100 Reasons to Celebrate These Dayton-area Businesses

Ty Greenlees

The Dayton region boasts a long legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship. Many Dayton-area businesses have been going strong for decades, passed down from generation to generation. Here are just a few consumer-facing businesses that residents and visitors have enjoyed for roughly a century (or more): 

Carmazzi’s Candy and General Store – Urbana (1893)

Nestled in the quaint downtown of Urbana in Champaign County, about 34 miles northeast of Dayton, Sam Bianchi opened Bianchi’s Fruit Store, later selling it to his niece, Victoria, and her husband, Frank Carmazzi. 

The shop was renamed in 1931 and expanded the variety of products offered. Frank and Victoria’s son, John Carmazzi, acquired Carmazzi’s in 1952, and after his retirement in 2014, ownership changed hands to Pat and Patsy Thackery, neighboring business owners of Café Paradiso across the town square. The current owners, Jay and Kate Johnson, like to say: “Nobody really owns Carmazzi’s. We’re just the caretakers. It belongs to the city of Urbana.” 

The Spot Restaurant – Sidney (1907)

Spot Miller rolled into Sidney, about 36 miles north of Dayton, in 1907. Miller – generations ahead of the food truck craze – parked his chuckwagon on the corner of Court Street and Ohio Avenue. After his mobile food service ran into legal issues, the innovative Miller simply removed the wheels and threw up awnings to make his business more of a permanent structure. 

Miller retired in 1913, but The Spot gained traction under new ownership, eventually opening four additional locations in Ohio and moving to a new building in 1934. Guests today can enjoy traditional diner fare, including homemade soups and pies. Patrons can choose from a retro experience inside the restaurant or use the carhop service in the parking lot. 

Esther Price Candies – Dayton (1926)

After she began working at Rike’s Department Store in downtown Dayton, Esther Rose Rohman made a name for herself among her co-workers for sharing delicious fudge. She married Ralph Price in 1924 and began selling fudge to Rike’s employees to support her family, which doubled with the birth of twins. 

A floorman at Rike’s told Esther Price she could sell her fudge to the public from the shop’s candy counter, and her business officially launched in 1926. She moved production out of her home and into a larger space with a storefront on Wayne Avenue, where Ester Price Candies has remained in operation since 1952. 

Knollwood Garden Center and Landscaping – Beavercreek (1926)

Indianapolis native John Scott chose to open his gardening center business in Greene County, where it continues to be a family-owned business. Scott certainly put down roots where he was planted, becoming Beavercreek’s first fire chief and serving on the Beavercreek, Greene County and Ohio State Boards of Education. Scott was so popular among area residents, he was elected as the representative from the 10th Ohio House District where he served for eight years. Scott’s grandson – also John Scott – is currently at the helm of his family’s entrepreneurial legacy. 

Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe – Greenville (1934)

Although Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe in Greenville (about 35 miles northwest of Dayton) is technically a chain, it still has deep connections in Darke County. 

Fred Angell launched the concept in 1926 in Iowa, and 20-year-old Louise Maher bought a franchise for $500 on May 25, 1934. She sold her “loose-meat style sandwiches” for 10 cents. Visitors can still enjoy this unique sandwich, essentially a hamburger chopped and cooked without shaping it into a patty. Don’t forget to add a knob of chewed gum to the “gum wall,” a quirky tradition that’s been going on since the ’30s.