Dayton’s first food hall opened in the Wright-Dunbar Historic District Monday. The 5,000 square foot space features six independent and minority owned restaurants, a coffee shop and bar.
West Social Tap and Table sits across from the National Aviation Heritage Museum and the original Wright Brothers bicycle shop on West Third Street. Inside, there’s restaurants serving Filipino, Caribbean, Cajun creole and Mexican cuisine.
The $2 million project is partnership with funding from several commercial and nonprofit organizations. Dillin LLC is the managing partner of the property — the same development firm is also restoring three other buildings in the Wright-Dunbar District for commercial and residential use.
John Gower, the president of Wright-Dunbar Inc. — a nonprofit development organization — said the investment will pave the way for more economic development in the area.
“In terms of a symbol of the vibrancy of Wright- Dunbar and west of the river, this is a really important symbolic statement and a confidence builder,” he said.
Jasmine Brown is the owner of De’Lish, the cajun comfort food restaurant. Her restaurant was once at the corner of First and Main in Dayton, although it closed in 2018 after the building was purchased to be developed into a hotel.
Brown said the new social space has been a long time coming to West Dayton.
“It showcases a lot of the local entrepreneurs and the local restaurants, we’re not chains,” Brown said. “And it's getting people back to community. So as I always tell people, when you shop local it circulates.”
The new food hall located on 1100 W. Third St. will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Support for WYSO's reporting on food and food insecurity in the Miami Valley comes from the CareSource Foundation.