The Dayton Arcade’s Restaurants and Bars

Introduction

In the early twentieth century, the center of opportunity and success in the city of Dayton was on the corner of Third and Main Street at the Dayton Arcade. Constructed by Eugene J. Barnet of Michael J. Gibbons, the Dayton Arcade opened in 1904 as a hub with apartment complexes, business offices, and stores for food and luxury items. At the time of the opening, Dayton was thriving and becoming one of the premier cities in the Midwest. Thanks to the many technological innovations developed in Dayton, it might be described as the Silicon Valley of its time. Even before the Dayton Arcade opened, the space that the Arcade occupied was filled in the 1890s with food markets. It also had a hub of trolley and train transportation. For many Daytonians it would be an ideal location for a one-stop shopping and grocery center.

Today, when you ask a longtime member of the Dayton community what their favorite memories of the Dayton Arcade, very frequently, they will mention Culp’s Cafeteria. Opened as a stand at the inauguration of the Dayton Arcade, Culp’s started as a Delicatessen and Poultry stand, managed by Howard G. Culp and his mother, Charlotte. The stand grew extremely popular and had to expand. In 1931, Charles Culp opened and managed Culp’s Cafeteria, a fountain and full-service restaurant that served hot delicious meals at an incredibly low price. Community members such as Mary K. Wilson of Beavercreek remembered going to Culp’s with her grandparents in the 1940s for excellent lunch at affordable prices. Also, Dorothy L. Hershey mirrors Mary K. Wilson’s memory, as she notes she “often had to wait in line, three people back, for a seat at the counter. ‘I’d always wait, because the food was so good.’”[1] The example of Culp’s suggests that food sales and restaurants were central to the success of the Dayton Arcade.

Early History of Food in Arcade’s Opening Years

The initial success of the Dayton Arcade can be attributed to the food distribution it provided. The Dayton Arcade enjoyed initial success because of food distribution with hundreds of markets and stands. It also had served “fountains”, a term at that time for restaurants. The restaurant stands at the Dayton Arcade were instrumental in creating a welcome environment for customers. Proprietors of the stands added unique twists to attract consumers. For example, one fruit stand sold Jamaican bananas specifically. Ethnic foods sold by immigrants were another specialty.[2]

On the day it opened in 1904, the Dayton Arcade hosted 8,000 exuberant visitors. At the time, the Arcade did not have many restaurants. But the food market floor beneath the rotunda featured scores of food vendors such as fruit, fish, and butcher stands. Although they were not considered full-service restaurants, the market stands helped lead the way for restaurants to thrive. At first, the Arcade did not advertise their food markets as much as the other stores for consumer goods. Eventually, over time it became apparent that the food markets were essential to the success of the Arcade.[3] The Arcade market overlooked two galleries that had enough space for at least two hundred stalls, which would sell fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, eggs, butter, fruit, and milk, among other products. In the early days, the basement was used for merchandise storage.[4] The basement had modern refrigeration which kept stocks fresh.

There were also saloons, candy shops, and chocolateries that existed at the Arcade. Maureen Willets grandparents shopped at the Arcade in its early days. She remembers her mother’s desire for full-service restaurants at the Arcade, as her mother insisted there was a need for a restaurant or fountain.[5] But early on, the Arcade did host café’s such as a Japanese tea service. The tea stand differentiated itself from competitors with its cultural-Japanese decorations. Located under the rotunda it featured Japanese lanterns.[6] The tea shop was managed by Miami Valley Hospital.

