheduled to make its debut June 1 at 261 N. Main St. The restaurant’s menu includes wraps, subs and sandwiches that are made from Halal lunch meats. Sandwiches can be upgraded to a club sandwich or a panini for a nominal fee.

The menu also features a selection of waffle options, including waffle sticks, waffle balls, Belgian waffles and handmade waffle cones, all covered with dips and toppings.

The restaurant’s owners are Centerville residents Muhammad Yusuf and Atif Raja.

MAKING MOVES

Baker sets sights on downtown Troy

Sweet Dreams Cake Shoppe in Troy will soon relocate downtown to 121 Public Square, on the corner between Grandpa Joe’s and Ruby’s Salon.

Catherine McKenna Peoples, who owns the bakery with her boyfriend, Johnny Rochester, said moving downtown is a “dream come true.”

After baking out of her home for about 20 years under Night Kitchen Cakes, Peoples opened her current location at 50 S. Dorset Road. Peoples has been at her current location selling a variety of cupcakes, specialty cake slices and many other pastries for about 18 months.

If all goes as planned, Peoples said she hopes to reopen at her new location towards the end of July. She is expecting to close her current location at the end of June.

Frios Gourmet Pops expands in Dayton area

Frios Gourmet Pops is approaching its one-year anniversary in the Dayton area with plans to expand through wholesale, territory and multi-day events.

Augustina DeLeon, a franchisee with her husband, Armando, said the gourmet popsicles are now available in the concession stand at the Kroger Aquatic Center, located at 8625 Brandt Pike in Huber Heights. This is the couple’s first large wholesale account.

When Frios first opened, they were seen in Dayton, Fairborn, Oakwood, Kettering, Moraine and Bellbrook as well as at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. They have since expanded to Vandalia, Huber Heights, Riverside, Yellow Springs, Xenia, Centerville, West Carrollton and Miamisburg. As a multi-unit franchise owner, DeLeon plans to debut her second sweet ride in 2024 with the hiring of additional staff.

Lord of the Wings owner serving chicken in downtown Dayton

Steven Earnest, owner of Lord of the Wings, is operating out of Smokin’ Bar-B-Que, located at 200 E. Fifth St. in Dayton.

The Dayton native said he started in early April and business has been “booming” ever since.

Lord of the Wings is open from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Customers can expect crispy, crunchy chicken cooked with love and topped with a variety of sauces or seasonings, Earnest said. He offers traditional or boneless chicken wings, fried potatoes with onion, fried corn and bread with the hope of expanding to chicken sandwiches and chicken salads.

New Mexican spirit enters Ohio market with Dayton ties

Los Magos Sotol, a Mexican spirit gaining popularity throughout the United States, has entered the Ohio market and is now available at establishments in the Dayton area.

“Los Magos entering Ohio’s market is a milestone for both the brand and the state, but also personally,” said Los Magos CEO Ryan Stock. “A native to Ohio, it is definitely a career highlight for Los Magos to be the first and only sotol offered in the state where I was born and raised.”

Stock is a 2006 graduate from Centerville High School.

Sotol is a spirit distilled from the sotol plant (also known as dasylirion plant) that grows wild in the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico.

Dayton Indian restaurant plans to expand

The Twist Indian Grill, a fast-casual Indian restaurant offering patrons a chance to create their own bowls and burritos, is now open daily with plans to expand.

Owner Maulin Patel told Dayton.com since opening the restaurant in August, the Dayton area has been very supportive of his concept. So much so, he now plans to franchise.

Patel has started the process for franchise registration and found a partner to open a second restaurant in Milford, Delaware with an expected opening in September. Patel is looking to particularly expand south of Dayton.

Fairborn chef known for egg rolls moves business into food bus

Syrita Nuttall, a Fairborn chef known for egg rolls, has moved her business into a food bus after operating out of a commercial kitchen and participating in events under a pop-up tent.

Nuttall owns Home Cooked Vibes with her partner, James Highsmith. The Chicago natives moved to Fairborn in 2017 for more opportunities and a better life. That same year, Nuttall graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago.

Home Cooked Vibes features savory and sweet egg rolls. Savory egg rolls include buffalo chicken, Philly cheesesteak, chicken taco and veggie among others. Sweet eggrolls include strawberry cheesecake, Oreo and Reese’s cup.

Popular Springfield food truck moving into COhatch

Chido’s Tacos, a popular Springfield food truck, is opening a brick-and-mortar operation in COhatch The Market in downtown Springfield.

The announcement came days after The Painted Pepper and Cork + Board announced they were moving out of the space via their Facebook pages.

