How to go
What: The Oakwood Club’s 50th anniversary celebration
Where: 2414 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood
When: Now through Saturday, June 23
More info: theoakwoodclub.com or (937) 293-6973 or e-mail info@theoakwoodclub.com
The restaurant business is not for the faint of heart.
The margins are tough, the clientele can be demanding and the hours are brutal.
So when a restaurant manages to celebrate 50 successful years in business it typically means they’ve not only figured out how to give people what they want, but they’ve also mastered giving it to them the way they want it.
Lance Stewart, owner and operator of the Oakwood Club which is celebrating 50 years in business this week, credits loyal, long-serving employees as the key ingredient to his restaurant’s success over the years.
“Service is definitely the name in the game in this business. We can put out the best food in the world, but all of your efforts are wasted if you don’t serve it in a professional manner,” said Stewart.
Employees like Chef Nathaniel C. Young Sr., who has worked for the restaurant 31 years, sous chef Mel Zappia who has been with Stewart 15 years and server extraordinaire Cris King who is in charge of training all of the wait staff are just a few of the 48 current employees that Stewart credits with the helping ensure a steady stream of customers over the years.
“Competition right now is as fierce as it’s ever been, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing ... it’s a good thing,” Stewart said.
To help celebrate the Dayton area icon’s golden anniversary, the restaurant will feature classic menu items from the past, live music and the kind of fanfare that this milestone deserves both to help mark the occasion and thank customers.
Stewart’s recipe for success? Top-notch food and service that he believes is unparalleled.
“The relationship between the front of the house staff and the clientele just clicks,” said Stewart. “It’s like the ‘Cheers’ of fine dining.”
10 things you may not know about the Oakwood Club
1. It is not a private club.
2. The site began as a grocery story in 1919 with a bar and restaurant added later.
3. It’s a family business established in 1962 by Ray and Margie Stewart. Lance Stewart is the owner and manager and his sister Tina Stewart Cass is the office manager.
4. The kitchen is open on weekdays until 11:30 p.m. and on weekends until 12:30 a.m.
5. All of the restaurants steaks are hand cut on premise.
6. The Oakwood Club hamburger is made up of filet mignon and sirloin steak trimmings.
7. All of the restaurant’s dressings, bread and desserts made fresh.
8. There are at least two special features that can be ordered daily in addition to all of the regular menu items.
9. A typical Saturday night will see three to four turns on every table.
10. Main entree items include a salad and two sides with the meal.
Special menu items
To celebrate its milestone anniversary, the Oakwood Club will be offering several classic items that were staples over the years. All dishes will be priced at $19.62, in honor of the year the restaurant was founded and will be served with a salad and a side dish. Choices included a Filet Shish Kebob, Salmon in Puff Pastry, Lemon Sole with Maryland Crab and the restaurant’s famous Hot Brown. Featured wines for the week include the Rodney Strong 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2010 Chardonnay.
Live music
Music over the years has played an important role in the restaurant’s evolution. This week musicians will be brought back to help add a soundtrack to the celebration.
Today: Tim Berens on jazz guitar from 6-10 p.m.
Thursday: Tom Downs on jazz guitar, 6-10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: WindJammer, a four-piece jazz ensemble, from 9 p.m. to midnight
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