“Bridging Back Business” Initiative Kicks Off in Dayton, Ky.

City restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues offering specials and discounts

DAYTON, Ky. – The City of Dayton, Kentucky — working in conjunction with Northern Kentucky’s other river cities, meetNKY, and the NKY Chamber of Commerce — is kicking off the “Bridging Back Business” initiative in the city this week.

This marketing initiative seeks to bring customers – both old and new — back to Dayton businesses, which have been adversely affected by the unexpected closing of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge late last year.

“The winter months are always a difficult time for restaurants, bars, and other retail outlets, but this year’s seasonal downturn was much more significant because of the bridge closure,” said Dayton Mayor Ben Baker. “With the bridge now open and spring weather on its way, this marketing initiative will help us showcase the growing culinary and live entertainment scene in our city.”

Starting tomorrow, February 26, Dayton restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues will offer the following specials and events:

  • “Dine in Dayton,” Wednesday night, Feb. 26
    • Hometown Heroes will have homemade meatloaf and steak dinner specials as well as boneless wings for $1 a piece.
    • Wayfarer Tavern (https://www.wayfarertavern.com) will be offering its F&N Steakhouse-inspired Mini Cocktails along with its delicious snacks and pizzas.
    • Kate’s Catering is offering a 25 percent discount on upcoming cooking classes.
  • “Coffee and Breakfast on 6th Avenue,” Thursday morning, Feb. 27
    • Unataza Coffee will take off $2 from any order with a minimum purchase of $15. This discount will be applied, if requested, at checkout, or for online orders, using this discount code: BRIDGE
    • Elliott Coffee and Hansman’s Corner Market also will be offering coffee and breakfast specials.
  • “Take a Lunch Break,” Friday lunch hour, Feb. 28
    • Wayfarer Tavern will offer its “Big Mike” Pizza – think of a Big Mac and all the fixings on a pizza — in honor of the reopening of the “Big Mac” Bridge.
    • Hometown Heroes will have lunch specials
  • “Saturday Night Live in Dayton,” Saturday evening, March 1
    • Commonwealth Sanctuary Comedy Club (https://commonwealthsanctuary.com) will have two comedy features:
      • Tommy Brennan, a regular at the world-famous Comedy Cellar in New York City and a nationally touring headlining comic
        • Show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $17 a person.
      • Comedy mock trial of music star Drake.
        • Judge David Stewart presides as comedians take the stand to argue the case, celebrity witnesses weigh in, and the jury (that’s you) delivers the final verdict.
        • Show starts at 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $17 a person.
    • Hometown Heroes will have live music with Cody Houston.

The Bridging Back Business initiative is part of a four-week marketing campaign by the river cities. Dayton and Bellevue will kick off the initiative this week. Newport, Fort Thomas, and Covington will be featured next week. On March 9-15, all cities – and their participating businesses – will participate in a joint marketing effort to promote businesses in the entire region.

In addition, New Riff is sponsoring a Bridging NKY Cocktail Contest for bars and restaurants in the river cities that culminates in a grand cocktail showdown on March16 at the New Riff Aquifer Bar in Newport. The competition invites bars and restaurants across NKY to feature a signature New Riff Rye cocktail to help bring foot traffic to these venues.

People will vote on the best cocktail, and a winner from each city will compete in the showdown event on March 16. Two Dayton restaurants are participating in the competition: Hometown Heroes and Wayfarer Tavern.