Newsletter: In 2025, more than 80 restaurants, food trucks and other hospitality businesses opened in Dayton region🍴

Happy New Year, local food fans!

As I begin a new phase in my career, it has been a wonderful three years serving as food and dining reporter at the Dayton Daily News. I have been lucky enough to meet so many inspiring business owners and community members determined to make Dayton bigger and better.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading and supporting local journalism! ❤️

This weekly food and dining newsletter will continue with all the news you need: Restaurant announcements, reviews, meeting local chefs and more.

Lifestyles Editor Mandy Gambrell is the person to reach when you have announcements and story ideas. Get a hold of her by email at mandy.gambrell@coxinc.com.

Now back to your local food news! 😀

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More than 80 restaurants, food trucks and other businesses opened in 2025

Credit: Natalie Jones

As 2025 is coming to an end, the Dayton Daily News took a look back at all of the new restaurants, food trucks, coffee shops, bakeries and other establishments that opened this year.

From chains to locally owned establishments, customers were able to try a variety of cuisines and unique dishes.

Click here to take a look at the 2025 food and dining scene.

New cafe and restaurant to open this week

Credit: Contributed Photo

Two new establishments are opening Friday in the Dayton region.

Poppets Coffee & Tea is opening a cafe and retail space at 1006 E. Dorothy Lane in Kettering.

The retail space will feature at least 50 flavored coffees, 30 to 40 single origin specialty blends and 200 teas.

Customers will be able to try Poppets Coffee & Tea with the opening of the cafe space.

Tea will be available by the cup or pot in addition to sparkling teas and lemonades. They will also have classic, European-style coffee drinks.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Shafton Greene, the owner of SOCA, is opening Urban Cheesesteak Co. with his son inside W. Social Tap & Table in Dayton’s Wright Dunbar District.

Customers can expect traditional Philly cheesesteaks served with provolone cheese or Cheese Whiz, as well as other options such as chicken, plant-based beef, oxtail, turkey burnt ends or Korean BBQ.

For those staying away from carbs, the restaurant will have cheesesteak protein bowls featuring a saffron lemon, cilantro rice or cheesesteak wraps. Sides will include fries or chips.

Teardrop Steakhouse in Dayton closes after 6 months

Credit: Nick Graham

A new steakhouse that opened in June in downtown Dayton is closed.

Teardrop Steakhouse, located at 111 W. First St. in the former space of 1Eleven Flavor House, announced the closure on the restaurant’s Facebook page Monday night.

“Unfortunate circumstances have led us to a difficult decision,” the post reads. “Teardrop Steakhouse will be closed until further notice. It has been and will continue to be our joy and honor to serve the Greater Dayton Community."

The post was followed by another about four hours later stating, “relocation coming soon.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Meet the uncle-nephew duo operating Teardrop Steakhouse

Dart’N Somewhere Bar & Grill is open in Dayton

Credit: Natalie Jones

Dart’N Somewhere Bar & Grill is open in the former space of Mamacitas Cantina at 1060 Patterson Road in Dayton.

The owners’ goal is to be supportive of the dart community, while providing a space where people can grab a drink, play games, gather to watch sports, and eat elevated bar food.

Customer favorites include the Hot Rod-style wings. These chicken wings are fried and tossed in a traditional buffalo sauce, before being charred and tossed in a teriyaki sauce.

What it’s like to dine at The Dessert Room in the Dayton Arcade

Credit: Natalie Jones

The Dessert Room is open at the Dayton Arcade — giving guests an entirely different experience than what they’re used to when it comes to dessert.

“It’s something in addition to the entrees that you’ll experience in our brand new dining room,” said Charlie Carroll, owner of Table 33. “You’ll get to get up from your seat, move your legs a little bit and come over to The Dessert Room for an entirely different experience with a new server.”

This concept was inspired by Carroll’s love of Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, Fla.

WATCH: Owner of The Dessert Room talks about this new experience

Quick Bites

🍩 Bill’s Donut Shop is closed for the holidays: The Centerville shop will reopen at 3 p.m. Friday.

🍦 Germantown ice cream shop has new owners: Jeffrey Neace and his family now operate Whit’s Frozen Custard at 2367 Dayton Germantown Pike. READ MORE

🥯 Barry Bagels has opened a second location: The shop is located at 6228 Wilmington Pike in Sugarcreek Twp. near Walmart.

🍔 Butter burgers and frozen custard: A Culver’s is proposed for the former location of Popeyes on Wilmington Pike near Miami Valley Hospital South.

Meet the new owner of Star City Brewing

Credit: Natalie Jones

When Chris Small was growing up in Jefferson Twp., he recalled going to the Peerless Mill Inn in Miamisburg for Sunday brunch and eating biscuits and gravy or prime rib.

“Just being a little boy walking up to that buffet and seeing that fireplace in there, it warmed the cockles of your heart,” Small said. “I just remember how beautiful it was decorated for Christmas and how much I loved the place.”

As he got older, he would take homecoming and prom dates to the Peerless Mill Inn for dinner.

Today, Star City Brewing Company is located in the former space of the Peerless Mill Inn at 319 S. Second St. The brewery was recently listed for sale and a couple of Small’s friends sent him the listing.

“I saw it as a project — something that we could take on and make it better,“ Small said.

Dave’s Hot Chicken is open in Beavercreek

Credit: Natalie Jones

Dave’s Hot Chicken has opened its first location in the Dayton region across the street from The Mall at Fairfield Commons.

“We serve Nashville-style hot chicken,” said Operator Chris Zalinski. “We have seven different heat levels that consist of no spice, light mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot and reaper. We also offer things like fries, cheese fries, mac and cheese and kale slaw.”

The most popular meal is the number three featuring one tender with choice of heat level and one slider served on a potato bun with kale slaw, pickles and a drizzle of Dave’s sauce. It’s also served with fries.

WATCH: What to expect at Dave’s Hot Chicken

A recipe for braised cabbage

Columnist Whitney Kling is a recipe developer who lives in Southwest Ohio and will soon open a new place to eat inside The Silos in Dayton.

“The number one area I try to keep as simple as possible this time of year: weekday dinners,” Kling wrote. “As much as it kills me, we can’t be experimenting with all-day braises or attempting the new sous-vide method you heard about. No, this is the time for quick, reliable, and if at all possible, vegetable-containing.”

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion
1 head red cabbage, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1 large, tart apple, cored, peeled and shredded
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions: In a Dutch oven, sauté the red onion in olive oil. When it’s soft, add the cabbage, apple, honey, vinegar and salt. Stir to combine. Lower heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. Cabbage should be soft but not disintegrated.

Eat warm or on top of crusty bread with warm goat cheese.

This recipe serves four. Cook time is 20 minutes.

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About the Author

Natalie Jones

Natalie Jones is an All Media Journalist with Dayton.com focusing on food and dining, pop culture and lifestyle. She is a Wright State University graduate with over seven years of experience in the media field.