Elsewhere, people could buy food from a vendor and eat it at the lunch counters that the Arcade had to offer. One such vendor was Andrews’ Bakery, which sold excellent bakery goods like cakes, pies, and rolls.[7] The variety of selections that consumers could choose from was exemplified in the Arcade’s Easter advertisement which lists many food stands. One stand sold specialty hams and meats from California, others featured specialty products and foods from different cultures from around the world.[8]

Nearly all the tenants at the Arcade in the early days were restaurants and saloons. One of the most notorious was the Pony House, it hosted many infamous characters and gangsters in United States history, such as John Dillinger and “Buffalo Bill.”[9] The Pony House closed following the Prohibition Act in 1920, which made the sale and consumption of alcohol illegal. At the time, men enjoyed drinking but drinking out in public before the Prohibition was utterly different from drinking out in public after the Prohibition ended. John Dillinger, notorious gangster from the Prohibition Era, frequently used to make a pitstop at the Pony House when he would visit his girlfriend, who lived in Dayton. While analyzing the history of saloons, historians believed that saloons were unreputable institutions that was a home base for prostitution, gambling, crime, and police corruption.[10] The crime reports that were reported out of Dayton saloons, further supports this sentiment, as a 1904 Dayton saloon brawl ended up in a murder. Because of the affiliations that saloons had with gangsters and criminal activity, respectable men were careful about being seen in a saloon.[11] Saloons lost popularity after 1933 because of its raunchy reputation.

The Cafe Era of the 1930s and 1940s

It was in the 1920s that the modern American restaurant industry began to establish itself. At this time more women began to work outside the home leaving less time and space in the kitchen to make home-cooked meals for the family. In 1927 the Dayton Arcade closed to refurbish the rotunda and surrounding markets.[12] The decrease in ”home cooking” allowed restaurants a unique opportunity to blossom.[13] Because of advancements in food, preservatives, and technology, women in the 1940s and 1950s would spend half the time in the kitchen then they would have thirty years prior. In 1940, 16 percent of all women worked, and in 1957 that number increased to 30 percent, which led to an increase in women looking for dinner alternatives to cooking.[14] During the period of the 1920s, the restaurant industry also grew because the changing society led by the middle class favored mixed-sex social gathering location.[15] The Arcade’s management wanted to offer a more convenient “fountain” or restaurant for the shoppers to eat as they went shopping at the retail shops for clothes and dry goods. When the Dayton Arcade re-opened to the public in 1931, one of the most popular tenants and food stores started operating its business, Culp’s Cafeteria. At the beginning of this paper, I you learned that Culp’s originally began as a Delicatessen and Poultry stand that was managed by Charlotte Culp and her son Howard. The stand started as a popular outdoor market and fumed for the quality of food it provided. In the years before the business would be called “Culp’s Cafeteria,” the market stand thrived on its location at 39 Fourth Street, which was a premier location for any activity during the period given its proximity to the trolley. Moving to the Arcade allowed the business to reach its full potential. But in the 1920s the Dayton Arcade customers and merchants deserved a modern restaurant. Culp’s provided that.

In 1931, Howard Culp’s son, Charles Edward Culp, was the manager of Culp’s Cafeteria. The Arcade’s management found a fountain manager that would maintain cleanliness and sanitation.[16] Culp’s was a pioneer for the Café business, where people could be served food and drinks at a fair price at the Arcade. The maintenance of sanitation is exemplified in their advertisement when the new dishwasher is discussed, which sterilizes every dish by steam under extreme pressure.[17]

Taking your wife and kids to the Dayton Arcade to shop for consumer goods and grab food was a typical family activity at the time during the early twentieth century. Civilians would head on down to the Dayton Arcade, let the whole family get food from their specific food market and then meet back up again at a table. It’s family-style atmosphere, and deliciously cooked meals at a fair price resulted in a lively, busy atmosphere always surrounding the market stand-turned restaurant. Culp’s wanted to offer people a “home-cooked meal” type restaurant, and it was apparent through their advertisements and customer reviews. In one Dayton Daily News clipping, George E. Marsh of Eaton, Ohio, gave his thoughts on Culp’s Cafeteria, saying, “There are several reasons why I like Culp’s Cafeteria. I like the home-cooked food, of course, and there is such a large variety of food for one to choose from that no matter how choicy one is, one can get it at CULP’S. The quick and courteous service at CULP’S CAFETERIA cannot be beat. I never miss an opportunity to eat at CULP’S.”[18]