Armando Nunez opened Chido’s Tacos in March 2022 after building the food truck from the ground up with his uncle. He explained that after the coronavirus pandemic, he started thinking he needed to do something for himself because life is too short.

Chido’s Tacos is known for everything birria, which can be described as slow-cooked meat in a lot of spices. Nunez explained it became a trend in California about a year or two ago and eventually made its way to Ohio. He said he is planning to keep his current menu and add additional items like salads.

Longtime Kettering bakery expands with food truck

Big Sky Bread Company, a longtime Kettering bakery known for its pizza bread, pretzels and cinnamon rolls, is going on wheels.

Philip Gallenstein, who owns the bakery with his wife, Mari, said owning a food truck has always been a dream. With the help of their nephew, Shane Remenowsky, and his wife, Emily, those dreams are coming into fruition.

The Sweet & Salty Food Truck will start out small and simple with the intent to grow. Gallenstein explained customers can expect the bakery’s original pretzels, pepperoni pretzels, dipping sauces and cinnamon rolls in addition to Slush Puppie slushies.

Mexican food truck opens restaurant in Moraine

Taqueria El Paisa, a Mexican restaurant specializing in tacos, is open in Moraine at 4200 Kettering Blvd.

Prior to opening the brick-and-mortar space, owner Israel Calixto was operating a food truck at a Moraine gas station for about a year.

Calixto is a native of Toluca, Mexico, and has been in the United States for 19 years. He operates the restaurant with his wife, a native of Guatemala.

The menu includes tacos, burritos, tortas, huarache and more. Tacos are the most popular item and guests can choose from several different meat options.

OPEN

New outdoor vendor specializing in pastries opens at 2nd Street Market

Tamara Cerovcevic’s passion for baking and cake decorating is evident as owner of Lucy’s Pastry Palace at Dayton’s 2nd Street Market.

“Starting my own bakery was always my dream and the opportunity to become a vendor at 2nd Street Market made my dream come to life,” said Cerovcevic, who owns the bakery with her husband, Dragan.

In 2020, the couple moved to Ohio to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

Customers at 2nd Street Market can expect to see Lucy’s Pastry Palace every Saturday and Sunday. The cottage bakery offers cakes, cupcakes, cookies, gata, biscotti and much more.

Manna opens in Centerville

Manna, a new fine dining restaurant in Centerville’s historic Uptown neighborhood, has officially opened its doors.

Executive chef and owner Margot Blondet, a Centerville resident of 18 years, previously said she had been looking to open something close to her home for a long time. What started as an idea of opening a bar, has now turned into a two-story upscale restaurant with two bars.

Manna means “food from the gods to feed the soul,” Blondet said. According to the Bible, when the Israelites were making their way through the desert, God sent them manna when they needed food.

The new restaurant offers a taste of Europe and South America. Unlike Salar, which focuses on Peruvian cuisine with international dishes, Manna will focus on European cuisine with French foods and touch of Peruvian.

Dayton caterer reopens marketplace at downtown Dayton Premier Health building

Gerald Richardson and his wife, Clarece, have reopened the marketplace in the Premier Health office building in downtown Dayton on North Main Street after it has been closed for three years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Richardson Family Food Group (RFFG) Marketplace features grab-and-go options, a salad bar, hot breakfast bar, grill station, pizza station and homestyle station.

Guests can expect fresh, made-from-scratch food including cheeseburgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, chicken sandwiches and a rotating pizza menu with a build-your-own option. Gluten free options will be available as well.

Chipotle opens new Riverside location

Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened its newest location in the Dayton area just east of Woodman Drive.

The restaurant, located at 4215 Linden Ave. in Riverside, features the brand’s signature Chipotlane, a drive-thru pickup lane that allows guests to pick up digital orders without leaving their cars, according to a Chipotle spokeswoman.

The new restaurant sits on a .617-acre lot that previously housed a car wash.

The Riverside location marks the 11th Chipotle location in the Dayton area.

New Mexican restaurant ‘bringing something different’ to Huber Heights

Mr. Pollo Mexican Grill has opened its doors in the Powell Plaza Shopping Center at Old Troy Pike and Powell Road in Huber Heights.

The new, family-owned Mexican restaurant is owned by Francisca Rivera and her husband, Jose Gaytan. Rivera’s daughter, Deisy, told Dayton.com customers can expect a variety of chicken typically served in Arizona, California or Texas.

Customers can expect combo meals featuring chicken breasts, wings, legs or thighs with a variety of sides like fresh salsa, Mexican rice and refried beans. They can also order a whole chicken, taquitos, tacos, birria tacos, burritos, chimichangas and much more.

