DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Two main staples in downtown Dayton closed their doors for good in recent weeks and months.
Flyboy’s Deli permanently closed their Dayton location at the end of August. Last week, Lock 27 Brewing Company shut the doors of their Dayton location.
“It’s horrible when you see places go down,” said Michael Hoover, manager, Brixx Ice Company.
Hoover says the business community is tight-knit and looks after each other.
“Like, if we’ve had a car break in over here or somebody’s still and say, you know, doing different things, we try to communicate with each other to keep everybody informed on information that’s going around through Dayton,” said Hoover.
Lock 27 Brewing Company is still at their location in Centerville, located at 1035 South Main Street. The brewery says the closure comes from foot traffic was not the same in the area.
“After COVID and people worked remotely, the foot traffic wasn’t the same,” a Lock 27 statement said. “Keeping the location wasn’t feasible.”
Hoover has been in the restaurant business for a while in the area. He feels the parking scene could be better.
“You know, make sure we can get some more parking lots around here to get people closer to where they want to go,” said Hoover. “Like I said, if it’s cold out raining, you want to get to your spot and you got to do a long walk to it. Well, you’re not going to go there that day.”
He also says the city of Dayton has done a good job promoting the area, but it’s also on the businesses themselves to be creative to draw customers in.
“It’s on you as a business owner and all that,” Hoover says. “To make sure you promote and push your business and get it. Get people in and, you know.”
Katie Meyer is the president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership. She says their organization is committed to supporting businesses and helping them find the resources they need to succeed.
