“This is kind of a test store for us, the first one outside of the comfort zone of the greater Dayton area,” said Marion’s CEO Roger Glass. “We’re going into a new market, and it will be interesting to see how it goes.”
Glass said he has no concrete plans to add more restaurants in the Cincinnati area — but he said he certainly wouldn’t rule it out, either, if the Mason restaurant does well.
The Mason store seats about 450 inside and another 70 on a patio, Glass said. It is only the second expansion for the 46-year-old chain since 1991. In February, Marion’s opened its eighth restaurant in the Dayton area in Troy, and the new piazza “has done very, very well. It was one of the best moves we’ve ever made,” Glass said.
Mason and Troy were attractive sites for expansion because both areas are doing well economically and have a solid base of industries and other development, Glass said. In addition, the two cities are far enough away from Dayton so as not to compete with existing Marion’s Piazza locations, but close enough to be supplied out of the Dayton-based commissary.
The newest Marion’s will open this morning with about 50 employees. Hours today and going forward are 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 513-398-9998.
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