There is no identity crisis when it comes to what “Spaghetti-Western” restaurant Bandanas has to offer: hardy helpings of quality dishes, good service, and an atmosphere that welcomes everyone from date-night couples and out-of-towners to families looking for post-game pizza.
Bandanas serves classic pasta plates and wood-fired pizzas loaded with fresh homemade ingredients alongside New American steak and seafood dishes.
“You can come here before a dance or a steak and an expensive bottle of wine, or you can with the kids after a soccer game,” Kutzera said. “We’re versatile enough to accommodate a lot of different occasions.”
After opening amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant has expanded its menu offerings and honed its unique, atmospheric allure in the past few years. Kutzera and Monica Nenni, co-owners of West Central Wine on Central Avenue, opened Bandanas in October 2020 in the former Stefano’s restaurant space at 2200 Central Ave.
“With the pandemic, we were able to short of ease our way into it. We had a very limited menu when we first opened up and we’ve expanded our menu probably 10 times,” she said.
Kutzera, whose family is from Middletown, said the restaurant is a nod to the generations of Italian American families who settled here in this steel town with deep Appalachian roots. Specials that resonated with customers found a permanent place, resulting in a diverse menu that caters to various tastes.
A crowd favorite — the Timber Rattler Rigatoni — features a Cajun cream sauce with chicken, sausage, spinach, peppers, onions, and parmesan cheese. Customers can ask for a “bite,” to have their pasta drizzled in a kicky hot sauce that perfects the dish.
Themed drinks include the “9 to 5 Martini” or the “Buttery Boot,” a gin and limoncello cocktail served in a boot glass. Kutzera said regulars go wild for their rotating cheesecake flavors like the Pistachio Cannoli Cheesecake or the Christmas Tree Cheesecake. Other dessert options include the Italian staples like tiramisu.
Kutzera is now focused on keeping Bandanas loyalists coming back for more, while luring in new customers from surrounding areas like West Chester, Springboro, and Liberty Twp. With rising food costs, labor shortages, and linger effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurant owners have continued to adapt to industry changes and consumer demands.
Restaurants are a driving force in Ohio’s economy, with more than 23,912 eating and drinking businesses resulting in more than $30 billion in sales each year, according to the National Restaurant Association.
“Business is business. You make it work but it’s much harder for restaurants to make it work now than ever before,” she said. “It’s a lot of different factors; food cost being one. In 2022, my cost for a case of iceberg lettuce ranged from $46 to $152. That’s an extreme example, but that’s what restaurants are dealing with.”
The owners attribute their success to staying attuned to customer preferences, continuously experimenting with new offerings, and adapting to changing trends.
“We are not beyond the point where small, privately owned restaurants can succeed. There just has to be an effort to get people in from out of town and from neighboring cities,” Kutzera said. “To be in this business and want your own restaurant, you have to be a little bit of a crazy dreamer.”
How to go
Bandanas Eatery at 2200 Central Ave. in Middletown is open 4-9 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursday and noon-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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