NOW OPEN
Marble Slab Creamery & Great American Cookies opens in Huber Heights
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Marble Slab Creamery & Great American Cookies opened its doors for a soft opening last week in Huber Heights.
The business, located in the Huber Heights Commons Retail Hub at 7624 Old Troy Pike between Jersey Mike’s Subs and MILAN Laser Hair Removal, combines homemade ice cream and fresh-baked cookies.
Mahmoud Aqrabawi, the franchise owner, has lived in Huber Heights for 22 years and said there was a Marble Slab Creamery in the city about 15 years ago.
“There hasn’t really been an ice cream place here since they closed, other than Dairy Queen, so I thought I might as well bring some more variety here,” Aqrabawi said.
Broasted chicken restaurant opens in Trotwood
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Leiland and Melanie Woods originally opened Ella Mae’s Broaster Hut as a food truck in 2023 to serve their customers at Trinity Liquidations on Salem Avenue in Trotwood.
Since then, they opened a brick-and-mortar spot at 5519 Salem Ave., next to the Honey Baked Ham Company.
Ella Mae’s Broaster Hut offers broasted chicken, fish and pork chops with sides of fresh-cut potato wedges, green beans, fried cabbage, bourbon baked beans and coleslaw. Macaroni and cheese is coming soon.
Customer favorites include the four piece wing dinner with potato wedges, applesauce and a drink for $13.99.
Whisperz Speakeasy opens in West Carrollton
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Whisperz Speakeasy, a prohibition-era style cocktail lounge in West Carrollton, is transporting guests back in time to the Roaring Twenties.
Owners Julie and David Ziemba were inspired to create a lounge for those 25 and older with a password required entry back in 2012.
“We were in Chicago and stumbled into a small, little jazz bar,” David Ziemba said.
With a love for traveling, they pulled ideas from the Chicago jazz bar, other night clubs and even cigar bars to create a space where sophistication and culinary artistry intertwine.
The couple previously owned Blue Note Bistro & Lounge in Miamisburg from 2015 to 2018, but sold it when Julie’s mother got sick.
Carillon Brewing Co. reopens with Dayton Barbecue Company leading food program
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Carillon Brewing Co. has reopened after being closed since early January.
The brewery has teamed up with Dayton Barbecue Company for the rebirth of its food program with local chef Ashley Ashbrook at the reins.
“So much of Carillon Park is celebrating entrepreneurs,” said Brady Kress, president and CEO of Dayton History. “Here’s an opportunity for us to not only carry on this trade tradition and educate the community about these early processes, but we can invest, support, help and partner with local entrepreneurs.”
Customers can now expect some of their favorite dishes from Dayton Barbecue Company such as meat platters with pulled pork and brisket, smoked fried wings, salads and the “Smoked Stack,” a double patty burger with brisket, pulled pork, house made pickles and red onions.
Tasty Bacon’s is a new food truck in Fairborn
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
A new food truck has launched in the Fairborn area featuring smash burgers, hand-dipped corn dogs, loaded potatoes and breakfast items.
Tasty Bacon’s is owned by John Hansen, who was active duty in the Air Force for nearly 10 years, and Jordan Zimmerman, a Fairborn native who studied culinary arts at the Greene County Career Center and was previously working at TJ Chumps.
“While I was stationed in England, I was talking about getting out and starting a food truck,” Hansen said. “Most of my career in the Air Force has been in the kitchens and nutritional medicine.”
Zimmerman was planning to get out of the restaurant industry, but after buying the food truck in October, it’s “rekindled” his love for food and cooking.
COMING SOON
Freakin' Rican food truck to open carryout restaurant in Dayton
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
The Freakin’ Rican food truck is opening a carryout restaurant on South Smithville Road in Dayton, and owner Adrian Padilla said it’s been a long time coming.
“We pride ourselves on having good, fresh, quality food,” Padilla said. “Plus, you get to taste something from our island. Not everybody can have fresh Puerto Rican food.”
Customers can expect traditional Puerto Rican food such as empanadas, relleno de papa (refilled potato balls), alcapurrias (fritters stuffed with season meat) and pasteles (a Puerto Rican version of a tamale).
He plans to offer 52 different types of empanadas with new flavors such as buffalo chicken, ham and cheese, strawberry cheesecake and chocolate fudge.
