September restaurant news: 8 open, 5 coming soon, 3 closed

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

As Dayton foodies grapple with the news of Chop Suey closing and the sale of Tank’s Bar & Grill falling through, several new restaurants opened in September or have announced plans to open in the near future.

From chicken wings to pizza, we report a total of eight establishments now open, five coming soon and three closed.

If you know of a new restaurant coming to the Dayton area, email Natalie.Jones@coxinc.com with details.

NOW OPEN

New restaurant specializing in wings opens in Dayton

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Wings Fly, a family owned and operated restaurant, has opened its doors at 960 Patterson Road in Dayton.

In addition to wings, including boneless wings, the restaurant offers chicken tenders with a variety of sauces including Buffalo Ranch, Hot BBQ, Hot Honey, Lemon Pepper and Parmesan Garlic. They also have sandwiches like the NY-Style Chopped Cheese or The Flying Burger, as well as wraps featuring a Chicken Caesar and Buffalo Chicken. Meals are served with seasoned fries and customers can order desserts such as funnel cake fries or cheesecake.

The restaurant is operated by Sabrina Melhem and her brothers, Laith and Ismail, their mom, Najah, and business partner, Sami Jamhour.

Wings Fly is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday for dine-in or carryout. The restaurant also offers delivery service via Uber Eats or DoorDash. A grand opening celebration is being planned soon.

Popeyes opens newest Dayton-area restaurant

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Gilligan Company is celebrating its newest Popeyes restaurant at 6242 Wilmington Pike near Miami Valley Hospital South in Sugarcreek Twp.

The 2,400-square-foot space seats over 30 people. The site was previously home to an Applebee’s restaurant.

The restaurant is part of an expansion effort to build as many as five new stores per year in the Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus markets.

The franchise has plans to open additional Popeyes restaurant locations in Huber Heights and Xenia.

New superfruit bowl shop opens near University of Dayton

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Playa Bowls, a superfruit shop serving acai, pitaya, coconut, chia and oatmeal bowls, has opened on Brown Street near the University of Dayton.

Dayton-area natives Mario Parisi and Joe Hidy are the owners and operators of the Dayton store.

Customers will be able to choose from a variety of blends made with superfoods including mango, coconut, kale, banana or oatmeal to make a bowl. Bowls can be topped with fresh cut fruits, seeds, nuts, granola, dried berries or nut butters. The shop also offers a selection of juices, smoothies and cold brew.

The Dayton shop marks the third Playa Bowls location in Ohio with other shops located in Columbus. The Dayton franchisees plan to open a second Dayton-area location in Springboro this fall at 734 B N. Main Street next to Dorothy Lane Market.

Dayton chef opens new restaurant in Oregon District

Dane Shipp has opened the doors to his first brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Oregon District after doing pop-ups through his walk-up window for two months.

With the opening of the restaurant, Shipp has launched a new menu featuring Southern influences as well as Asian and Indian dishes.

Customers can expect small plates like Wonton Nachos and Fried Green Tomatoes or sandwiches like the DYT Chopped Cheese, Thicc Chick or Po’Boy. Entrees include Mac & Cheese, Shrimp & Grits and Hibachi Fried Rice. The menu is expected to change every two to three months, but staples like the Drip Burger will remain.

CULTURE, located at 416 E. Fifth Street, also carries Sweet P’s Ice Pops, Gusto’s Lemonade and Warped Wing Sodas. Shipp plans to add desserts in the coming month.

Napoli’s Pizza to open second location in Beavercreek

Credit: Facebook Photo

Credit: Facebook Photo

After four years serving the Dayton area, Napoli’s Pizza is opening a second location at 3783 Dayton Xenia Road in Beavercreek near Knollwood Garden Center and Landscaping.

Owner Din Alija said he and his business partner first opened Napoli’s Pizza in 2019 at 718 N. Heincke Road in Miamisburg. Alija will be the main owner of the Beavercreek pizza shop.

Guest can expect a variety of pizzas and pastas on the menu. The restaurant’s Miamisburg menu features New York-style pizzas, calzones, stromboli, pasta dishes, subs, salads, desserts and more.

Napoli’s Pizza in Beavercreek is expected to be carryout only. The shop is expected to open by November, Alija said.

