I’m not going to dig up the links on the DDN site- or try to tell you what days the stories ran (bad blogger)- but, there is a trend: stories about Downtown restaurants get bigger headlines than suburban ones when the news is bad.
Case in point: The very large Villa D’Giovanni in Fairborn closed this week [1]– and got a mere 2 inches in my print edition. The reasonably sized Encore- closed this week in Springboro- and got a mere 2 inches [2]. Both had at least 30 employees- and new high rent buildings.
Today, the DDN reported [3] about Dolcessa [4]‘s future move to Brown Street from the Oregon District- about 12 inches or more- and a 3 column headline. Dolcessa employees maybe, 6 people.
They aren’t even closing yet- not until Nov. 30.
When the Blue Moon closed in the Oregon District, with their 20 employees- it was front page news. Same for Mediterra. Same for Olivias. Why the bias?
I agree that they do this, but………….
It is the “DAYTON” Daily News, therefore Dayton stories go first?? – and the “world is coming to an end” for the City of Dayton sells better than “suburban restaurant closes.”
Also it is a ratio thing – Downtown has few places, and when one closes it is a sign poor participation downtown??? When a suburban restaurant closes it is only a small portion of a much more restaurant active area – even if most are chains. And something replaces a suburban restaurant much quicker, even if it is “down the road.”
Where can you eat downtown anymore….?….and enough with the OD, i know it is “part” of the downtown, but not the central business district.
OR the Dayton Daily News want to make YOU mad??????
As far as I know there are only three restaurants open downtown after business hours: The Spaghouse, Cold Beer and Cheesburgers, and Uno. And, I guess the hotel restaurants in the Doubletree and Crown Plaza.
I had high hopes for Citilites, but it closed for full dinners. I think they have some sort of limited service on show nights.
But best of luck to Dolcessa. I did stop there every so often, but I am usually in the Oregon late at night, after they had closed.
Jeff-
There is the Racquet Club- which requires membership, and a restaurant on the first floor that replaced Olivias-
There are also the two piano bars- which have menus, Bimini Bills around the corner from Spaghetti Warehouse, Mama Mia Trattoria in the basement of the Talbot-
but the reality is- Oregon is where the real food is. And if someone wants to tell me that it isn’t downtown- they’ve been smoking something. Anyone in their right mind would call the Oregon District Downtown.
Bimini Bills closed a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks Valerie- apparently the DDN (or me) missed that.
Don’t forget Mary Ann’s Southern Kitchen! (Ludlow Street, next to the city building, where Arby’s used to be). It’s open until 9 p.m. M-F, and also has a buffet on Sundays. The wait is a bit long (don’t go during lunch hour, believe me), but that’s because everything’s made to order. Fried fish, mac n cheese, greens …. mmmmm!
Aha, I was wondering where Mary Ann’s landed after her run inthe Salem Mall. Thanks for the heads up Melissa!
No Headlines when Bimini Bills closed……?……….
But I really think the main reason, now that I have read many of these articles, is that the writers are closer to Dayton and the owners of these place. They did stories about “going to close” and had interviews with the Dayton Restaurant owners, but often the other situation fall into the “Already closed”, no interview type of situation. The reporters have better contacts in regards to Dayton places (b/c they are more likely to eat there and the restaurants seem to have closer relationships with each other) where many suburban place are corporate run and the main offices are out of town.
I work with local restaurants and know the owners, the suburban places I work with often have some “new” manager to deal with and I am in contact with the Main Office….. so you never get the “pulse” of the place. I don’t know, maybe I am wrong, but it does seem to me that the more intimate places are easier and better to get daily information from, like Dayton Independent Restaurants.
Bimini Bills was in an out-of-the-way location. Wasn’t it really a bar not a restaurant?
I did eat there once – small portions, which I liked, with good prices, but YES it was more BAR than anything else.
What ever happened to the BOSTON’s Bistro Location? That was bar space……….
Rumors of a Steakhouse moving D-town have been going on for over a year to anchor a CBD revival – I know there are several CBD rumors, but I heard it from a slightly more reliable source this time, like a higher up, you know. I told her to keep her prices in check, her place clean and let people know you exist…… hell, what do I know about it.
Cold Beer and Cheeseburgers should be renamed – Ice Cold Beer and Cold Cheeseburgers…….
The piano bars are fun, but they are really more bar, are not they?
We need a good German themed rest in downtown near 5/3 field…… Esrati…,,,,,, isn’t that German? Start one up, you will kill it.
BTW, is it me or has the Oregon District had less traffic the last year, year and a half? I am not kidding, forget about week nights, they are slow, but even FRI/SAT night…. sadddddddddd.
Forgot China Royal at the corner of North Main and First Street- in the Biltmore-
it’s “under new management”- and open Mon-Thur and Sunday 11am to 10 pm and Fri and Sat 11am to 10:30 pm.
Phone is 937-222-8883 and they have a website http://www.chinaroyaldayton.com
Gregory’s Piano Bar(across from the Victoria Theatre) which has an appetizer menu with around ten items, spinach dip, shrimp cocktail, cheese&fruit plate, to name a few, will be starting dinner on Jan 17th. We will be offering dinner in the main room, with either one of our pianists or a guest singer. The upstairs couch and lounge area will stay the same with drinks and appetizers available. Come check us out or on our website!