In Culp Cafeteria’s first advertisement, it described itself as a sandwich shop and Arcade fountain. Additionally, the advertisement emphasized that Culp’s would represent “the fulfillment of a hope” to merchants, “the realization of a dream” to Mr. Culp, and “Another objective attained” by the Dayton Arcade management. Culp’s gained notoriety throughout the Dayton region for being one of the best full-service restaurants. The business that the Culp’s ran with their friendliness, service, and excellent food made for a splendid experience for all customers. Further, the customers always returned because of the fantastic “home” feel that Culp’s provided. The advertisement illustrated the hopes and dreams of the citizens in Dayton. Further, Dayton was attempting to flourish as a major city in the Midwest. Culps’ menu included items such as soup, roast beef and pork sandwiches, meat pie, creamed chicken on a biscuit with gravy, cream nectar ice cream soda with whipped cream, strawberry pie, and shortcake among other items.[19] Mary K. Wilson of Beavercreek reflected on her memories of Culp in the Dayton Daily News in August of 2000. Wilson remembered her parents and grandparents taking her there during the 1940s, where they enjoyed fantastic food at a low price.[20] Dorothy L. Hershey of Kettering, Ohio, remembered eating lunch in the section of Culp’s that face towards West Fourth Street.[21] Culp’s was by far one of the most successful restaurants in the history of the Arcade, as Helen Phillips of Dayton noted, she “often had to wait in line, three people back, for a seat at the counter. ‘I’d always wait, because the food was so good.’”[22]

Various Cafeterias

 The Arcade modernized its markets during the 1930s. The installment of fountains exemplified the effort. Along with Culp’s Cafeteria, merchants such as Mary and Stan Curl of Centerville enjoyed the services at the Virginia Cafeteria, the Green Mill, and the Purple Cow.[23] The Virginia Cafeteria was located nearby at 28-30 East Third Street; Frank McCroskey was the proprietor of the new restaurant. The Virginia Cafeteria’s advertisements in the Dayton Daily News first began in March of 1938, and described it as “spotlessly clean, modernly appointed, efficiently managed, unusually attractive; the Virginia Cafeteria invites your patronage.”[24] Like Culp’s, McCroskey emphasized food and services at moderate prices while ensuring the restaurant’s sanitation and food cleanliness.[25] The Virginia Cafeteria was also open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, while serving tender meats, fresh vegetables, baked goods, salads, and desserts. Additionally, the Virginia Cafeteria was the perfect example of the modernized markets that the new Arcade renovations accomplished.

The Purple Cow was another example of a cafeteria/restaurant flourishing in the newly modernized market. The owners of the Purple Cow gave appreciation and thanks to the people of Dayton for continually giving their restaurant business in a 1940 Dayton Daily News article. Also, the Purple Cow was a restaurant opened twenty-four hours of the day, seven days a week. Among other items, the Purple Cow served American classics, hamburgers, and apple pie. The Purple Cow was very expressive and creative in its advertisements. Judith Orick, a long time Dayton resident, wrote in the Facebook group, “I grew up in Dayton, Ohio” about the Purple Cow’s poem that was illustrated on the walls and written in a Dayton Daily News article

 “The Purple Cow is a gay young thing, With her eyes of velvety brown; All day long she laughs and sing ‘Cause her food is the best in town. Purple Cows upon the walls And lots of things to eat; A tasty dish amid such halls Is bound to be a treat. Blue denotes a mood that’s sad, And yellow one that’s scary. Cows aren’t purple because they’re mad–They’re positively merry. She wields a puff, this fair bovine, To keep a fresh complexion. Her charm and pancakes are divine; In fact—they are perfection. If you should have a charming date. Consult The Purple Cow; You’ll find your little tete-a-tete Is quite the cat’s meow. Hamburger, Cheesburger, Apple Pie—On whose good food can we rely? The answer is The Purple Cow; Her food is yummy—boy! And how! The Purple Cow has come to stay, We hope her food delights you; She like this charming town so gay And to her home invites you.”[26]

