Olive owner Kimberly Collett said in a release that she made the decision not to renew Olive’s lease, which expires at the end of November, because of “the impasse reached with the building’s owner regarding repair and maintenance issues, the impact it’s had on the staff and business, and changes in her own personal goals.
“We tried everything we could to find another feasible way to keep Olive in Dayton, but now that the decision is made, we’re announcing the close in advance because we wanted to give our staff time to find new work, help our farmers and vendors adjust, and to allow our guests to visit a few last times and use their gift certificates,” Collett said in the release. Olive has 16 employees.
In a follow-up email from DDN, Collett declined to go into detail about the impasse with the building’s owner, and confirmed that she has no plans to reopen elsewhere.
“No more restaurants for me,” Collett said. “I’m going to take a break and then try something new, most likely out of state, someplace with more sunshine and longer growing seasons!”
In her release, Collett said, “It’s been a great run, and we’re so thankful to Dayton and all our die-hard regulars — you’ve helped make us so much more than we ever dreamed we would be.”
“We’re stopping at the top of our game, which is a hard, hard thing, but change is inevitable and if I’ve realized anything this year, it’s that life is uncertain, you’ve got to make the most of it and choosing to let go is sometimes the hardest, bravest, best thing you can do.”
Olive will continue normal hours through Oct. 10. The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday, dinner Thursday through Saturday, and brunch on Saturday.
The restaurant, which opened in July 2011, is located in an 800-square-foot former Wympee diner that dates to 1938. It received the National Hobart Grant for Sustainability in Food Service in 2014 and was featured as one of Ohio’s top farm-to-table restaurants this year in an article in Ohio Magazine.
For more info, visit the Olive, an urban dive Facebook page call (937) 222-3483.
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