“We’re situated in a couple of communities, we’ve got a couple different communities around us, and we’re working with various agencies and partners and different folks to think about what’s possible around here, and certainly this is the first of many opportunities to pull and draw folks,” she said.
University Eatz and Arcade is set to open in the first quarter of 2025, which is where the former Trail House Taproom and Kitchen and Truist Financial bank previously operated. The new venture, operated by Mike Martin, Brad Baker, and Alan Pyrcz, will occupy the entire building. It will feature food from Mike Martin’s East Coast Eatz food truck and a few past culinary ventures and the fun of Hamilton-based Pinball Garage and Champion Mill Arcade, two of the businesses owned by Baker and Pyrcz.
Martin, who has operated his food truck for 13 years, said the restaurant will have “a lot of bar food. Sharable stuff, mozzarella sticks, pretzel bites, appetizers. Definitely Philly cheesesteaks, some type of salad and killer pizzas.” He has had experience operating brick-and-mortar restaurants.
“I’ve been looking for a more permanent place because we do have people that chase our food truck all over town,” Martin said, adding he drives the truck in a 50-mile radius of his West Chester Twp. home. “There’ve been a lot of people that’s been asking for a place that they could go whenever they want.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Martin, who also owns Gourmet Lane Candy, said he’ll still operate the truck but stops will be more selective.
Baker and Pyrcz, who also co-owns All8Up, a pizza restaurant next to Pinball Garage, said University Eatz and Arcade won’t duplicate what was done in Butler County.
The restaurant side of the facility will accommodate around 115 patrons with 40 more seats on the patio during the spring and summer. It will also include a couple of Baker’s games. The arcade will have an interior connection to the restaurant and feature around 50 games, including pinball, Golden Tee, classic arcades and a claw basketball machine. It can accommodate about 60 people. Collectively, the two businesses would create about 15 jobs, with the majority being with the restaurant.
Moore said the concept for this project came when she approached Baker on the idea. She was a patron of Pinball Garage when she worked at Miami University and lived in Oxford, and knew Baker and felt he was a match for this first project. She said Pinball Garage “appeals to a number of different generations,” and after further discussions, Martin, who wanted to re-enter the brick-and-mortar restaurant world, was brought into the fold.
Moore, who’s been with Xavier University for about 18 months, had been charged with finding ways to improve and enrich the student experience and create more third spaces ― walkable areas for the school’s community to have social and fun options ― which became a priority for the school. While the backdrop of Cincinnati is appreciative, Moore said, “At the end of the day, our students might just want to talk and grab a bite to eat or grab a beer or a drink or hang out with each other and have some fun, and those options are few and far between around here. It’s going to be an awesome walkable option.”
These “opportunities” won’t just be for students, faculty, staff and alumni, but can also be a recruitment tool.
“It really has a 360-degree appeal for multiple types of patrons, and too me, that’s the coolest opportunity for our students because they can engage with community which is an extension of our campus,” Moore said.
Baker, Pyrcz and Martin said this partnership with Xavier is a winning concept in what Baker said is a tough industry at the moment.
“Food and beverage is not easy,” he said. “It has to be as easy as possible, and we do have a captive audience (at Xavier), and great family neighborhoods right now.”
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
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