Another restaurant of importance in the area near the Arcade was the Green Mill. The Green Mill was located at 16 North Main Street; it was described as a popular place for family dinners on Sunday.[27] The Green Mill was the first place to advertise itself as a full-service restaurant. Not just a soda fountain service, the mill offered great food, including their infamous pancakes. On the main floor, the Green Mill served as a restaurant that served pancakes to an estimated crowd of 3,000 Daytonians.[28] This was regarded in a Dayton Herald article, which determined the Green Mill served that many pancakes every single Sunday. Maureen Willets remembered the Green Mill and said that “If not the best pancakes I’ve ever had, the second-best I’ve ever had. The butter and syrup with the pancakes were fantastic.”[29]

The Arcade’s modernization in the 1930s resulted in growing importance to the complex. The development occurred just in time for World War II, when migration of workers to Dayton for jobs greatly enhanced the restaurant business. Employment in the Arcade’s restaurants skyrocketed. Southern African Americans migrated up north for employment opportunities in factories and the service industry. Restaurants such as the Green Mill and Purple Cow, Culp’s Cafeteria, hired African Americans and women to work for them during World War II.

Post-War Restaurants Boom at the Arcade

After World War II, the Arcade enjoyed yet another revival. During the 1950s and 1960s the number of merchants increased as consumer’s purchasing grew. The economic boom that the city was experiencing was evident by the willingness that proprietors had in obtaining more space for the restaurant business. From the period of 1945-1975, the Arcade was packed with restaurants.

The rapid expansion of the U.S. economy had begun during World War II. Production in the United States quickly increased as the United States factories were producing materials. After the War ended, people had more money to spend on consumer goods. The solid economic expansion also led to an increase in population, housing purchases, and the amount that people eat out. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s customers took the trolley to eat out at the Arcade’s restaurants.

Another factor that helped the Arcade restaurant business was that throughout the 1950s and 1960s, an increasing number of people changed their assumptions with regards to women’s priorities as mothers and homemakers. Women such as Peg Bracken poked fun at the burden of cooking because of the ideologies that existed in the era. She says, “this book is for those of us who want to fold our big dishwater hands around a dry martini instead of a wet flounder, come the end of a long day.”[30] Restaurants and Cafeterias in the Arcade thrived throughout the 1950s and 1960s after the World Wars, as the city was enjoying the rampant success of the job opportunities created from the War, more people had money to spend on consumer goods.

This movement in a decrease of women cooking for the home created a need for a new sector of the food distribution market to blossom. John Logan was a part of the National Association of Food Chains, a 1950s group representing America’s food market chains. He described his belief that new methods for food distribution were transforming how Americans consume culture and creating a new form of “economic democracy.” Logan also believed that self-service markets, along with the demand for food, invited customers to make purchases impulsively. When people have the freedom to touch, smell, see, and feel the merchandise, it will increase sales and competition because people impulsivity would also dramatically increase. Moreover, this leads to an increase in food production jobs or in work such as waiters, waitresses, busboys, and hostesses came about throughout the 1950s and 1960s.[31] On the other hand, Logan was in favor of self-service markets. He was specifically thinking the restaurant business. Further, the restaurant business developed as a branch of the food distribution tree and created jobs for chefs, waitresses, busboys, cleaners, and managers. Waitresses would heavily rely on tips during this period, before the economic boom, waitresses were paid very poorly, once people had the spending money, waitresses enjoyed substantial increases in their wages.[32]

