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.
The Patriot Eatery & Pizzeria which took over the location that had once been Starlite Restaurant & Diner on Smithville Road in 2016. In August of 2021 they announced via their Facebook page “Thank you for your support and your smiles and business. It’s been a pleasure serving you these past few years. Please stay safe and happy. Lots of love the Patriot family. One big hug going out to y’all.” On Nov. 4, Patriot Eatery and Pizzeria reopened for carryout and delivery at 2119 Germantown St. in Dayton. Delivery is available through the delivery apps DoorDash and Uber Eats. To order, customers should call 937-496-5734.
Fino Sur opened in May of 2020 to serve authentic Peruvian cuisine. The food was good, but the business never built up enough of a following and closed in Oct of 2021
Panera Bread closed down two of it’s established locations this past summer, one on St Rt 725 near the Dayton Mall, which had operated since 2005 and the other in downtown Centervile on St Rt 48 next to Square One Salon, but announced they would be replaced by a a new and larger location that would also have a drive-thru. That new location opened in October.
This Medway restaurant had been serving the community for 80 years as The Tavernette. In 2015 John & Kelly Hill purchased it and then in 2020 decided with the mandatory shut down brought on by the Corona Virus, the time was right for the change to 316 Tap & Barrel Grill. With sporadic shut downs 
during the pandemic, they announced via Facebook that the were closed until further notice.
With over 40 years of success at the original Little York Tavern and Pizza, owner Matt Hentrick decided to open a second location in Kettering on Dorothy Lane in a building that had most recently housed Arepas & Co. Opened in October of 2020, is was a struggle. That location has housed many previous tenants, and once again proved to be unsustainable and just closed recently. Luckily this closed has no effect on the original Little York location!
Owning a restaurant has always been a hard career choice, but add a pandemic, staffing struggles and supply chain issues and it’s understandable why so many of these places had to close. We wish all the owners much success as they start new chapters in their life and applaud those that have already done a reinvention.
Have we missed one of your favorites that closed this year? Leave us a comment below.