New bubble tea shop opens in Sugarcreek Twp.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Vivi Bubble Tea recently opened at 6048 Wilmington Pike in Sugarcreek Twp. featuring a variety of authentic Taiwanese bubble teas and toppings.

The bubble tea shop opened at the end of May, but the idea to bring one to the area started a couple years ago, Jiang said. She tried her first bubble tea seven years ago and had many more on her visit to China.

Vivi Bubble Tea is a franchise that started in 2007 with its first store in New York. What makes the brand unique is its variety of authentic Taiwanese toppings like Aloe, Oats Groats, Pudding, Purple Rice or Red Bean, Jiang said. In addition, they also offer fizzy pop, which is similar to an Italian soda but made with fruit juice.

The bubble tea shop’s menu has everything from milk teas and flavored teas to slushies and frozen lemonades.

New pizza shop opens in Bellbrook

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Gionino’s Pizzeria opened its third Dayton-area location at 4447 W. Franklin St. off of Wilmington Pike in Bellbrook.

The 1,600-square-foot pizzeria offers takeout and delivery only. The pizza shop is known for its pan-crust pizzas made with provolone cheese and a sweet homemade sauce. The menu also includes fried chicken, salads, Italian subs and more.

Gionino’s Pizzeria opened its first Dayton location at 1528 E. Third Street in 2019, followed by a Kettering location at 4015 Far Hills Avenue in 2021. The franchise started over 30 years ago in Tallmadge, a suburb of Akron.

McAlister’s Deli opens Washington Twp. location

McAlister’s Deli opened its newest location at 990 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Suite A in Washington Twp.

The deli is a fast-casual chain whose menu includes sandwiches, soups, salads, Spuds (loaded baked potatoes), desserts and sweet tea. The 3,200-square-foot restaurant features a pick-up window for guests that place an order online or via the McAlister’s app.

McAlister’s Deli is located beside Moe’s Southwest Grill, which is still in the works.

Both restaurants are going into the space that previously housed a Willis Music store. The space has sat empty for more than a decade.

COMING SOON

New restaurant to open in former location of Salsas in Riverside

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

El Taco Veloz Mexican Street Tacos is coming soon to the former location of Salsas Mexican Restaurant in the Airway Shopping Center near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Salsas Mexican Restaurant closed its doors at 4904 Airway Road in Riverside on March 31. The space previously housed Pepito’s Mexican Restaurant.

El Taco Veloz Mexican Street Tacos has a location at 922 Business 28 in Milford near Cincinnati.

New restaurant serving Mediterranean, Turkish fare to open in Huber Heights

Credit: Robin McMacken

Credit: Robin McMacken

The Gyro Center, a restaurant serving Mediterranean and Turkish fare, is coming soon to Huber Heights in the tenant space of the new Taylor-Mart Convenience Store, located at 6025 Taylorsville Road.

The restaurant will serve American breakfast food like French toast, waffles and pancakes in addition to traditional Turkish breakfast items like olives, cheeses, deli meats, jams and a special dish called Menemen, which is eggs with tomatoes, said owner Ulka Kibarova.

The Gyro Center will also have lunch and dinner options like kabobs and gyros featuring a tzatziki sauce and homemade green sauce. Kibarova described the green sauce as sour with a cilantro taste. She said this is her own special sauce she made after trying many different foods in California.

The Gyro Center is expected to open in November, Kibarova said.

New Mexican restaurant focusing on bourbon, tequila to open in Springboro

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Tres Amigos Bourbon & Tequila is opening soon at 92 Edgebrooke Drive in Springboro, according to owner Carlos Camarena.

The Mexican restaurant is opening in the former space of Heroes Pizza House, which closed in January. The 4,000-square-foot space has since been remodeled and owner Carlos Camarena said last week they were in the midst of final inspections.

Camarena also owns Tres Amigos Mexican Grill, located at 1012 Lebanon St. in Monroe. The Springboro restaurant will be similar to the Monroe location but with an elevated focus on bourbon and tequila.

In addition, the Springboro restaurant will also have a tortilla machine visible to customers. Customers will be able to see how tortillas are made and get them fresh, right away.

Tipp City bakery to open second location in Sugarcreek Twp.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Sweet Adaline’s Bakery and Cafe in Tipp City plans to open a second location in the Sugarcreek Plaza across from Miami Valley Hospital South.