Logan also believed that this period led to the broadening of markets for products and would create additional jobs in the food-producing and supplying business. The biggest money-making businesses at the Arcade was the food industry, a majority of the successful stores at the Arcade sold some assortment of food. Whether it was baked goods, fruit, meats, or poultry, the food industry was the backbone for success to the Dayton Arcade. At the same time, bars, saloons, and nightlife became more popular after the war as everyone was enjoying the thrill and happiness of life. The Green Mill functioned as a club at night. Then in 1937, the Green Mill announced plans to open the Vogue Room, which was described as “Dayton’s Smart New Supper Club.”[33] It was supposed to be mainly a cocktail ball-room for couples trying to go on dates. Still, it eventually served a higher purpose of becoming a luxurious dining hall as well for more fancy and wealthy customers. The Vogue Room was located on the second floor of the Green Mill; it was opened late as a place for eats, dancing, smoking, and drinking. Primarily, the Vogue Room was a cocktail place, serving cocktail specials and staffing two fully serviced bars.

In 1951 the Arcade underwent another round of renovations. The new Arcade complex owner Arthur Beerman hoped to increase the foot traffic. The booming economy had decreased poverty and increased disposable income. By improving traffic flow around the Arcade increased consumer spending and made the Arcade a more attractive location. Beerman also believed the key to success for the Arcade in the post-war years would be to establish convenient food shops that would attract consumers. One of those convenient food shops would be a pretzel stand owned by Chuck Smales, who was asked by Mr. Beerman regarding the possibility of opening up a stand. Smales set up his stand at the Arcade, he reported selling four-thousand pretzels on Fridays and five-thousand pretzels on Saturdays to consumers wandering through the complex.[34]

In 1952, Beerman sold the Arcade to Robert Shapiro for a substantial sum of $2.5 million. Shapiro envisioned the same success in the Arcade that Beerman enjoyed throughout the 1940s and up until the sale in 1952. Like Beerman, Shapiro believed that the food complexes were vital for the Arcade to succeed. Shapiro had a new vision for the rotunda and food markets, which quickly became a popular place for shoppers to go for a quick bite to eat. Community member and columnist for the Journal Herald, Marj Heyduck depicted what the Arcade has become, “a mecca of perfect, unusual, unique food to delight the eye and open pathways for tastes on a person the palate.[35] By 1959, the Arcade Food Market had stores like Vincent’s Produce, Culp’s Cafeteria, Noll’s Sandwich Bar, and Arcade Seafoods, among many others.

Gem City to Ghost City

The Arcade’s successful post war run began to end in the 1960s. People began to move away from the city due to the rapid rise in suburbanization, the creation of the highway, and the increase in automobiles. Racial tension added to the migration of Daytonians to the suburbs. Migrations out of Dayton damaged the city’s economy, especially at the Arcade. With these developments the Arcade started to show signs of deterioration, and this first began when one of its first food stands, Andrews Bakery, closed in 1960.[36] In the post war era the United States underwent a significant demographic change. The number of people using auto-mobiles increased nearly 50% from 1944-1960 and the number of drivers in the nation went from 49 million in 1950 to 119 million by 1972.[37] Passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, led to even more people relying on cars and leaving the inner city. With the construction of the interstate highway, the city’s downtown population decreased by 17%. Meaning, the two interstates that were built near Dayton resulted in the city’s plummet. The public transportation system declined immensely. In 1946, 66.4 million Daytonians used public transportation and in 1957 there were 33.5 million riders. Suburbanites began shopping at malls closer to them on the outskirts of the city.

Race issued played another factor in the decline of Daytonians population. It is estimated that the city of Dayton’s population was 10 percent black in 1940 and 30 percent black in 1970. Motivated by economic concerns of declining property value and racism, whites fled Dayton for the suburbs. When white people moved away from the city, so did the money and consumer spending money. The only people left in the downtown area was black community members and the average black family made $24,700 to a white family $44,700.[38] It was impossible for the black community to support the local economy and business when the prosperous white consumers with spending power would not enter the downtown area. As a result of these developments, the Arcade steadily declined through the 1970s. In the hopes of drawing more business the ownership group decided to renovate again.

