Dayton Ohio: Does it still suck there? (Cincinnati, Beavercreek: loft, school district)

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by Juniper.

What's so great about Dorothy Lane Market? Overpriced hype, if you ask me.

Right, I never understood it, either. Here is my take on it: The original location is on Dorothy Lake in Oakwood, and the people who shop there, generally are residents of Oakwood, and tend to be a more "sophisticated" (professors, old money and business exec types) customer base, and therefore the store always carried more interesting products, in addition to the normal brands found at Kroger's. It always provided more of an intimate and upscale shopping experience than other stores did. They always carried more international foods (some brands from Europe, mostly) that you could not find at Kroger's (or the old Liberal grocery chain, owned by the Schear family). They also had an extensive wine and gourmet section. Other than that, DLM is really nothing more than a small local grocery that has opened up several additional locations. I think shopping there was more of a "status" thing; Ohioans have an obsession with "status", and, for better or for worse, Oakwoodians seemed to view themselves as the elite, so shopping at the high-priced DLM was seen as a sign that you were sophisticated and part of the elite and monied crowd.

In other words, Kroger's was for the masses; DLM was for the elite aristocrats.

However, as far as I know, they do not specialize in organic foods, like Whole Foods does. If Whole Foods opened a Dayton location, I imagine they would take a lot of business away from DLM.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by Juniper.

Dayton pizza is boring and bland -- you need Cincy's LaRosa's! Yet oddly, most Dayton folks don't appreciate LaRosa's. Why is that? Y'all like Marions. Vastly inferior to LaRosa's, not even in the same league!

Well, taste is, of course, highly subjective, and for some reason I always loved Marion's. I do agree though, that LaRosa's was delicious! I remember, they never had Dayton locations; the only time we ever ate there growing up was when we would go to King's Island! I remember, you would walk in the gate, and walk down the International Blvd, and LaRosa's was right there on the right side of the street! Yum!!

Of course, when I was older, we would take shopping trips to Cincy and so we would eat at LaRosa's quite often when we were there.

[wrightflyer]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

Well, taste is, of course, highly subjective, and for some reason I always loved Marion's. I do agree though, that LaRosa's was delicious! I remember, they never had Dayton locations; the only time we ever ate there growing up was when we would go to King's Island!

I agree. I find it possible to love both. There are so many good memories at our local Marion's. But at the same time, I love ordering calzones from LaRosa's.

LaRosa's now has a few Dayton locations: Centerville, Beavercreek, Englewood, and Kettering. I believe they are slated to open in Huber Heights as well.

As for the LaRosa's at King's Island, I know of exactly the one you speak. I always remember getting the pizza's from the waterpark side though. Haven't been down there in a while, but why bother when LaRosa's is right here?

[SmartGXL]

That is great to hear that they have opened LaRosa's in Dayton. My GF and I are going to Dayton this weekend to see my family (in Englewood), so we will have to stop in there.

[Juniper.]

There's one in Middletown too. We need one in Springboro! But then, Springboro already has an over-saturation of pizza places.

[formercalifornian]

Fifth-generation Ohioan here, and while I've lived all over the place since reaching adulthood, I still have a warm place in my heart for Dayton. Yes, I agree, it has sad, run-down corners, and I've never lived anywhere more segregated, but it was a genuinely nice place to grow up.

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

Right, I never understood it, either. Here is my take on it: The original location is on Dorothy Lake in Oakwood, and the people who shop there, generally are residents of Oakwood, and tend to be a more "sophisticated" (professors, old money and business exec types) customer base, and therefore the store always carried more interesting products, in addition to the normal brands found at Kroger's. It always provided more of an intimate and upscale shopping experience than other stores did. They always carried more international foods (some brands from Europe, mostly) that you could not find at Kroger's (or the old Liberal grocery chain, owned by the Schear family). They also had an extensive wine and gourmet section. Other than that, DLM is really nothing more than a small local grocery that has opened up several additional locations. I think shopping there was more of a "status" thing; Ohioans have an obsession with "status", and, for better or for worse, Oakwoodians seemed to view themselves as the elite, so shopping at the high-priced DLM was seen as a sign that you were sophisticated and part of the elite and monied crowd.

In other words, Kroger's was for the masses; DLM was for the elite aristocrats.

However, as far as I know, they do not specialize in organic foods, like Whole Foods does. If Whole Foods opened a Dayton location, I imagine they would take a lot of business away from DLM.

I'm not so sure that my wife and I are "aristocrats" (I'm a trucker and she's a teacher). We shop at the Washington Square store for a number of reasons; we lived in Europe for years and we can find many of the same products at DLM we came to enjoy in Europe. They treat us like valued customers; they relly do "pamper" their customers. Since we buy all our groceries there, we get the best discounts. After all the discounts, I believe we spend no more at DLM than we would at Kroger. Granted, the large chains can take advantage of "economy of scale", but we feel we come out ahead by shopping at DLM. (We buy paper products, houshold cleaners, etc. at Kroger, though) Yes, DLM has quite an assortment of organic products!

[JefferyT]

^
I shop at the Springboro store, but also a bit at Washington Square (used to shop there more before Springboro opened). I think Ive been in the original Oakwood store once or twice, years ago before they opened their new locations.

My take on DLM that it has a real good cheese department and bakery, and good meat cuts and produce section. It also has a fairly good wine and beer section, too.

They also carry things I grew up with in Chicago, like Usingers sausage and hard salami and cervelat.

I can't speak to the snob appeal aspect of it, but then I'm not from Dayton, so what motivates the locals doesnt movtivate me. DLMs food is why I shop there, and my partner, as he likes to cook almost as a hobby.

[wrightflyer]

^^
My mother loves DLM since they are the only place in the Dayton area that carries her beloved Black/White Cookies.

Over on this side of Dayton we have Lofinio's which used to be on the same caliber of service (curb-side grocery loading) as DLM but I feel it has slipped in that aspect while being overpriced compared to Kroger. Most people that I know that have worked there say most of the customers are older folks. Call me a snob, but I'd love to see a DLM on this side of Dayton.

Wow, is this off topic or what?

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by wrightflyer

^^
My mother loves DLM since they are the only place in the Dayton area that carries her beloved Black/White Cookies.

Over on this side of Dayton we have Lofinio's which used to be on the same caliber of service (curb-side grocery loading) as DLM but I feel it has slipped in that aspect while being overpriced compared to Kroger. Most people that I know that have worked there say most of the customers are older folks. Call me a snob, but I'd love to see a DLM on this side of Dayton.

Wow, is this off topic or what?

I dunno, Wrightflyer, I fantacize about a Downtown Dayton revival with stores like DLM being downtown again...sigh. I didn't get here 'til after Rike's was gone and most of the other retail had left. I've laways loved the downtown areas of cities and spent a lot of my youth in places like downtown Miami and Hollywood, FL. We really should go to downtown Dayton more, but it seems like we never make the time...