Once the cafe closes for the day, the space will transform into a speakeasy called, “Good Impressions.” Customers will enter through a back door on Catherine Street labeled as “trash only.”
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
“The vision has always been there, but it’s just one of those things that takes time,” Innocent said.
They decided to originally open the space as a cafe with coffee and elevated American cuisine because it had previously been a coffee shop.
“It was just one of those things where we didn’t want to take away from what people had enjoyed about coming here because of accessibility, the parking, (proximity) to the university, and then just any bar takes time,” Innocent said. “I’ve opened in my lifetime... well over 20 restaurants and bars and I know how long they take.”
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Good Impressions is an approachable, neighborhood cocktail bar.
“We really want to blow our cocktails out of the water,” Innocent said. “My vision and execution for our cocktails is going to be, ‘How can I compete with like the Top 50 cocktail bars in the world?’”
Customers can expect the bartenders to pay close attention to detail and deliver cocktails that trigger multiple senses.
Good Impressions will be caramelizing pineapples and roasting bell peppers to create syrups or clarifying cocktails to highlight unique elements. The bar even offers five different types of ice that they use for various drinks.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Innocent’s goal is to find ways “to really enhance the drinking experience where it’s not just you’re drinking to get drunk, but you’re drinking because now it’s experiencing an art.”
Innocent, who is originally from Florida, has been in the cocktail industry since 2012. He has traveled all over the world to study spirits and wine. Most of his time in the industry was spent in Chicago and D.C. where he has had several cocktails published in books and has been a contributor to Forbes.
“I’ve been able to excel and do things in Chicago, ”How do I shine that light here in Dayton? How do I bring that attention to this market?””
The cocktail menu at Good Impressions is designed to accommodate different palates with seven specialty cocktails and more than 40 classics.
From tropical, tiki-style drinks to boozy stirred-style drinks, there’s something for everyone:
- Figanometry (bourbon, fig, black pepper, orange and cocoa) $13
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Shoe-ly beloved (brown buttered rum, coconut, house spiced oregeat and lime) $13
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Let the fun be-gin (banana peel infused gin, guava, cloves and lemon) $11
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Now you smell it, now you don’t (floral bouquet, lemon, bergamot and bubbles) $12
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- All inclusive detour (blended agave, lime, caramelized pineapple, roasted bell pepper and fortified wine) $14
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Cran you handle all this flavor (vodka, fall spiced cranberry, aperol, lemon and old fashioned foam) $12
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Saturday morning cartoons (clarify fruity pebble old fashioned) $14
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Good Impressions also offers a variety of bites such as:
- Kettle chips (shaved parmesan and black pepper Thai basil aioli) $5
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Ricotta and honey (whipped ricotta, truffle and lemon zested honey served with sourdough) $8
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Avocado and chili oil dip (togarash and plantain chips) $9
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Tomato tartare (chives, shallots, capers and quinoa tortilla chips) $9
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Greek salad (tomato, pickled shallots, cucumber, olives, mint, chives, EVOO and whipped feta) $9
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Wagyu meatball (house marinara, parmesan and feta served with toasted sourdough) $15
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
The cocktail bar is looking to book vinyl DJs. They also plan to be a listening room where guests can bring in their own vinyl.
Innocent has enjoyed meeting customers through the coffee side of his business. In the future, he plans to use his background in culinary and cocktails to enhance the coffee beverages at midDay.
“Cocktails come really easy for me and I can do that,” Innocent said. “Now, “How do I take that and match it up with coffee?” That’s what I’m really looking forward to.”
MORE DETAILS
Good Impressions is open 4-10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 4-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Happy hour is 4-6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday with half-off dips, and $5 old fashioneds, mini espresso martinis and mini dirty martinis.
For more information and updates, visit middaydayton.com or the cafe’s Instagram page (@midday.goodimpressions).
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