The 1980s Renovation Efforts

The Dayton Arcade renovated the building during the late 1970s and again in the mid 1980s in an effort to increase the foot traffic in the rotunda market. During this period, restaurants such as Xar’s Greek Deli and Charley’s Raw Bar and Seafood dominated the customers business. Other restaurants included the Mandarin Kitchen and the Cheese Villa.[39] While examining the early days of the Arcade, what made the food industry stand out to customers was its unique specialty foods that cultures would bring together from around the world. Eighty years later and the Arcade’s food distribution industry has the same goal of selling special cultural foods, but now as a restaurant and full-service industry. The Mandarin Kitchen owner, Mrs. Tsai noted that by the 1970s Dayton has become a more sophisticated place and customers had a wide range of tastes. In my interview with Bill Burnett, he noted that the Mandarin Kitchen was his favorite restaurant. Bill remembered its excellent service and delicious food as a staple to the success of the restaurant.[40]

The Dayton Arcade owners also sought to make a nightlife at the complex another attraction to try and draw consumers back into the city.[41] The owner extended the complexes hours in the 1980s to facilitate attracting nighttime business.[42] Charley’s Raw Bar, The Esquire Room, and the Blue Longue were among the top competitors for the nightlife crowd. .[43] Charley’s took the idea of the Green Mill room and perfected it, by having a restaurant on the top floor and raw bar with a saloon on the ground floor. Charley’s described as a city pub with a casual ambiance with cheap American food such as hamburgers, soup and hot dogs.[44]

The Blue Lounge was a prime example of the steady deterioration of the Arcade complex. The Blue Lounge was a nightlife staple for Daytonians until its closure. The Blue lounge was a place for friends to gather and drink during the post war era of the Arcade.[45] Jim Hegyl was an apartment tenant at the Arcade and was a frequent guest at the Blue Lounge. Hegyl reminisced on the Blue Lounge, “We had birthday parties for the regulars and lots of good times, but I think the thing I will miss the most will be the people; the friends I have to come to know and like. They will be scattered all over now. Where will we go?”[46] Unfortunately, the success of new restaurants led to the demise of others. The increase in nightlife led to a decline in the family orientation of the Arcade. At the same time Culp’s Cafeteria, one of the original markets stands and most successful business’s the Arcade owned, faced sanitation problems which almost lost their license.

Although the “Friends of the Arcade” and the developers did everything possible in an attempt to revitalize the downtown area, the renovations were quickly met with skepticism. The changing perception of the Arcade are summed up in the reflections of Evelyn B. Walker , “As an older adult, Saturday shopping spree/nostalgia trip after several years in the suburbs. The Arcade had changed so drastically—all downhill and very disappointing.”[47]

To counter the decline, in May of 1985, the management team decided to make a radical change in the Arcade. A hole was cut in the ground of the rotunda in order to make another room for food court below ground. In it was fast food restaurants that filled the area that was once used for storage in the early days of the Arcade.

Daytime workers in Dayton visited the food court in large numbers. Unfortunately, many citizens like Leanna Kellog saw the renovation as problematic, placing the food courts below ground floor made them less convenient for people who want to grab food and go. Kellog believed that this move to put the food court on the basement floor would hurt a lot of businesses in the Arcade.

While the introduction of the food court helped business at the Arcade, the overall decline at the downtown was too great to overcome. The combination of racial tension, the highway act, and the automobile caused people to move from the inner city go the outskirt suburbs which heavily damaged Dayton. Eventually in 1990, the Arcade decided on closing for good in 1991, ending a great reign of shopping dominance in a one-time booming city. Closure triggered lawsuits against Tom Danis, the new owner of the Dayton Arcade. Danis had purchased the Arcade to give the city time to figure out what to do with the complex. Danis kept the Arcade closed after his purchase as he was unsure how to utilize the space. Daytonians favorite restaurants such as Charley’s and Xar’s were forced to close and were two of the most notable restaurants to sue Mr. Danis after the closure of the Arcade complex.

