Air conditioning issues force 2 Dayton businesses to temporarily close

DAYTON — A bar and restaurant in Dayton were forced to close early on Wednesday after experiencing air conditioning issues.

The Barrel House on E. Third Street and Grist on W. Fifth Street both closed early on Wednesday after having air conditioning issues amid the heatwave the Miami Valley is currently experiencing.

“We took a hit. We missed a good Wednesday night, but the biggest financial hit is paying for the AC unit,” Gus Stathes, co-owner of The Barrel House said.

Stathes said the new AC unit cost $9,000 and because the old one broke they lost $2,000 in sales.

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But community support kept him hopeful.

“People started reaching out, asking how they can help. It’s just been really, really beautiful,” he said.

Alison Agusta is one of those people, she offered a donation toward the new AC unit.

“I was really upset, and I wanted to figure out what I could do to rally behind them,” she said.

On the other side of downtown Dayton, The Grist experienced the same issue.

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Co-owner Casey Vanvaoorhis said only one of the three air condition units in the building worked, and that one unit was struggling.

After calling her landlord the decision was made to close Wednesday.

Vanvoorhis said this cost her about $3,000.

By late Thursday both restaurants had air conditioning again.

Agusta was one of the first customers back at Barrel House.

“I got so excited when I heard that it was back open. I got up, got ready, and invited anybody that I could think of to come with us tonight,” she said.

Both businesses said they are monitoring their new units closely until the heat wave is over.

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