Rucker’s late parents, Luther and Minnie Rucker, met at a restaurant called Goody Goody, a popular hangout on Salem Avenue in the 1950s. Both would go on to work in food-service, her father as a chef at the Dayton Engineers Club, and her mother as a pastry chef. Patricia herself would study culinary arts at Sinclair Community College and launch her own catering business, Tricia’s Delicious Catering, a decade ago.
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And last month, Rucker opened a café inside the Dayton Metro Northwest Branch Library at 2410 Philadelphia Drive near Salem Avenue, not far from the long-gone Goody Goody restaurant where her parents first met.
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“Being able to open here is just a complete blessing,” Rucker told this news outlet Wednesday.
Credit: Mark Fisher
Credit: Mark Fisher
Rucker initially applied to operate a café inside the downtown Dayton Metro Library, a contract that went to another operator. But during the interview process, she learned that the northwest branch was also seeking someone to oversee a café. She was selected.
“It all worked out, and it was heaven-sent,” Rucker said.
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The cafe is located just inside the main entrance to the library, and it serves sandwiches, breakfast items, smoothies and coffee Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Plans call for adding Saturday hours later.
The menu includes a Reuben Panini, BLT, Grilled Chicken Panini, Bagel Sandwiches, Muffins, Cinnamon Rolls, and Salad Deluxe.
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“I enjoy meeting new people daily, and I am delighted to have so many repeat customers,” Rucker said in a library release. “It is always a pleasure to meet and greet children who are excited to see me here. It is an honor and a blessing to have been chosen to have Tricia’s Delicious Café here at the Northwest Library.”
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