The restaurant will have pernil (Spanish roasted pork) or picadillo (seasoned beef) served over rice and beans. Other items coming soon include jibarito (a skirt steak sandwich served on plantains instead of bread), tripleta (a ham, pork and steak sandwich), salads and pork chop and steak meals.
New bakery to open in Dayton’s St. Anne’s District
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
After operating as a cottage bakery in Miamisburg for about two years, Adelaide’s Wholesome Baked is opening a bakery in Dayton’s St. Anne’s Hill Historic District.
“The goal was always to open up a brick-and-mortar,” said owner Catherine Tews.
Adelaide’s Wholesome Baked offers a variety of hand pies with flavors such as brown sugar maple cinnamon, strawberry sprinkle, cherry and blueberry.
he bakery also has cookies with favorites such as brown butter chocolate chip and peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip. Other items include triple chocolate brownies, coffee cake, breakfast cookies, bread and more.
The bakery is hoping to open in the former space of St. Anne the Tart at 1500 E. Fifth St. in early April.
3 businesses planning to open this year in West Carrollton
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
The City of West Carrollton has three new businesses in the midst of construction.
Last week, the city posted a community development update on Facebook highlighting the status of Culver’s, Dunkin' and Sheetz.
- Culver’s, a Wisconsin-based restaurant chain known for its butter burgers and frozen custard, is on track to open this summer in the Southeast corner of East Dixie Drive and Manchester Road.
- The Gilligan Company is in the midst of transforming the former Sonic Drive-In at 801 E. Dixie Drive into a new Dunkin' location.
- Sheetz, a gas station and convenience store chain, is constructing a new location at the top of Alex Road in the Imperial Square shopping center, just off Miamisburg-Centerville Road (Ohio 725).
Upscale Italian steakhouse to open at new downtown Dayton hotel
Dayton’s newest hotel on North Main Street has an upscale Italian steakhouse expected to open in two months.
Hotel Ardent, part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, will welcome the restaurant in April.
Bistecca, inspired by the flavors of Tuscany, blends Italian culinary traditions with a modern flair, a press release from the hotel said. Guests can expect handmade pastas, wood-fired grill selections and signature cocktails.
Hotel Ardent, located at 137 N. Main St. in the historic Barclay Building, features 118 rooms and suites with a fitness center and event spaces.
Tear Drops Steak House coming soon to downtown Dayton
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Carl Johnson, the owner of Members Only 937, is opening a steak house in the former location of 1Eleven Flavor House with his nephew, Celebrity Platinum Chef Jay Jones.
Tear Drops Steak House is expected to open this spring — March or April — at 111 W. First St. in Dayton.
“We as Daytonians have to be proud of our community and we have to make it right to get people to come to Dayton,” Johnson said in an interview on Jan. 30. “We have a lot to offer here and we want to be a part of that.”
The steak house will feature elevated fine dining with servers giving guests a show. For example, the server will top the steak with the restaurant’s signature “tear drop,” a mixed herb garlic butter, that the guest can watch melt down the steak.
CHANGES
The bar at W. Social Tap & Table has new owners
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
The bar at W. Social Tap & Table in Dayton’s Wright Dunbar District has a new set of owners.
Patricia Wafer and her son, Devontae Morton, became owners of The Tap at the beginning of February.
The bar will remain the “heart” of the food hall with 16 rotating taps of domestic and craft beers, cocktails, wines and a large variety of whiskey, tequila, vodka, rum and gin.
In addition to owning the bar, the mother-son duo will also manage the food hall and has plans to open a pizza, sub and salad concept in the former ILLY’s Fire Pizza space.
Miamisburg restaurant rebrands, adds food truck
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
More Than A Apron in Miamisburg is rebranding to D’s Birria and More and has plans to expand via food truck and hopefully a new restaurant space early next year.
Owner Darion Lewis started cooking for the public after he lost his job as a travel consultant in the medical industry due to the coronavirus pandemic. With encouragement from friends and family, he started selling birria tacos in Huber Heights before transitioning to pop-ups in front of area business.
He opened his first brick-and-mortar at 1015 S. Main St. in November 2022.
“I love where I’m at, but now, the winter time, it’s slow for me and that’s because of the location,” Lewis said.
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