‘Tricia’s Delicious Cafe’ now open in Dayton

Breakfast and sandwich spot is located inside the Dayton Metro Library’s NW Branch
Tricia's Delicious Cafe is now open inside the Dayton Metro Library NW Branch on Philadelphia Drive near Salem Avenue.

Credit: Mark Fisher

Credit: Mark Fisher

Tricia's Delicious Cafe is now open inside the Dayton Metro Library NW Branch on Philadelphia Drive near Salem Avenue.

Patricia Rucker feels a strong family connection to the Dayton neighborhood she is now serving at her new restaurant, Tricia’s Delicious Café.

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Rucker’s late parents, Luther and Minnie Rucker, met at a restaurant called Goody Goody, a popular hangout on Salem Avenue in the 1950s. Both would go on to work in food-service, her father as a chef at the Dayton Engineers Club, and her mother as a pastry chef. Patricia herself would study culinary arts at Sinclair Community College and launch her own catering business, Tricia’s Delicious Catering, a decade ago.

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And last month, Rucker opened a café inside the Dayton Metro Northwest Branch Library at 2410 Philadelphia Drive near Salem Avenue, not far from the long-gone Goody Goody restaurant where her parents first met.

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“Being able to open here is just a complete blessing,” Rucker told this news outlet Wednesday.

Patricia Rucker, owner of Tricia's Delicious Cafe, which is now open inside the Dayton Metro Library NW Branch on Philadelphia Drive near Salem Avenue.

Credit: Mark Fisher

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Credit: Mark Fisher

Rucker initially applied to operate a café inside the downtown Dayton Metro Library, a contract that went to another operator. But during the interview process, she learned that the northwest branch was also seeking someone to oversee a café. She was selected.

“It all worked out, and it was heaven-sent,” Rucker said.

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The cafe is located just inside the main entrance to the library, and it serves sandwiches, breakfast items, smoothies and coffee Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Plans call for adding Saturday hours later.

The menu includes a Reuben Panini, BLT, Grilled Chicken Panini, Bagel Sandwiches, Muffins,  Cinnamon Rolls, and Salad Deluxe.

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“I enjoy meeting new people daily, and I am delighted to have so many repeat customers,” Rucker said in a library release. “It is always a pleasure to meet and greet children who are excited to see me here. It is an honor and a blessing to have been chosen to have Tricia’s Delicious Café here at the Northwest Library.”

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