1. Troubled location?
The space at 580 Lincoln Park Blvd. has had a rather tumultuous past, as restaurants have struggled to make year-round, full-service dining thrive at the location. The concepts that have come and gone there include Harbour Lights, Lincoln Park Grille, Norton's, Pavilion Grille and The Tropics.
>> PHOTOS: First Look at Park City Club
When Lincoln Park Grille shut down in 2008, owner Bruce Comisar, who oversaw the restaurant for about a decade, said he had searched for alternatives to closing, including approaching potential investors and trying to renegotiate his lease, but the efforts were not successful.
Bill Mangan, who co-owned The Tropics, cited parking problems when he shut down the restaurant in September 2014, just after the Fraze concert season ended. Mangan had said his restaurant’s customers were not finding parking spots on show nights, and that was hurting his business. Kettering city officials responded that 90 parking spaces were reserved for restaurant patrons on all show nights.
>> RELATED: Park City Club restaurant to become ‘Roost American’
During the entire concert season of 2015, the space sat vacant. Downs opened the restaurant as Park City Club in late 2015, and changed its name to Roost American, with a slightly different concept, in February 2017.
2. Roost American is not closed
Roost American has NOT shut down. Downs said in a release that the restaurant will be open to the public for dinner on major holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Mother's Day and Easter. And it will be open during the Fraze concert season and for "pop-up" dinners.
Such pop-up dining has become more popular of late, and former Rue Dumaine co-founder and chef Anne Kearney, who hosted such an event at District Provisions/Bleu Glasz Oven a few weeks ago, is planning one later this month at Meadowlark restaurant.
>> RELATED: Rue Dumaine to be reborn at Meadowlark, for one night, anyway
3. Roost Italian still going strong
Roost Italian — formerly Roost Modern Italian — is still going strong. The restaurant opened about six years ago at 524 E. Fifth St. in Dayton's Oregon District. In 2015, it completed an 18-month expansion and renovation that doubled its size and more than doubled its seating capacity.
>> RELATED: Roost Italian completes expansion, renovation project
In announcing the change of concept for Roost American, Downs said the move would have no impact on Roost Italian, saying “operations have not been altered” at the Oregon District restaurant, according to a release.
>> EARLIER COVERAGE: Kettering restaurant next to Fraze ceases regular dinner service
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