There were about four customers at the Salt Block Biscuit Company around 10:30 a.m. Friday. Justin Mohler, owner of the restaurant in the Fire Blocks District, said business is “slow.”
“The streets are dead,” he said. “Probably because of all the blockage, and people are misinformed about things. It’s very unorganized.
“I don’t think blocking off everything was necessary,” he said, noting that roads are barricaded blocks from where NATO delegates are meeting.
“Our sales are low and I still have to pay my staff for the week,” he said.
Salt Block is open regular hours Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
At Boss Potatoes in the 6888 Kitchen Incubator, Owner Martina Scott said it is open Tuesdays through Saturdays. Friday was her first day experiencing how business might be during the NATO Spring Parliamentary Assembly events in the city.
Those who visit Boss Potatoes can get orders to go or eat in the Rotunda at the Dayton Arcade. Entrance is at 32 S. Ludlow St.
“I think it’s gonna happen. We have that new hotel inside here and a lot of them are in there,” Scott said. “I’m excited to see how things go.”
She said the security zone has “had plenty of impact,” but she is encouraging folks to call ahead and maybe they can run food out to folks who feel like they can’t get inside.
“I just go with the flow,” Scott said.
Paige Woodie, the owner of Val’s Bakery on South St. Clair Street, is located outside the NATO Village.
“We decided to stay open and push sales through our preorder options on our website, both pickup or delivery,” Woodie said. “We wanted to be able to pay our staff this week and also hoped the delegates might be interested in a coffee and pastry.”
She admitted on Thursday, “business has been slower, but not as slow as we feared.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“We are definitely below an average week, but the preorders seem to be helping a bit,” Woodie said.
The bakery featured a fundraiser for SICSA with preorder boxes available for pickup this weekend. The boxes are now sold out.
On Friday, bakery manager Delaney Harmon said the business has continued to do well overall, driven partly by online pre-orders and DoorDash orders.
Charlie Carroll, the owner of Table 33 on West Fourth Street inside the Dayton Arcade, made similar comments.
“Yesterday sales were down probably 25 percent,” Carrol said Thursday. “It’s not as bad as we thought it could be.”
The restaurant had 18 reservations cancel Thursday, which is a significant amount of business. He said he does not know why they canceled, but feared people are being scared away.
“Fourth Street is the first street that’s not inside the security barrier,” Carroll said. “For us, we thought because I’m going to need to pay my people no matter what or else I lose them... some money, whether it’s 25% or 50% of what we were making,... is better than no money.”
A significant portion of downtown Dayton is closed to vehicles, with pedestrian access limited to people with the proper credentials.
The closed area includes streets from Monument Avenue in the north to Third Street in the South, and from North Wilkinson Street in the west to Riverside Drive in the east.
The restricted area includes Riverscape MetroPark between Main Street and Riverside Drive, and covers the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center and the Victoria Theatre, which will host NATO events.
According to a guide for the assembly, downtown residents and businesses in the NATO Village area will continue to have access to their properties during the events, though there will be specific parking restrictions, identification requirements and access points.
Some businesses in downtown Dayton are closed to the public this week, according to the Entrepreneurs’ Center. The list includes:
- Beyond Grocery, 31 S. Main St.
- Flying Pizza, 223 N. Main St.
- Square One Dayton, 506 E. Third St.
- Surf Dayton, 120 Valley St.
- Teapot Cafe Lounge, 146 E. Third St.
- The RFFG Marketplace, 110 N. Main St.
Carl Johnson, the owner of Tear Drops Steakhouse on West First Street, was planning to use this week to train his team for a grand opening on May 30.
“NATO has a lot of my delivery trucks blocked,” Johnson said yesterday. “They can’t get here.”
This has caused him to push back his opening date to June 6.
For a list of places to shop, eat and drink in downtown Dayton, visit downtowndayton.org.
