New downtown Dayton grocery market in the works

Tony & Pete’s on East Third said it will offer fresh produce and grocery staples

A new downtown Dayton grocery market is in the works.

Tony & Pete’s is working toward opening at 129 E. Third St., with a sign now up in the window advertising the coming market.

The business said in a statement that the market is “going to be an independently owned and operated shop with longtime Dayton ties, and we aim to be a true neighborhood joint that really provides a service to the Downtown Dayton community. The team behind Tony & Pete’s has a long history in the bar and restaurant world, and we are excited to share Tony & Pete’s with the community.”

In a February post on Instagram, Tony & Pete’s stated that it will be a neighborhood market offering fresh produce, grocery staples, beer, wine, and cold cut sandwiches.

“We can’t wait to see y’all! Much more to come soon,” the business posted.

The city of Dayton planning department did not have additional details of the project. Details on the size of the store were not available.

Many of the major grocery chains have closed stores in the city limits in recent years, particularly in west Dayton. However, the new market will join downtown Dayton’s existing grocery store, Stop N Save at 36 W. Third St., on the block with the Dayton Arcade. Additionally, member-owned Gem City Market opened in the city just under a year ago, along lower Salem Avenue northwest of downtown.

The new market will be opening after years of rapidly developing downtown housing, which has brought hundreds of new residents, and therefore grocery shoppers, into the city core.

In recent years, the Delco Lofts, Centerfield Flats and Arcade opened with more than 100 units each, Water Street added more than 250 units, while smaller developments including multiple Simms condominiums and the Wheelhouse Lofts added new residents as well.

The Fire Blocks District, where the market is planned, also welcomed new residents into the Huffman Lofts and Elks Lofts. The area saw a variety of businesses come into its storefronts, such as Two Social, a bar with axe-throwing and other adult games; Jollity, a new restaurant with “elevated midwestern fare”; Bozacks Cocktail Lounge; and Third Perk Coffeehouse & Wine Bar.

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