1. Partial to Pie
They had us at pie.
A new and independently owned bakery founded by a local father-daughter duo has set an opening date of July 27 near the University of Dayton campus.
“Partial to Pie Bakery” is gearing up to open at 200 Shroyer Road, at the intersection of Shroyer Road and Wilmington Pike. The space previously housed AAA Stripping and Refinishing, but it had been vacant for several years.
The retail bakery will provide both dine-in and carry-out services, specializing in pies, quiche and sweet treats, according to co-founders Marie Clark and her father Mike Clark, both of Kettering.
2. Elsa’s Corner Cantina
Credit: Mark Fisher
Credit: Mark Fisher
This is a new patio we can’t wait to try. There will also be Bad Juans on tap!
The new Elsa’s Corner Cantina in the Sugarcreek Plaza is scheduled to open on July 5 if all goes well, according to a sign posted on the restaurant’s door June 26.
The co-owner of Elsa’s has a message for prospective customers of his new cantina-style restaurant in the Sugarcreek Plaza off Wilmington Pike.
“This doesn’t look like your parents’ Elsa’s,” Jason Hemmert said. “And we didn’t want it to be your parents’ Elsa’s.”
The new restaurant will seat 135 inside and another 50 or so on a breezy patio. There are 30 large-screen televisions inside, and another five on the patio, Hemmert said. And perhaps most important: The original Elsa’s “Bad Juan” margarita will be available on tap.
3. Dunkin’ Donuts
We can’t wait to try the Dunkin’ Donuts of the future.
The Dayton area's newest Dunkin' Donuts shop coming to a former Wendy's restaurant on Far Hills Avenue in Washington Twp. will be unlike any other in the region.
Township officials have approved zoning plans for the project at 5901 Far Hills Ave., which calls for a build-out on a Dunkin’ Donuts’ “Next Generation Concept Store.”
The Next Generation stores include digital kiosks that will allow customers to place an order without the help of a crew member and “premium pours” that include cold beverages such as coffees, iced teas, cold brew coffee and nitro infused cold brew coffee, served through a tap system that looks very much like a craft-brewery taproom. A single-cup machine will also give customers the option of grinding and brewing coffee varieties one cup at a time.
4. Leo Bistro
This is the return of a familiar favorite.
Leo Bistro, the restaurant inside the Dayton Art Institute, will reopen July 11, institute officials said.
Leo Bistro will operate with a “fast-casual” concept, serving soups, made-to-order sandwiches featuring Boar’s Head deli products, and bakery items from Boosalis Bakery of Centerville. It will serve beer and wine, other specialty beverages and Starbucks coffees.
Museum members will continue to receive a discount on purchases at Leo Bistro.
5. Flyby BBQ
Here is another food truck turned brick-and-mortar.
A new and independently owned restaurant that got its start on the local food-truck circuit is coming to the Mall at Fairfield Commons.
Flyby BBQ will open in space between the existing Fusian and BRAVO Cucina Italiana restaurants, according to 20-year-old Ohio State University student David Butcher. Plans call for building out the space this summer and opening sometime this fall.
Flyby will be a fast-casual barbecue restaurant with an ordering system similar to Chipotle. It will serve signature barbeque sandwiches, bowls and platters featuring hickory-smoked meats, a variety of toppings, and regional American barbeque sauces. A vegan option of pulled barbecue jackfruit will be available.
6. Gionino’s Pizzeria
If Akron loves it, we will too.
Ink has been dried and demolition work has begun at 1528 E. Third St. to bring one of the Akron area’s favorite pizza parlors to Dayton.
Tony Clark, a Huffman Historic Area resident and the owner of DK Effect , said he has formally signed an agreement with Gionino’s Pizzeria, a northeast Ohio based pizza chain with about 44 locations between Cleveland and Canton.
“It is generally always rated the top (pizza) in the city,” Clark said of Gionino’s. “It is not just a pizza place. They have really good fried chicken and chicken wings and salads.”
About the Authors
