Jamie Campbell | Dayton937

Rum Runners Cafe is now doing a soft opening- for online orders with a LIMITED menu. Carry out is available or you can order through Doordash! The available menu offers burgers, chicken sandwiches and loaded baked potatoes. When the restaurant opens they’ll add pastas, salads and salmon dishes. View the available menu here, items will be added throughout the month as they feel their kitchen can handle it.

Located in the former Christopher’s space on E Dorothy Lane, the owners signed a 5 year lease this past December and have done a lot of remodeling themselves in the 3,500 square foot restaurant.

Inspiration photo – their booths are being built now

It will have seating for 75 guests, with a decor that’s described as prohibition-era art deco, with black and gold colors and geometric patterns reminiscent of the glam associated with the Jazz Age. There is a separate bar area that will have eight taps for draft beer and the cocktail program will feature rum based drinks, as well as gin, since it was a popular spirit in the 1920s. Furthering the 1920s theme will be some of the menu items, which will be named after gangsters, flappers, Irish mafia members and female rum runners of the period.

Burgers on the menu

While the restaurant has rum in its name, guests won’t be able to order a cocktail with their meal, at least not at first. The eatery plans to get its alcohol licensing in the fall, at which time it will serve alcohol in addition to food.

Owner Jamie Campbell said it’s been she and her partners dream to open a restaurant for about a decade and they’re excited to make it a reality. They share a love of rum and have a rum-based BBQ sauce line that is currently sold locally at Dorothy Lane Market and Dots Market. The sauce offerings include honey rum, sweet rum and spicy rum as well as a forthcoming rum and Coke sauce as well as a glaze in the same flavor. All the sauces will be available to add as side for any order as well as a sauce option for the restaurant’s chicken wings.