Historic Dayton restaurant calls it quits

A historic Dayton eatery that has operated as a restaurant since at least 1900 closed its doors for good at the end of dinner service on Saturday, June 29, the restaurant’s owner has told the Dayton Daily News.

The Stockyards Inn, 1065 Springfield St., had been for sale for more than a year and was struggling because of lack of business. The restaurant’s customer base had been dwindling because of “age, retirement and death,” owner Bob Bartusch said. And in the end, he said, “We weren’t able to attract the Applebee’s crowd.”

Bartusch, 67, and his wife Jane have owned the restaurant for 35 years. He bought it in 1978, two years after he became manager.

“I put my heart and soul into this place,” Bartusch said in January, explaining why he was attempting to sell the restaurant rather than simply close and walk away.

But no serious offers emerged.

Bartusch said he chose not to widely announce the restaurant’s closing in advance or to have any special events to mark its closing, in part because his kitchen and wait staff had dwindled to the point he wouldn’t be able to accommodate a late surge of customers coming in to say goodbye.

The Stockyards owner told the Dayton Daily News that he wanted to thank his loyal customers, and said he had no regrets.

“It’s been a wonderful ride,” Bartusch said.

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