New restaurant opens at Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative in Greene County

Arise Café & Catering has opened at the Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative campus at 2960 W. Enon Road in Xenia Twp.

The new restaurant provides breakfast and lunch options to those on campus as well as the public.

Arise Café will have daily and weekly specials in addition to the menu offerings Monday through Friday. Breakfast is served from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The daily breakfast menu features a variety of breakfast sandwiches and wraps including a steak, egg and cheddar sandwich on a pretzel bun and a breakfast burrito filled with eggs, cheese, peppers, onions, sausage and home fries. Lunch includes a variety of sandwiches, salads, sides and much more.

New ice cream window opens in Washington Twp.

Three Centerville neighbors who have become friends over the last three years have opened a new soft serve walk-up window in Washington Twp.

Goldies Flavored Soft Serve, located at 9352 Dayton-Lebanon Pike, has 48 different soft serve flavors with an infinite amount of combinations. The owners said they will have traditional flavors like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry to unique flavors like apple pie, root beer, red velvet cake, pina colada, English toffee, cotton candy and more. The soft serve dairy base is from Borden Dairy, the owners said.

Customers will be able to order soft serve in a cup, cake cone or waffle cone as a kid’s portion or regular portion.

CLOSED

‘Old-fashioned’ general store, pizza place to close its doors in Clark County

Hartman’s Country Cupboard, known for its pizza, subs and salads, and located at 5390 Selma Pike in Pitchin, is closing its doors permanently at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 10.

“It’s a little too much for me to handle these days,” said Sean Hartman, who owns the store with his wife, Kristin. “There’s been a few people talking about maybe purchasing the place, so there may be a future for it.”

The couple is hopeful another family will step up and take the store over with the same love, passion and dedication they have had.

Hartman’s Country Cupboard is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Upscale American bistro restaurant closes at The Greene

Jaqua’s, an upscale American bistro restaurant featuring made-from-scratch dishes, has closed its doors at The Greene Town Center confirmed Allison West, a business development specialist with the mixed-use shopping center.

The restaurant was located at 81 Magnolia Lane Suite 214, across the street from Von Maur.

When this news outlet spoke with the owners ahead of the restaurant opening in summer 2021, they said it was an independent family venture from their catering business. The family had been in the hospitality business since the 1960s.

Bill Jaqua previously said they looked to lease a space for a restaurant for about a year when the space at The Greene became available.

Long John Silver’s closes Dayton area location

Long John Silver’s located at 785 W. Central Ave. in Springboro is permanently closed after serving the community since 1977, a spokesperson for Long John Silver’s confirmed.

The restaurant officially closed its doors on April 10. Springboro City Manager Chris Pozzuto said he did not know of any plans for a new restaurant to open in the space.

Long John Silver’s is also located at 2480 N. Fairfield Road in Beavercreek, 1540 Miamisburg Centerville Road in Dayton, 2235 Needmore Road in Dayton and 420 E. National Road in Vandalia.

Boston Stoker closes downtown Dayton location

Boston Stoker Coffee Co. is closing its downtown Dayton location at 34 W. Second St. on Friday, May 26 due to an ongoing drop in foot traffic since the coronavirus pandemic and more businesses working remotely, according to a press release.

According to the release, the company will continue to use the space for training and events until early 2024.

Baristas at the downtown location were offered to relocate to other area locations, the release said. The company has additional locations at 215 N. Main Street in Centerville, 8321 N. Main Street in Dayton and 1293 S. Dorset Road in Troy.

According to the release, the company has recently moved its headquarters from Vandalia to Dayton at 205 E. First St.

Mic’s Restaurant to close in Springfield

Mic’s Restaurant, an Italian restaurant with over three decades of experience serving the Springfield community, plans to permanently close.

Owner Mike Downey confirmed plans to permanently close the restaurant, located at 2384 Mechanicsburg Road, at the end of June.

Mic’s Restaurant first opened in 1988 on Mitchell Boulevard. After 17 years at that location, Downey moved the restaurant to its current location. Mic’s Restaurant is known for its freshly housemade Italian specialties. Over the years, customer favorites have included the lunch and dinner specials, and daily soup options.

Dayton bakery to close doors on Wayne Ave., plans to relocate

Say Yes Cakes, a Dayton bakery previously located on Wayne Ave., has closed its doors, but owner Jennifer Coyle said they have plans to relocate.

Coyle said she is currently negotiating a new lease for a space in the Dayton area that will be close to their current location and customer base. If all goes as planned, she said she hopes to reopen in early August.

In the meantime, Coyle said she is taking a break, but plans to find a commercial kitchen for baking. She noted 2nd Street Market as a possibility.

The reason to relocate stems from the need for additional parking.