Rum Runners Cafe to open in Kettering

Owner Jamie Campbell said it’s been she and her partner’s dream to open a restaurant for about a decade and they’re excited to make it a reality. Campbell has been a teacher for seven years and worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years.

Campbell and her partner share a love of rum, hence the restaurant’s name. They also have a rum-based BBQ sauce line. Campbell said it started with a family BBQ sauce recipe, and after years of perfecting other recipes, they sell BBQ sauce at Dorothy Lane Market. Rum Runners Sauces come in Sweet Rum, Honey Rum and Spicy Rum. They also have a Rum and Coke glaze in the works which they plan to have available at Dot’s Market soon.

Campbell described herself as a history nerd. She said the restaurant will have a 1920s prohibition, art deco theme with a “Great Gatsby” essence. Burgers will be named after gangsters, chicken sandwiches will be named after flappers and female rum runners, and loaded baked potatoes will be named after Irish mafia members.

The mom and pop restaurant will also have appetizers like wings, fried pickles, fries and sweet potato fries. Campbell is planning to open in June for dine-in and will expand the menu to include salmon, pastas and salads.

In addition, the menu is a blend of family recipes that have been passed down and others Campbell has been preparing for the past decade.

“I want everyone to enjoy the food and enjoy themselves,” Campbell said. “We have so many different restaurants in the area, but a lot of them are chains. I like chain restaurants, there’s nothing wrong with them, but I like those mom and pop places.”

Last December Campbell signed a five-year lease for the 3,500-square-foot space that is expected to seat up to 75 people. She and her partner have been remodeling the space and appreciate the community’s response.

The new restaurant is not affiliated with Rum Runners which was once located in Fairborn.

For more information and updates, visit Rum Runners Cafe’s Facebook page.