In April, owner Kelley Andary said they were relocating in order to ensure a better experience for their staff and customers alike.
“We wanted to invest in a space that would be a big thank you and a good way for us to grow, not necessarily in seats, but what we can offer our customers,” Andary said.
The Blue Berry Cafe, a Bellbrook staple, is known for its massive pancakes, homemade omelets and Tony Darden a.k.a. the “Muffin Man.” The cafe was crowned as having the Best Breakfast and Best Brunch in our 2023 Best of Dayton contest.
The restaurant’s current space at 72 Bellbrook Plaza is about the same size as the new space, but some of the features aren’t convenient. For example, the restaurant has storage two doors down from the space.
“Do we want to keep doing things hard or do we want to treat ourselves and make it easier for ourselves as we get older?” Andary said.
In particular she looks forward to having a larger kitchen as well as a convection oven with more room for Darden to bake.
Andary said Blue Berry Cafe has come a long way since opening 19 years ago when items were bought secondhand or at auction.
“We liked our little space,” she said. “We didn’t need to grow. We just needed to maintain and pay bills.”
In 2018, Andary joined the cafe full-time. She is grateful for the continued support of the Bellbrook community.
“We love Bellbrook so much,” Andary said. “They’ve been so good to us. We just wanted to give back in a big way.”
Customers can anticipate the same quaintness of their hometown cafe in the new space. Andary said she plans to add a kitchen/gift store and additional food and drink options.
For more information and updates, visit the cafe’s Facebook page.
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