Dayton Arcade’s New Plan

After 1993, the Arcade remained closed. In 2016, it was announced that along with other sponsors, the University of Dayton announced they would be investing and serving as an anchor tenant at the Dayton Arcade. Moreover, University of Dayton President Eric Spina announced his plans to place faculty, staff, and students in the newly renovated Arcade to help initiate creativity with respects to entrepreneurship and the economy with real-life applications.

In the new plans, the Dayton Arcade should try to learn from the mistakes of their past. For example, a common complaint among customers was the number of seats to sit down for lunch. This concern was voiced by a citizen of Dayton in Dayton Daily News who asked if there would be future plans to add chairs.[48]

Bill Burnett explained that the food industry would be very vital in the rejuvenation of the Dayton Arcade. He noted that providing food services had helped the Arcade survive tough years. Burnett argued that once again, exotic food would play an important role. He imagined that providing access to enjoyable food service area would help Dayton in the long run. [49] Further, in the future, as in the past, providing access to a mix of foods would be what made the future Arcade experience special. Currently, there are plans for apartments and restaurants to be implemented in the Arcade. Some of these food services will be provided by the University of Dayton and its entrepreneurial program.

Conclusion

Through its history, the Dayton Arcade always relied upon its food markets and restaurants to thrive. The Arcade’s market stands, cafeterias, fountains, restaurants and saloon attracted many to come to the complex. It was a normal affair for many Daytonians to go to the Arcade with their families on the weekend between 1904-190. People shopped and then ate dinner or bought groceries with their families. The Arcade repeatedly emphasized ways to improve food businesses by making them more profitable and more modern whenever they conducted renovations.

In the early years of the Arcade, the increase in women in the workforce, the movement into apartments in inner cities all led to the creation of full-service restaurants. Saloons added to its success. So did the post war boom of 1945-1960. Sadly, the decline of the Urban center after 1960 or so led to the demise of the Dayton Arcade.

Today, revitalization of the food and beverage industry is playing a key role in the revival of the Dayton Arcade. With the number of breweries and restaurants it is apparent that the cities future economy depends on the food industry. The University of Dayton’s ‘Flyer Enterprise’ program, which will be located in the Arcade, is intent on facilitating the development of student restaurants in the downtown area. The growth of more restaurants and bars will hopefully bring more people and students to the area to spurt economic growth. With its efforts, the University is committing to its part in restoring the beautiful architecture of the Arcade as well as its economic importance to help create propensity in the downtown region.

Endnotes

[1] Dale Huffman, “Memories of Culp’s All Good,” Dayton Daily News, August 27, 2000.

[2] Curt Dalton, The Dayton Arcade: Crown Jewel of the Gem City. (Dayton: Friends of the Dayton Arcade, 2008), 19.

[3] “Souvenir Program Arcade Festival, ” Souvenir Program Arcade Festival, Dayton Arcade, 1904.

[4] Dalton, The Dayton Arcade, 10.

[5] Maureen Willets, interview with Kevin McDougal, Dayton, March 13, 2020.

[6] Dalton, The Dayton Arcade, 12.

[7] Ibid., 26.

[8] Ibid., 19.

[9] Hubert Meeker, “Artifacts Recall Old Pony House Saloon” The Journal Herald, June 15, 1968.

[10] J. C., Burnham, “New Perspectives on the Prohibition “Experiment” of the 1920’s,” Journal of Social History 2, no. 1 (1968): 51-68, Accessed April 29, 2020, www.jstor.org/stable/3786620.

[11] Burnham, “New Perspectives on the Prohibition,” 53.

[12] James F. Bechtel, “Arcade Will Be Opened Up Next Friday,” Dayton Daily News, October 27, 1927.

[13] Samantha Barbas, “Just Like Home: “Home Cooking” and the Domestication of the American Restaurant,” Gastronomica 2, no. 4 (2002): 43-52. doi:10.1525/gfc.2002.2.4.43.

