Discovering a gourmet grocery experience in Dayton, Ohio.
I grew up with grocery store trips being tedious family affairs. My parents must have hated it as much as I did, weaving through the aisles with four kids in tow. I was the oldest and thought the floral department was okay… but it was all downhill from there.
Fast forward a decade or two and I’ve turned out as someone who snacks frequently, usually just eats to live, and has to go to the grocery store hungry to arouse any interest in spending money on what’s there. However, boyfriend has a rich culinary sense and goes to the grocery store for fun and relaxation. Hanging out with him in Charleston, it’s fair to say I’ve eaten some incredible foods and done some fancy grocery shopping. And I’ve had fun doing it. In my travels across the country I’ve also been to a variety of regional chains with dedicated followings like H-E-B in Texas and Hy-Vee in Iowa.
I was out in Centerville, Ohio distributing flyers for work when I first saw Dorothy Lane Market. At first I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. But when I went in, I realized I was in the most amazing grocery shopping experience of my life.
The most amazing thing to me about Dorothy Lane Markets is that it is local. It has three stores, all in the Dayton area. One of them is 24/7. Outside of the grocery store and its many facets, they have a cake shop, a ham store, a culinary school, community events (I had to miss the chestnut roasting this time, unfortunately), and who even knows what else? They do it so much while being Dayton-based and having grown from a small family business.
Most amazing of all is their traditional-style customer service. While the rest of Dayton’s winter residents are generally downright rude, Dorothy Lane Markets staff keeps the atmosphere polite with their professionalism. There are a few frowns, but for the most part customers relax and luxuriate in the experience. The cute cashier wore a bow tie and other staff could be seen helping customers take groceries to their car, making pleasant small talk on the way.
This grocery store set a whole new standard for a grocery shopping experience. There, I feel the possibility for it to be more than just a food source: with its gifts, its cafe, its wine bar, Dorothy Lane Markets offers customers the option to stay a while. That kind of hospitality, in the frozen Dayton landscape, is a bright spot indeed.
~ The Dauntless Princess ~