A new full-service restaurant is in the works at 613 E. Fifth St. at Wayne Avenue in Dayton's Oregon District.
The 3,500-square-foot, 100-seat restaurant — which is not yet named — will be owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Jack Skilliter, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who most recently served as executive chef at the Dayton Racquet Club, and Natalie Skilliter, vice president of Vella Inc. marketing firm. Natalie Skilliter previously served as general manager of RIS restaurant in Washington, D.C. and floor manager and later director of catering for Terrapin Restaurant & Catering in Rhinebeck, N.Y.
"Jack and I have always wanted to open our own restaurant," Natalie Skilliter said. "Since we relocated here three years ago, we have been searching for the right restaurant, or right space, to own and operate a restaurant. We think that 613 E. Fifth St. is a wonderful location, with lots of foot traffic and car traffic."
The space previously housed Pulse nightclub, and before that, Bar Tiki and Sloopy's.
Skilliter said she and her husband have applied for a liquor license for the restaurant, and are hoping to open this summer. But she added, "We still have a great number of tasks to complete, approvals and permits to acquire, additional items to secure, and more" before the restaurant can open.
The restaurant will employ about 15 people, Skilliter said. The menu will include "upscale comfort food in a comfortable and unpretentious atmosphere," Skilliter said. A small-plate menu also will be offered.
Two other restaurants at or near the East Fifth Street-Wayne Avenue intersection — the Dublin Pub and Roost Modern Italian — are in the process of expanding to accommodate demand. "We are excited to see what continues to come along this Wayne Avenue corridor," Skilliter said.