[14] “Revolution in the Kitchen.” U.S. News and World Report. February 15, 1957. 56, 60, 63.

[15] Barbas, “Just Like Home,” 44.

[16] “Opening of Culp’s,” The Dayton Daily News, April 10, 1931.

[17] Ibid.

[18] “Culp’s Cafeteria Opposite Keith’s,” Dayton Daily News, July 3, 1935.

[19] “Opening of Culp’s,” The Dayton Daily News, April 10, 1931.

[20] Huffman, “Memories of Culp’s All Good,” Dayton Daily News, August 27, 2000.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Ibid.

[23] Ibid.

[24] “Welcome to the Virginia Cafeteria,” Dayton Daily News, March 3, 1938.

[25] Ibid.

[26] “Our Purple Cow Is Overwhelmed,” Dayton Daily News, June 25, 1940.

[27] “Green Mill is Place to Meet And Also Eat,” The Dayton Herald, June 14, 1930.

[28] Dee Stuerenberg, “Take to Stove As Cooks-For-A-Day,” The Journal Herald, April 25, 1963

[29] Maureen Willets (University of Dayton Graduate), in discussion with Kevin McDougal, Dayton, March 13, 2020.

[30] From Peg Bracken, The I Hate to Cook Book (New York: Harcourt, Bruce, 1960) ix-xii, 3-8.

[31] From John A. Logan. “Modern Food Distribution—Symbol of the American Way of Life.” Talk before the Boston Conference on Food Distribution. October 20, 1958. Food Marketing Institute Archives, Arlington, VA.

[32] Frances Donovan, The Woman Who Write (Boston: Richard G. Badger, The Gorham Press, 1920), pp. 194-197.

[33] “Formal Opening Tomorrow of the Vogue Room,” The Dayton Herald, January 13, 1937.

[34] Dalton, The Dayton Arcade, 39.

[35] Marj Heyduck, “Modern Living,” The Journal Herald, April 25, 1963.

[36] Memorial Arcade Book, 26.

[37] “History,” Dayton Regional Transportation Authority, http://www.i-rideta.org/about-rta/history; “Dayton Routes,” Current and historic transit in Dayton, OH, http://www.daytontrolleys.net/history/rputes/routes.htm.

[38] Steven Avdakov, et al. Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past: Dayton and Surrounding

[39] “Arcade shops provide feast for eyes, tummy,” Dayton Daily News. June 22, 1980.

[40] Bill Burnett. Interviewed by Kevin McDougal. March 4, 2020. Dayton, OH,

[41] Jay Smith, “Arcade Nightlife Complex Planned,” Dayton Daily News, October 22, 1975.

[42] “Arcade open longer,” Dayton Daily News, September 3, 1980.

[43] “Culp’s Sanitation Problems Posed Danger to License,” Dayton Daily News, July 11, 1973.

[44] “Charley’s Crab shoots for October opening,” Dayton Daily News, June 9, 1980.

[45]  Folder “The 1970s and 1980s,” Box 66C, Dayton Daily News Collection, Wright State University.

[46] “The Blue Lounge Has a Final Toast,” Dayton Daily News, December 19, 1977.

[47] “The memories still remain in the old Dayton Arcade,” Arcade Square Magazine, Advertising Supplement, October 5, 1983, pg. 2. Places—Dayton Historic Sites 1, 1978-1991—Box 14—Folder 1, Archives and Special Collections, Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, Wright State University.

[48] “Questions to the Editor,” The Journal Herald, October 3, 1980.

[49] Bill Burnett. Interviewed by Kevin McDougal. In person interview. Dayton, OH, March 4, 2020.

Bibliography

“Arcade Easter Edition, 1906.” The Dayton Evening Herald, April 12, 1906. https://www.newspapers.com/image/392743322/?terms=arcade%2Beaster

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