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Taco salad is on the menu at Lime Fresh Mexican Grill. Provided

Shauna Steigerwald reports:

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill will open its first area outpost at Rookwood Exchange, 3831 Edwards Road in Norwood, May 1.

The fast-casual chain owned by Ruby Tuesday, Inc., previously announced that it would open two local stores, the Rookwood outpost and another at U Square. The latter, 237 Calhoun St. in Clifton Heights (near the University of Cincinnati), is set to open June 5.

Newly announced, a Mason outpost will open in late summer at 9341 Mason-Montgomery Road

One the menu: Made-to-order, customizable nachos, flautas, salads, soups, fajitas, quesadillas, tacos and burritos, with 50 types of hot sauces and a homemade salsa bar.

http://limefreshmexicangrill.com/

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, food, lime fresh mexican grill, mason, opening, rookwood exchange

Shauna Steigerwald reports:

A new outpost of the Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern will open in Deerfield Towne Center this fall.

Tentatively set to open in October, it will be located in what is now Polo Grille Restaurant, off Mason-Montgomery Road. (The Polo Grille is set to close on March 30.)

It will seat 248 and offer two private dining rooms and an outdoor patio.

The menu will be similar to other locations, including the Rookwood Pavilion outpost, which opened in 2008 and serves appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, pizza and the like, plus daily blue plate specials.

www.myrustybucket.com

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, deerfield township, mason, opening, polo grille, rusty bucket, rusty bucket restaurant and tavern

Marion’s Piazza manager John Davis knew the restaurant would be a hit when he opened the doors for lunch and was greeted by a party of 30 hungry guests.

The Dayton-based chain celebrated the grand opening of its newest restaurant — its ninth overall — Tuesday at the corner of Tylersville and Snider roads in Mason.

The Mason opening marks the company’s first Greater Cincinnati location.

“We were real busy,” said Davis of the lunch crowd.  “Everybody said, ‘We can’t wait until you get here.’”

• Photos: Marion’s Piazza opens in Mason

The 11,000-square-foot Mason location employs about 50 people and seats 520, including 70 in an outdoor patio and 100 in a private banquet room. Carry out service is also offered.

Marion’s is one of the first developments to break ground on the 9-acre site owned by Everybody’s Farm Inc. A dermatologist office is slated for another lot, according to Jeff Eichhom of Henkle, Schueler & Associates, whose sister company, Bunnell Hill Development Co. Inc., is the project’s developer.

The chain’s success lies in its pizza, known as Dayton-style pizza, said Roger Glass, company president. The crust is thin and pies are cut in bite-size squares instead of slices, he said.

Eighty-five percent of the company’s sales are pizza; other fare includes salads, sandwiches, lasagna and spaghetti.

“We must be doing something right. We keep setting records for business every year,” said Glass. “If you come to Marion’s, you’ve got to be hungry for pizza.”

Mason proved an attractive area for expansion because it is a populous area with a solid base of industry and other development, said Glass.  Mason is also close to the company’s Dayton-based commissary, which ships out fresh dough daily.

Linda Bonnell of Loveland got hooked on Marion’s in the 1990s after her child’s basketball team played in the area.  She was at the restaurant on opening day for dinner.

“We couldn’t wait until this one opened,” she said.  “The pizza is wonderful, absolutely the best.

Restaurant hours are 10:30 a.m. -11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Marion’s is at 6176 Soundwave Blvd. and can be reached at 513-398-9998.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, dayton, everybody's farm, expansion, marion's piazza, mason, opening, pizza, restaurant, roger glass

Polly Campbell reports:

Paul Liew, an accomplished chef, and his brother Alvin are opening Straits of Malacca, a Malaysian restaurant in Mason that will encompass fine dining, a bar with Malaysian food in snack format, and a cafe with Malaysian street food. It will open in the former Mason municipal building (once One restaurant) on Tuesday.

Malaysia, and particularly the state of Malacca, has been a crossroads for hundreds of years. Its original Malay cuisine has been affected by Chinese, Indian, and European traders.

The menu of Straits of Malacca shows how varied and diverse the cuisine is, with Thai and Chinese and Indian-sounding dishes, all in a fine-dining style. Chef Paul Liew worked in Malaysia at Passion Road, a favorite, according to Alvin Liew, of the Malaysian royal family. Since coming to the United States, he’s worked at Jean-Robert’s Table.

