New Dayton restaurant clears key hurdle

Business
By Mark Fisher
March 15, 2013
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DAYTON — The new restaurant to be called Wheat Penny Oven & Bar has cleared and important hurdle and is moving toward a possible July opening, Meadowlark restaurant owner Elizabeth Wiley said Friday morning.

The December announcement that Wiley would open a second restaurant in the former Coco’s Bistro at 515 Wayne Ave. was contingent on appraisal and financing, Wiley said at the time. But the sale has now closed, with a purchase price of $342,475, according to Montgomery County property records. The space became vacant in early November when Jim Gagnet and Karen Wick-Gagnet, who owned the building, relocated Coco’s Bistro to 250 Warren St.

“We’re saying July” for opening Wheat Penny, “but we don’t have a strict timetable in place,” Wiley said.

Renovations will begin soon and will include a kitchen overhaul to accommodate preparation of pizza, which will be the primary focus of Wheat Penny’s menu. The menu also will include appetizers, salads, vegetable dishes, sandwiches, and three or so signature entrees, Wiley said. Other renovations will likely include a reconfiguration of the dining area to create a private room, and improvements in the bar area.

Wheat Penny will seat about 80 to 100 people, and will employ an estimated 20 to 30, Wiley has said.

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About the Author

Mark Fisher, a 1981 graduate of Ohio State University and a 1976 graduate of Beavercreek High School, is a third-generation Dayton-area resident who has worked for the Dayton Daily News since 1983. He covered higher education and K-12 education accountability issues for nearly 20 years before taking over the food and dining beat in 2006.