Beavercreek mall restaurant shuts down after 9 months

An independent restaurant inside the Mall at Fairfield Commons has closed its doors — but its final chapter is yet to be written, its founder says.

Designer Dogs, which we first told you about in January two weeks before the restaurant opened, shut down over Labor Day weekend, founder Mark Feinstein told us. But the short-lived restaurant may spin off other ventures.

“The designer dog concept is far from over,” Feinstein said. “In fact, we are in the process of negotiating the retail sale of the dogs in some major supermarkets, together with ‘kits’ where consumers can build their own specialty dogs.

“We also anticipate a food truck in the not-too-distant future.”

The restaurant that was nestled in the mall’s food court suffered from sluggish sales, Feinstein said. “But it was an amazing experience. We grew to know some incredible regulars. We will miss it, and we are so thankful for all who cheered us on.”

Designer Dogs sold all-beef hot dogs that Feinstein made himself by grinding beef with spices and seasonings. No nitrates or other preservatives were used, Feinstein said. The dogs were then hand-rolled and deep-fried in canola oil.

Feinstein worked as an attorney for two decades prior to launching the restaurant, and plans to return to the practice of law while pursuing the Designer Dogs spinoff ventures.

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