There will be lots of ways to enjoy Straits of Malacca, including the very casual lunch cafe set-up, where you order at the counter,  the bar, where you can ease into the menu but order small bites of food, and the full-on, white-tablecloth dining room.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: alvin liew, business, chef, chinese, food, malaysian, mason, opening, paul liew, restaurat, straits of malacca, thai

Dayton chain Marion’s Piazza will open its ninth location and first Cincinnati area location in Mason this November. The Mason location will have the same look and design as its Troy location, which opened earlier this year. Photo provided

Cincinnati-area fans of Marion’s Piazza soon won’t have far to travel to enjoy the Dayton pizza staple.

Marion’s is set to open its latest restaurant — it’s ninth overall– in mid-November at the corner of Tylersville and Snider roads in Mason, said Roger Glass, company president. The Mason opening marks the company’s first Greater Cincinnati location.

Customer demand prompted the expansion, Glass said. The 47-year-old chain opened another location – its first expansion in two decades – in Troy earlier this year.

Troy and Mason are attractive for expansion because both cities are populous areas with a solid base of industry and other development, he said. In addition, the two cities are close to the company’s Dayton-based commissary, Glass said.

“We have fresh dough shipped out every day,’’ he said. “Everything will be fresh daily.”

The 11,000-square-foot Mason location will employ about 50 people and seat about 520, including 70 in an outdoor patio and 100 in a private banquet room. Carry out service will be offered.

Marion’s is one of the first developments to break ground on the 9-acre site owned by Everybody’s Farm Inc. A dermatologist office is slated for another lot, according to Jeff Eichhom of Henkle, Schueler & Associates, whose sister company, Bunnell Hill Development Co. Inc., is the project’s developer.

Interior shot of Marion’s Piazza’s Troy location. Photo provided

Glass says the chain’s success lies in its pizza, known as Dayton-style pizza. The crust is thin and pies are cut in bite-size squares instead of slices, he said.

Eighty-five percent of the company’s sales are pizza; other fare includes salads, sandwiches, lasagna and spaghetti.

“We must be doing something right. We keep setting records for business every year,” said Glass. “If you come to Marion’s, you’ve got to be hungry for pizza.”

Marion’s, which employs 275 in the Dayton area and sells more than 1 million pizzas a year, has no plans to open additional locations in Greater Cincinnati area, Glass said.

“Probably what I will do is relax for a couple of months after opening Mason,” he said with a laugh.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, dayton, everybody's farm, expansion, marion's piazza, mason, opening, pizza, restaurant, roger glass

David Cook, owner of Daveed's in Mt. Adams, with Asian Salmon. The Enquirer/Cara Owsley.

David and Liz Cook will make Daveed’s all tapas in its next incarnation when Daveed’s Next opens in Deerfield Township this summer, Polly Campbell reports:

Has anyone ever been to one of the communal tapas tastings upstairs at Daveed’s? They’ve been popular over the past few years, up until Daveed’s closed this spring.

Well, Liz and Dave Cook will be reproducing that experience at their new restaurant, Daveed’s Next on Columbia Rd in Deerfield Township. They’ll be opening in a tiny space which used to be a Kidd’s Coffee, with room for about 40–including outdoor seating.

They’ll have, in a way, two openings. This summer they’ll serve private events in the same style as those tapas nights: guests pre-pay, come at 7 p.m.,  sit at two 15-seat tables with everyone else who’s pre-paid, and be served platters of food in small portions: duck meatballs with cherry mostarda and yogurt, or salmon roulades, perhaps. There will be 8-12 different dishes served in the court of  evening, served in 3-4 waves. A couple of glasses of wine will be included. It’s both family-style and small-plate style, which may seem contradictory, but makes sense if you picture it, platters going around the table and everyone getting a small portion of lots of things.

In September, when they will, hopefully, have their liquor license, you’ll be able to buy wine by the bottle or glass. The two tables will continue to operate the same way, with one seating at a communal table. There will also be some seats at a bar looking into the kitchen and outdoor seating, where you could order a la carte.

“Nobody’s doing it this way,” said David Cook.  “It’s going to be different. It’s also going to be fun, casual and social.”

The address is 8944 Columbia Rd., next to 20-Mile House. They hope to start taking reservations for the weekend of June 22 at 721-2665.

