Remembering Dayton’s Closed Restaurants- 2021 Edition

For another year plagued by the pandemic, we are pleased to report that less restaurants closed this year than in each of the previous 4 years.  Here’s a look back at those eateries we lost in 2021:

 

Heavenly Indian Grill, a kosher Vegetarian eatery featuring Chaat, tandoori, curries, and other South Indian specials was located on St Rt 741.  When  was Lexis Nexis employees began working from home, they saw a downturn in business and just couldn’t sustain the levels needed to succeed.

Gyro Palace on Airway closed in January, only to be replaced just a few months later by Gyro Maximus.

Even the chains felt the drop in business as Fuzzy Taco announced in January of 2021 that its Beavercreek location will be closing its doors permanently, like many other businesses throughout the pandemic. Fuzzy’s isn’t gone forever though, the restaurant has another location in Cincinnati.

Crossroads BBQ and More, the locally owned and operated  restaurant, which moved into a former Cadillac Jack’s space in Fairborn in April 2019, shut its doors in January as its owners announced on their restaurant’s Facebook page.

Mimi’s Cafe at the Greene closed in February after nearly 15 years in business.  When Mimi’s Cafe opened in 2007 the then fast-growing chain was owned by Bob Evans Inc. Bob Evans sold the brand to Dallas-based Le Duff America Inc. in 2013.  At one point they had almost 80 locations, but according to their website, they are now down to about 40 restaurants.

Sushi Hana, the  Japanese and Korean Restaurant located on Lyons Road since 2013 closed rather quietly in February.  At first it posted temporarily closed signs and then just never reopened.

St Anne The Tart, after two highly successful years in February they announced they were shutting down as  owner Megan Smith declared she’d “channel our efforts into new projects and begin looking for a space that will let us grow long-term in this new era of social distancing.”  Earlier this month Smith shared in an email that though she’s been looking she just hasn’t found a spot that’s right.  She did announce she is working on a cookbook and she was “putting all of my best effort and energy right now into a way in which we can still do community well together—something that feels in line with the ideals and mission we all seem to have in common.”

Lefty’s Eats & Espresso Xenia, a second location for this sandwich and coffee shop just didn’t seem to have the momentum to keep the Xenia spot afloat, as the owner announced the closing on their Facebook page in March of 2021.

Gigi’s Gyro’s in Miamisburg, which opened in August of 2018 and was slowly expanding to offer a number of international product for sale shut their doors for good in March of 2021.

Stillwrights, makers offine small batch moonshine, bourbon and rum  shut down in May of 2021.  In an unusual move Cincinnati Distilling Company bought Stillwrights brand after the Fairborn-based distiller announced its permanent closure in May.

Cafe 1610, the all vegan spot in Dayton that opened in the District Provisions spot on Wayne Ave in September of 2020 with three partners, Molly Blackshear, Xtine Brean and Cathy Mong, wasn’t open long before Xtine Brean stepped away from the business. In a video announcement on the Café 1610 Facebook in May of 2021  co-owner Molly Blackshear made the sudden announcement that Dayton’s only all-vegan restaurant would be closing at the end of the month, relocating, rebranding and “starting pretty much over in a sense.” In November they announced they would be doing some pop up shops under the Bee Vegan label.

Xuan Vietnamese, a small family owned eatery on Airway, was doing pretty solid business, until the pandemic.  His daily lunch rush from the base was gone.  Then in January  he came into work one day and smelled gasoline and saw “Fuck U China Virus” graffitied on the side of his restaurant’s building. He was shocked and he and his wife felt unsafe.  In late February a fire broke out and was being investigated as arson.  A rise in attacks against Asian-Americans combined with the economic impact of COVID-19 has left many Asian-American-owned businesses struggling. Xuan closed in May of 2021. But there is some happy news for Noop’s business.  He has now opened a stall at the 2nd Street Market, operating as HomeStyle Thai Bistro.

Texas Beef & Cattle Co, which had operated for five years on West Third Street in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood struggled during the pandemic to maintain the hep they needed to run the restaurant.  Inconsistent hours and that lack of help seemed to be the final nail in the coffin of this barbeque business.  According to their website, they are still doing catering.

Paradise Key Cafe, 1060 Patterson Road in the Breitenstrater Plaza  closed permanently in July of 2021.  The restaurant’s chief executive officer Jennifer Lynn Jones posted this on Facebook: “With a heavy heart, I am sorry to announce that Paradise in Kettering has closed its doors due to under performance. When we took over, we had hoped to bring the party to this location, but we just couldn’t quite get it to where it needed to be.” 

Las Piramdes, the Centerville eatery closed this summer on July 6. The 6290 Chambersburg Rd, Huber Heights location remains open.  Fabian Leon, son of one of the Las Piramides founders mentioned that the building had been sold. We’ve since learned that owners with Fireside Café in Liberty Township, purchased the building on 101 W. Franklin Street and will be opening The Brunch Pub.

Rapid Fired Pizza closed two underperforming units in August. Both 2001 E. Dorothy Lane in Kettering & 1200 Brown St. were shut down.

Have we missed one of your favorites that closed this year?  Leave us a comment below.