Dayton.com caught up with Albert Smith, the restaurant owner, who discussed what you can look forward to, the success Marilyn's has had so far, the huge move to downtown Dayton and his inspiration for opening the store: his mother.
Why did you guys move to downtown Dayton?
Smith: I wanted to come back to downtown Dayton. We were in downtown Dayton a few years back. The arrangement of the building did not suit our needs. So we moved to a different location, which was a lot smaller. We then grew out of that. The Main Street building became available. So, we decided to give downtown another shot and see what we can do from there, and I think we kind of fill a void in downtown. There are not very many places downtown where you can sort of come in, sit down and have a comfortable meal. You are also very limited on what you have downtown in terms of the variety. We bring a huge variety. We are more of a southern style cuisine where we have a large vegetarian and gluten-free menu. There are a few other surprises that we have as well that we are going to unfold in steps.
How has the sidewalk sale been going?
Smith: Every day, I run out of food. I have to keep stocking up for the next day, and I completely sell out. There is one thing to be said — if people will come out and stand in a line in the cold and in the rain for your food, then obviously you have something there. You have a decent product.
How long has Marilyn's been in the Ohio area?
Smith: The entire concept started 11 years ago. Before that, the name was RJ's — named after my nephew. We then changed the name, because I decided to name something after my mother. Every now and then, you will see a little 83-year-old woman, just kind of wondering — and that it Marilyn — that is my mother. She will have a little Marilyn's hat on. She loves this restaurant. She's done everything she can to help the restaurant. She has been very instrumental in the store opening and growth.
What can Daytonians expect from the menu?
Smith: We have a lot of things that will be coming to the menu that are different, and they have beautiful flavors. For instance, on our cheesesteak day, we offered a regular beef cheesesteak, a chicken cheesesteak, a turkey cheesecake and a vegetarian cheesesteak. No one has ever heard of a turkey cheesesteak. You have your steak and some chicken but not a lot on the vegetarian side, but we offer that. We are pretty big on vegetarian options. We have decent gluten-free options as well because I know that's a growing diet. More and more people are turning to gluten-free, so we need to cover that market as well. I think we do it pretty well!
Once we open, we will be serving an amazing breakfast. When you come into Marilyn's, it's like walking into your home. We want to make this a home away from home, we want you to be comfortable as soon as you come into the door. We will have someone there to greet you and say "hey how are you doing?"
You can come and dine in for breakfast and lunch, or you can take it to go. Dinner is totally different from breakfast. The menu is actually 80 percent different from dinner — the ambiance is different and it is a more comfortable and snuggly kind of atmosphere. You'll be asking yourself, "Hey, am I in my living room? This is wonderful."
The food. I pride myself on consistency and presentation — on top of the food. It has to taste good.
On Nov. 16th Marilyn's "soft opening" will feature breakfast only. The restaurant will serve dinner on Nov. 18th and Nov. 20th.
This week, the restaurant is serving lunch items are part of a sidewalk sale, offering select items between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Want to go?
WHAT: Marilyn's Grill
WHERE: 143 N. Main St., Dayton, OH 45402
HOURS: 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (sidewalk sale hours)
INFO: Facebook
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