“I really hope that the Oregon District comes roaring back,” said Mike Kim, the former owner of Corner Kitchen. “I truly hope that and believe in my heart that will eventually happen, but there’s no doubt ... the traffic patterns are dramatically lower” compared to pre-COVID.
But the spaces vacated by Eclectic Essentials and Roost are going to get a new shop called Poppets Coffee & Tea and a restaurant called Resonant, which is a new concept from the owners of Grist.
The owners of these businesses and other downtown advocates and community members say the Oregon District is still a very special place that has tons to offer that has survived tough times and major challenges.
“Of course it’s disappointing when any of our neighbors close their doors,” said Kait Laughlin, executive director of the Oregon District Business Association. “We’re looking forward to new businesses moving in and what they’ll be able to add to the space. There is certainly an ebb and flow in the district but we’d really like to highlight the fact that we have so many amazing bars, restaurants and shops that are still open and have a ton of events planned for 2025.”
Gone and going away
Roost, a fine dining Italian restaurant at 524 E. Fifth St., shut down a couple months ago after operating for more than 13 years. Roost briefly rebranded as Culina last year but switched back to its original offerings a couple months later, before ultimately shuttering for good.
Corner Kitchen, located a stone’s throw from Roost at 613 E. Fifth St., ceased operations March 9.
The restaurant, which first opened in June of 2015, was the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Jack and Natalie Skilliter. But they sold the business in 2021 to the same group that owns the Oakwood Club and the Spaghetti Warehouse.
Mike’s Vintage Toys, at 508 E. Fifth St., relocated to the Oregon District from Springboro in 2019.
The shop will be closing April 13, and owner Mike Patterson posted on the store’s Facebook page that the shop’s sales were not good enough to keep it going.
Next door, at 510 E. Fifth St., is a storefront that until recently was occupied by Eclectic Essentials. The shop, which departed earlier this year, sold antiques, jewelry and vintage furniture, decorations, artwork and collectibles. Eclectic Essentials opened in 2012.
Heart Mercantile, a boutique just down from Corner Kitchen, posted on Facebook in November that it was at risk of closing if sales did not improve, but so far the shop remains open.
Reasons for closing
Roost Chef Dana Downs said she wanted to retire from her restaurateur role but she also was happy to get out of the Oregon District.
Downs said she was frustrated because the city shuts down East Fifth Street in the district to vehicular traffic on the weekends during the warmer weather months to create a pedestrian mall or promenade. The program is called “Out on 5th.”
Downs said the street closure interfered with her valet parking, which her higher-end clientele relied on.
Downs said she raised concerns about parking and other issues with city and downtown leaders but said no one seemed to care that this was hurting foot traffic and her business.
Also, she said many of her customers noticed and felt that the Oregon District lost some of its visible police presence.
“I think the whole entire district is struggling,” she said.
Kim, the former owner of Corner Kitchen, said the restaurant was in an “A-plus location” and focused on serving high-quality food, which usually should be a winning combination. Over the years, Pulse, Bar Tiki and Sloopy’s have operated in that space.
But Kim said the Oregon District has seen a huge reduction in foot traffic in recent years and the restaurant was never profitable under his ownership. He said the district seemed to “fall off the edge” around the time he took over Corner Kitchen.
Kim said there’s been a lot of development in other parts of downtown, including around the ballpark where the Dayton Dragons play, which means there’s a lot more competition for customers and visitors.
“Where did the people who used to hang out in the Oregon District go?” Kim said.
He said he thinks the Oregon District needs more special events, shows or new types of amenities or businesses to make it a bigger draw. He said ideally some creative people would step up and invest time, energy and money to figure out how to make the district an unmatched destination.
Kim also said the nearby Dayton Convention Center has not been bringing nearly as many people into that part of downtown as it once did.
However, he said the multimillion-dollar renovation of the facility hopefully will be able to attract more competitions, conventions and other events that can flood the Oregon District with visitors and customers.
“There has to be a draw,” he said, adding that he really hopes the district can figure out how to get through these rough times. “What do people want?”
Hope for the future
Even though four Fifth Street businesses recently have decided to call it quits, two of their spaces already are spoken for.
Grist co-owner Patrick Van Voorhis said his new restaurant Resonant hopefully will open in Roost’s old location in May.
Van Voorhis said he knows things have been tough for some local businesses, but Grist has thrived in a location that many people believed was on an island and would not work out.
He said he hopes Resonant will provide a memorable, high-end experience that can replicate Grist’s success.
“We’re going to deliver an experience that will hit that mark — whether or not it can be supported I think time will tell,” he said. “I think there is certainly a niche for (fine dining) and I just hope that we can deliver it.”
Poppets Coffee & Tea hopefully will open next month in Eclectic Essential’s former space, said Michael Thomas, who owns the business with his wife, Karen.
Poppets Coffee & Tea has sold retail coffee and tea products at the 2nd Street Market for years.
Poppets, which has a roastery in East Dayton, eventually will sell specialty coffee and tea by the bag, cup and pot.
Fresh-brewed products will be available to-go or to drink in store, which will have some seating.
Thomas said he’s very excited to open a brick-and-mortar location in the Oregon District. He said he feels really good about the district’s business community and his store’s chances of success in this business climate.
“I think (the district) is very popular and very healthy,” he said. “I think the Oregon has a lot of things coming. ... There’s nothing like it in the area.”
Thomas said the 2nd Street location, which sells 44 types of tea and 25 flavored coffees, will remain in operation.
An important place
Laughlin, executive director of the Oregon District Business Association, said the association is working closely with the city, the Downtown Dayton Partnership and the Dayton Convention Center to find new and interesting ways to activate the street.
“As of now, we’re all optimistically trucking forward,” she said. “There are, of course, a lot of factors out of our control that affect the closing of businesses but it’s encouraging to also see new spots opening.”
Laughlin said downtown is very walkable and easy to visit.
“The Oregon District specifically has become so multifaceted in the last decade,” she said. “We’re still the best place to come get a drink, find live entertainment and shop locally but we’ve also worked to create events and street programming that caters to families and the community.”
Katie Meyer, president and CEO of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, said shopping at local businesses is the best way to ensure they can keep their doors open.
“Every day and every customer makes a difference,” she said. “The Oregon District was the first area of downtown to reach pre-pandemic levels of foot traffic, so we are hopeful that foot traffic will start to build again as the weather starts to warm up and more events are planned for the Oregon District.”
About the Author