With additional space, the Sugarcreek Twp. location will be Sweet Adaline’s main production facility supplying baked goods to their Tipp City location, Haren’s Market in Troy and Grounds for Pleasure Coffee House in Tipp City. The Sugarcreek Twp. location will be open to the public for breakfast, lunch and early dinner hours.

Sweet Adaline’s offers a wide variety of baked goods including specialty cakes, cookies, pastries, artisan breads and more.

Favorite items include the Carrot Citron Cake, Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Torte and Tiramisu. The new location will also have coffee thanks to a partnership with Twisted River Coffee Roaster in Dayton and ContempoRoast Coffee & Roastery in Centerville.

New restaurant applies for liquor license in Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

A new restaurant could be coming soon to the Breitenstrater Square Shopping Center on Patterson Road in Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood.

According to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, Mamasitas LLC DBA Mamasitas applied for several permits on Sept. 7 for 1060-1062 Patterson Road in Dayton. The restaurant applied for D-1, D-2, D-3, D-3A, D-5 and D-6 permits.

The new restaurant would be located in the former space of Myracles Bar and Grill. The site previously housed Paradise Key Cafe South and Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers.

CLOSED

Longtime Chinese restaurant permanently closes in Kettering

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

The Chop Suey, at 1465 E. Dorothy Lane in Kettering, has permanently closed its doors, according to a sign posted at the restaurant.

“As we close this chapter, our hearts overflow with gratitude for your patronage over the last 50+ years,” the sign reads.

The restaurant officially closed on Friday, Sept. 1 as the owners have decided to retire, the voicemail for the restaurant said.

Restaurant near Wright State University permanently closes

Crazy King Burrito has permanently closed its doors in Fairborn, according to a sign posted at the restaurant.

The Fairborn location on Colonel Glenn Highway was the first U.S. franchise of Crazy King Burrito.

The restaurant started in 2012 on the Mexican island of Cozumel, which is off the Yucatan Peninsula on the east side of Mexico. The founders, Jaime and Haidee Gonzalez, used family recipes that were passed down from generation to generation to open the original restaurant.

Crazy King Burrito opened in Fairborn in Aug. 2021 by longtime friends Walter Jones and DeShawn Davis.

Flyboy’s Deli closes downtown Dayton location

Credit: Staff

Credit: Staff

Flyboy’s Deli closed its downtown Dayton location across from Day Air Ballpark after business on Thursday, Aug. 31.

General manager Nikki Bayless confirmed the news citing health issues with both of the owners who have decided to solely operate the Flyboy’s Deli Oakwood location at 2515 Far Hills Ave.

The owners are Steve Crandall, a retired Air Force colonel, and his wife, Eunice Kim, who worked in and managed deli-style restaurants on the East Coast for 15 years. Shortly after moving to Dayton in 2010 from Maryland they decided to combine their passions and bring a unique deli experience to the area.

Flyboy’s Deli was born in Oakwood in 2013 with a design and décor that celebrated Dayton’s aviation heritage and its history as a cradle of invention. The owners opened the downtown Dayton location at 219 N. Patterson Blvd. in June 2021.

ADDITIONAL NEWS

Sale of Tank’s Bar & Grill falls through, restaurant to be auctioned

Credit: FILE

Credit: FILE

Tank’s Bar & Grill, at 2033 Wayne Ave. in Dayton, will remain closed, according a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

“After six weeks of negotiations, the buyer for Tank’s changed their mind,” the Friday night post reads. “After looking at all options, Tank’s will be auctioned.”

After failed negotiations with the potential buyers, the auctioning of Tank’s memorabilia, including neon and beer signs, began Sept. 20, according to the Innovative Auctions website.

This first auction is expected to begin closing on Oct. 11 at 6 p.m., with removal on Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the restaurant’s Wayne Avenue location. Multiple subsequent auctions are expected to take place.

A post in June said Tank’s closure would be temporary as the business transitioned to new owners.

Blue Berry Cafe plans to relocate by end of year

The Blue Berry Cafe is hoping to move to 129 W. Franklin St. in downtown Bellbrook by the end of the year, according to the restaurant’s Facebook page.

“While we don’t have an exact date…we are hoping to be moved by the end of the year,” the post said.

In April, owner Kelley Andary said they were relocating in order to ensure a better experience for their staff and customers alike.

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.

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.

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