The development has stalled since then, but the New family, who are opening the new cafe, said their unique concept and the location between Northmont high and middle schools and the YMCA and a Sinclair Community College branch, will help. There also are several housing developments across State Route 40.
After researching the idea for several years — and moving back to the area from Philadelphia — Debbie New, a Wayne High School grad, decided to open the cafe with her husband, Curt, a Vandalia-Butler and UD grad. The cafe will be centered on lunch but likely will offer breakfast and dinner fare as well.
Daughter Andrea New also will help run the cafe. Curt is lending support, but will continue to operate his own food brokerage business in the east. The family’s son, Aaron, is an Englewood attorney and their daughter-in-law, Sooyun, will be the primary chef. “We’re kind of modeling it after a cafe in Philadelphia called Arnold’s Way,” Debbie said. “We’ve been researching this for six to seven years after learning what’s in our food. We want to educate people.
“We also noticed there weren’t any restaurants in the Dayton area like this, especially north.”
The restaurant will be gluten-free, dairy-free and there will be no ovens or stoves for cooking.
It will be the first business of its kind in the Villiage of North Clayton, which was envisioned as a work, play, live area of high-end homes and amenities before going bankrupt. Those few homeowners who stayed have kept up the place, and Esther Price Candies has done steady business in an old farm house it remodeled on the land.
There also is a hair salon fronting the building where the cafe will be located.
“We think it’s a great location for a restaurant,” Aaron said. “We’ve been looking at places for a year and a half.”
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