Damen purchased the establishment last February. He was a food truck owner, ran a golf course and managed another bar prior to owning the Millville Tavern and Grill. Damen is also a Marine Corps veteran.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“I knew the previous owner through the food truck scene. I came and looked at it, and saw the potential that it had, and I fell in love with the little town that it’s in, and the history of it. I’ve been told that this is one of the oldest buildings in Millville,” Damen said.
“I bet on myself, and I said, I’ll take it, and I’ve turned it around. Since I took it over, sales have almost doubled,” he said. “When I took it over, I had to overcome the reputation of the bar, and that was hard at first, but I worked through it, and a year later, we are doing well. I’m really happy with where we are at now.”
Prior to when he assumed ownership, Damen said as J.W. Dink’s Saloon it was sometimes considered “a dive bar” by locals.
Now with the addition of a new kitchen, Millville Tavern offers a full, two-page menu for lunch and dinner, along with daily specials, and wings on Thursdays. The restaurant/grill concept inside the bar is thriving. The new kitchen was up and running on April 1.
With food specials offered daily, guests can order a pizza, a burger, chicken wings, or an appetizer. It’s “Taco Tuesday” on Tuesdays with $2.50 tacos and $4 margaritas. Every Friday, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. until Easter, Millville Tavern will offer Fish Fry Fridays.
Additionally, drink specials are available every day except for Saturdays.
Millville Tavern and Grill has been offering the wing special on Thursdays since 1976. The wing special includes four entire (large) wings for $8, and the special is available all day. The hand-breaded wings are prepared fresh every Thursday. Traditionally, they come with a side of French Red Hot sauce. Customers can choose from other sauces as well.
“When I took over, I kept the same tradition, and the same recipe. The only thing different from before is you couldn’t get the wings until 6 p.m., so they would run out. Now, it’s all day on Thursdays, so you can get them for lunch, or dinner, up until 9 p.m.,” Damen said.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The location was called Millville Tavern before it was J.W. Dink’s. When Damen took over, he changed it back to the original Millville Tavern name, adding “and Grill” to recognize the addition of the kitchen.
“I thought it should be named after the town, and a lot of people that remember it as Millville Tavern are very gracious for that,” he said.
As the word spreads, and new people come in, Damen said it’s been amazing to watch the growth.
“We have a lot of regular customers, who are really loyal to the Millville Tavern. They have been coming here since they were kids. I’ve heard that so many times. They might say, I had my first beer in this bar, and I still come here,” he said.
In addition to adding a kitchen and serving lunch and dinner, there have been other updates to enhance the customer experience.
“The big change for us was opening up the kitchen. That’s what really doubled our sales. It was very dark when I took over, and now we have new signage, new decorations, and new lighting,” Damen said. “It’s been an amazing first-year ride, and I can’t wait to see what this year brings.”
Learning the area
Being from the East side, in Clermont County, Damen said he had to not only learn about the business, but he had to get to know Hamilton and Butler County as well as the customers.
“I had to learn it all,” he said. “The fact that I’m not from this area, and that everybody has embraced me as one of their own, has really meant a lot to me. It’s pretty cool.”
Families are encouraged to come in and bring their kids until 10 p.m. There’s a dining area, and a bar, and the two areas are separate. Guests can play pool on a Diamond pool table or play darts on free dart boards. After 10 p.m., Millville Tavern is for ages 21 and up.
Damen also said he’s had an opportunity to get to know the other bar owners in the area.
“They are amazing,” he said. “All of the other bar owners in the area support each other to make this area vibrant again. We know what we can be.”
The local bar owners have collaborated on several events over the past year, including a March Pub Crawl for St. Patrick’s Day, a Santa Pub Crawl around Christmas and a huge Halloween party.
Millville Tavern and Grill hosts open an open mic night on Tuesdays; live music on Wednesdays; and karaoke on Thursday nights. On the weekends, occasionally, there is live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
MORE DETAILS
Millville Tavern and Grill opens at 11 a.m. daily for lunch. The bar/restaurant is located at 135 Millville Oxford Road in Hamilton. Check out the latest news, and specials at facebook.com/millvilletavern.
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