One of Dayton’s more popular longstanding restaurants was Dominic’s, which for decades occupied a spot on South Main Street across from the Fairgrounds.
The restaurant had just celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007, however, when it was sold to Miami Valley Hospital and demolished the following year.
Dominic’s first opened on March 17, 1957, with Dominic Mantia and his wife Sue serving up Italian dishes, pizza, and sandwiches. Son Dick soon took over but he never veered far from the original premise, although the space did significantly expand over time into adjacent buildings, growing from a bar with seating for 50 into a restaurant that could accommodate 325.
Throughout the years, Dominic’s signature item was its garlicky vinegar and oil house dressing, a secret family recipe that even earned a mention on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Staff turnover was low at Dominic’s, with several waitresses, busboys and dishwashers continuing to work there for over 30 years. In 1998, rumors spread of an attempt by the hospital to buy the building and demolish it, but these were quickly squashed by the owners. “The Mantia family wouldn’t do that,” a customer added at the time.
But a decade later, it happened for real, and there was no stopping the wrecking ball. The restaurant’s contents were quickly auctioned off, and it was demolished in a matter of months. There was even more unpleasantness after closure, as the Dominic’s trademark and a buyout agreement became the subject of a legal battle between family members, one of whom was opening a new restaurant. The case was finally settled in 2013.
Here’s the corner building as it appeared at 1066 South Main St:
Now, over a decade later, we look at the same corner and see ….. nothing:
The hospital’s expansion strategy seems to be demolish everything nearby and figure out what to do with it later. Hopefully the next phase of development will fill in more of these spaces, as it is on Main and Apple with the construction of a new rehabilitation hospital on a former surface lot.
Back in the 1990s, Dick Mantia spoke of UD student customers who would come back to town years later and say how much the neighborhood had improved. His family hoped the university and hospital would “continue their efforts to revitalize the neighborhood.”
Some great work has been done of course, but the most visible trend since then is the clearing of several once-bustling commercial strips into grassy lots, including a whole block on the west side of Brown Street. And of course this “revitalization” would ultimately claim the very building the Mantia family had run for so many years.
More possibilities for redevelopment exist with the former Fairgrounds across the street, but that will take many years to come to fruition. And for those hoping for more independent operations like Dominic’s instead of a neighborhood dominated by a large medical campus and little else, Old Scratch Pizza opened up in a vacant former paint store only a couple of blocks away, and Ghostlight Coffee’s second location is set to open up next door.
Do you have any memories of Dominic’s in Dayton?
My career started Dominick’s restaurant.I was part of a band called the brotherhood and later I had my own trio of the Gary Goetz. Trio.. dick .help me with my career for many years and Sonny was like a father to me. It breaks my heart that it’s gone.
Dominic’s was my very first club date. Sonny took me under his wing as well. Gave me tons of records to listen to and learn from; Carmen McRae, Julie London, Sarah Vaughan, and many more. I will always remember how he helped me in the very beginning of my career.
does anyone know what type of pasta Dominics used in its Italian Wedding Soup?
My brother worked in the kitchen and made the famous dressing for the salad! He gave me the recipe and I make it when we want a salad with spaghetti or lasagna!
Can you share the recipe? I’ve never found a dressing life it and was a favorite.
I found this in a Dayton facebook page.
Remember Dominic’s? Remember their dressing?
For those of you who are interested, here is a great recipe to make it at home. (1) Head of Lettuce (I will also buy the bag of salad you can buy at the grocery store); 1/3 cup of Olive Oil; 1/2 cup of sugar; 2oz jar of pimentos; 5 cloves of fresh garlic; 1/2 cup vinegar( I use whites, but any kind will do). Mix the Oil, Sugar, garlic, vinegar and pimentos. Our over the shredded lettuce of bag of premade salad in a large bowl and mix. Let stand for two hours, refrigerate if you like. It is AWESOME!
How cool ! I have the best memories ! I would come home from a date and my mom would say ” I smell the garlic , you’ve been to Dominics ” ha it was THE BEST
I would love the recipe, had their salads many many times with dry blue cheese crumbles, fabulous! Thank you.
Yes, Please can you share the recipe? I’ still to this day remember it. I loved it. Please do share.
I’d love that salad dressing recipe
Always a favorite place for my birthday celebration as a kid. My family would look forward to going there for celebrations of all kinds. As an adult it was a place for friends to gather after the theater performances, special events and many celebrations.
Great Welsh name . My wife was a Griffiths before she married me a Thomas. Her great Grandmothers maiden name was also Thomas 100 years before her birth in Wales.
I remember sitting at the bar with Dick Mantia, just chatting, and I mentioned that I would love some cinnamon toast, a few minutes later, here comes Dick with cinnamon toast for me.
I worked there for years. The oven man ! Pizza , lasagna , eggplant , manacotti , cannaloni , subs. Many great memories. I would like to thank the Mantia family. Because when i worked there we were one big family. RIP Dick and Sonny !!!
I have lived in Cincinnati since 1979, but I recall Dominic’s as the place for my first college “nice” date. I also dined there with members of my fraternity and other fraternities and their dates. Perhaps unusual for the time but we wore suits and ties. Oh, the garlic.
Dominic’s was the first restuarant that I went to in Dayton Ohio after I got stationed at Wright-Patt AFB while in the Air Force. The lasagne was AWESOME!
It was Sad to see them shut down, I am in Aviation and traveled to every state for many years. Hundreds of nice Italian restaurants, no one has come close to the Awesome Lasagna Dominics made. Does anyone know if another Family member opened a restaurant and making that same Recipe or where someone might get a copy of the Recipe, I would pay for that to make at home.
I worked there as a teenager and my sister Teresa worked there for years. I use to love the atmosphere and the people that worked there. That place really keep employees for a long time. Now that my sister has passed looking back on working with her at Dominic’s are my fondest memories with my sister.