New restaurant, bar to open Monday at golf club east of Xenia
Jul. 5—A new restaurant and bar cooking up brick oven fired pizza and much more will open Monday, July 11, at the Jasper Hills Golf Club east of Xenia.
Jasper Hills Golf Club opened in May at 1100 Knollhaven Drive where the former Sebastian Hills Golf Club was located. The original Sebastian Hill Golf Course opened in 2000 and operated until the end of the 2017 season. In 2018, the then-owners put the 165-acre property, 64 golf carts, 28 cruisers and equipment on the market for $1.99 million.
Xenia residents Melissa and Dalton Dodd purchased the property in September 2021 with another couple. Since then, they have been focusing on getting the property back up to par and reconfiguring the 1800s farmhouse that will soon house the restaurant and pro shop. The Dodd family are the sole owners of the restaurant.
Melissa told Dayton.com they envisioned a restaurant from the very beginning.
"When we walked into the space, we immediately knew that it could be repurposed in order to house a small, full-service restaurant," she said. "So, that became a goal of ours to make that space function in a way that would better serve the community and maximize the square footage."
Jasper Kitchen + Bar will be the first restaurant on the property. Melissa explained the previous golf course only offered a snack bar.
The restaurant and bar will seat 44 people inside and offer brick oven fired pizzas, salads and sandwiches.
"We do have a bigger plan and vision for what we want to provide, but we do want to start small," Melissa said.
In the future, they hope to add outdoor seating and breakfast.
The couple does not have experience in the restaurant industry, but Melissa said they saw an opportunity to provide an investment in the community and took it.
"It's definitely been a learning curve, but we're up for the challenge," Melissa said. "Our hearts are really invested in the project."
Jasper Kitchen + Bar will open at 11 a.m. Monday, July 11. The restaurant and bar will then be open daily for lunch and dinner.
For more information, visit www.jasperkitchenandbar.com or the restaurant's Facebook and Instagram pages.