Visit the restaurant’s Facebook page for updates.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: all tapas, business, daveed's, daveed's next, david cook, deerfield township, food, liz cook, opening, restaurant, tapas

The Warren County Engineer’s Office will hold an open house on Thursday, March 29 at its new administration and engineering office.

The new WCEO office is at 210 West Main Street in Lebanon.  The site is the former home of Thomas Corwin, Ohio’s 14th governor.

Event hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 10 a.m.  Refreshments will be provided.

WCEO continues to operate highway maintenance, inspections and permits from its former office at 105 Markey Road in Lebanon.

For more information, call 513-695-3301 or go to www.wceo.us.

Posted in: Community, Events |

Tags: Tags: lebanon, neil tunison, office, open house, opening, ribbon cutting, warren county engineer's office

Chipotle will open its second location in Mason on Tuesday.

The 2,250-square-foot restaurant at 2364 Kings Center Court seats 53 indoors and another 16 on an outdoor patio.

The menu will feature the chain’s signature variety of burritos, tacos, salads and bowls, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and sustainable food sources.

Store hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.  For more information, call 513-336-9830 or go to www.chipotle.com.

(h/t Cincinnati New in Town)

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, chipotle mexican grill, mason, opening, restaurant

After 32 years working in the restaurant business, Patty Stump and Mike Shroder were ready to relax and “take it easy.”

Then a friend clued them onto Tampa-based pizza chain Westshore Pizza and before long, the Mason husband and wife team were headed to Florida.

“We flew down to Tampa, tried it and fell in love with it,” said Stump.

The couple opened their Philadelphia-style pizzeria last month at 6176 Tylersville Road, adjacent to Drug Mart.

• View photos of Westshore Pizza

“The excitement has been really great,” said Stump.  “They’re all excited when they find out its [East coast-style pizza] the real thing.”

New in Town blogger Shauna Steigerwald has more details on the menu:

Signature menu items are pizza – which is available as whole pies or by the slice — wings and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, served on rolls from Amoroso’s bakery in Philadelphia. Stump said the pizza sauce and dough are made in-house daily, and the restaurant grates its own cheese.

Also available are other sandwiches, pastas, calzones, desserts and more. Beer is available, and the restaurant has applied for a wine license as well.

Seating is available for 87 indoors, where eight TVs show sporting events, and there’s room for 40 more on the covered outdoor patio. Carry-out and delivery within a four-mile radius of the store – which includes Mason and parts of West Chester – is offered.

It’s the restaurant’s expansive menu and delivery service that sets it apart from other establishments, says Stump.

“Who delivers hamburgers or double-deckers?  Nobody does that,” she said.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Westshore Pizza is a Tampa-based chain. This is the first outpost of Westshore Pizza in Greater Cincinnati; two other stores operate in Ohio, in Dublin and in North Royalton.

For more information, call 513-754-8200 or visit www.westshorepizza.com.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, dining, mason, mike shroder, new, opening, patty stroud, pizzeria, restaurant, tampa, tylersville road, westshore pizza

After co-founding a computer networking business, Marc Steiger wanted to try something new.

The Mason entrepreneur’s latest venture is opening his own MaidPro franchise at 1070 Reading Road in Mason. The business celebrates its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 28.

“This is a great place to start,” said Steiger. “We know the community and we’re very excited about starting this business.”

The business is launching with four employees. Steiger hopes to increase that number to up to 14 within a year.

The office will serve the Northern Cincinnati area, including Mason, West Chester, Sharonville, Loveland, South Lebanon and Deerfield and Symmes townships, among other areas.

What makes MaidPro unique, Steiger says, is the business’ commitment to establishing good relationships with and providing consistency to customers.

“We try to have a single, primary person always there who knows the homeowner and the homeowner knows them and they build that relationship,” he said.

MaidPro offers a 49-point checklist and affordable rates, says Steiger. And in a show of hometown loyalty — and at the insistence of his wife, a chemical engineer at Procter & Gamble — the office will use P&G’s line of cleaning products.

“It may cost a little more, but its high-quality stuff and gives a high-quality image,” said Steiger.

For more information about MaidPro, call Steiger at 513-878-0280, ext. 2.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, cleaning service, maidpro, marc steiger, mason, northeast cincinnati chamber of commerce, opening, ribbon cutting