MOUNT VERNON – As community members and some of the area’s most prominent business moguls filed into The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs on Wednesday afternoon, less than two blocks south of Public Square, they soon became engulfed by the restaurant’s neon vibe.
They glanced up and down the walls, which were stocked with rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia from the 60s, 70s and 80s – a 1977 Led Zeppelin tour poster here, a Ted Nugent commemorative record there.
Then they felt the local flavor, fixating upon the hallway wall that connects the main dining area to the back of the restaurant, which was painted by Mount Vernon’s own Richard Cowdrey and illustrates the city’s most recognizable landmarks – everything from Woodward Memorial Theater to the fountain on the Public Square.
Then, they saw David Stein.
The shop owner welcomed the community in for his restaurant’s ribbon cutting, performed ceremoniously by the Knox County Chamber of Commerce.
For Stein, this is step two of three. He is also the owner of ‘The Joint,’ a 50s style diner located on 1 W. High St. in downtown Mount Vernon, a mere five-minute walk from his new place. His next move is to open up a brewery – Stein Brewing Company – inside the historic, renovated Woodward Opera House by the end of July.
Within a span of approximately four months, Stein will have opened three downtown hot spots.
“I literally bounce back and forth all day,” Stein said.
After the ribbon was cut, Stein talked with customers and thanked those who came. Then, after a moment to catch his breath, he was right back to work.
‘It’s kind of an addictive sub’
When it came time for Stein to say a few words on Wednesday afternoon, just after the ribbon cutting, he was brief. He thanked those who came, he pledged to please the customers, and he made a bold proclamation.
“I honestly believe we have one of the nicest sub shops in the Midwest,” he said, straight-faced.
Stein is confident in the restaurant’s menu, which includes signature subs like ‘The Original Dave’s Cosmic Sub,’ a creation that piles pepperoni, genoa salami, prosciutto, lettuce, tomatoes, sliced banana peppers, onions, fresh garlic, herbs, and provolone cheese, all smothered by Dave’s Cosmic Sauce, on the customer’s choice of bread.
There are numerous variations of Italian, turkey, chicken, roast beef, corned beef, ham and tuna subs, all served with fries or chips and a drink. The menu also features salad options and kid’s meals. Subs cost anywhere between $6 and $10.
Stein is equally confident in the shop’s style, taking the franchise-branded retro feel and incorporating local flavors.
Neon emblems of the hippy generation intertwine with murals of Mount Vernon’s most famous sights, giving the restaurant a unique dynamic.
“We were trying to find something new and different to bring downtown,” Stein said. “Especially with the different college campuses and businesses downtown, something that would be a quick and easy place where they could come get a good lunch, that had some good salad options and a good assortment on the menu, that was fairly priced and had really good food.”
Stein chose to contract with The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs, a Cleveland-based franchise with 22 locations across the country (18 of which are in Ohio), after perusing many options. Stein “thought it had a nice little vibe and (was) what we were trying to add to downtown.”
Stein says that through the shop’s first month, attendance has exceeded his expectations. He hopes to acquire larger daily turnouts when school is back in session, as the shop is located across the street from Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Hunter Hall and Buchwald Center, and also neighbors the Central Ohio Technical College building.
Both The Joint and The Original Dave’s provide quick lunch options for those who work in downtown Mount Vernon. There was a need for this, Stein said, because the majority of such options previously existed solely on Coshocton Avenue.
The restaurant’s customer base isn’t limited to Mount Vernon residents, either. Stein noted that sub fanatics from around the state have already come to the shop to fulfill their cosmic sub cravings.
“We’re getting some people that have driven in from Columbus or from Mansfield or somewhere, because we’re the closest place they can come to come have one,” Stein said. “It’s kind of an addictive sub.”
‘I don’t know, I just did it’
Since The Original Dave’s officially opened a month ago, Stein has spent nearly every day rushing back and forth between the sub shop and The Joint, running both businesses simultaneously.
He would often begin at 7:30 a.m. and work until 11 p.m., saving some time for his kids on the weekends.
He hired local contractors to transform the 222 S. Main Street location, which was formerly Bayleaf Indian Bistro, into something completely new. But after weeks of staff training and building preparation, he feels as if now he can breathe a sigh of relief.
“A lot of people asked me, ‘How’d you do it?’” Stein said. “And I said, ‘I don’t know, I just did it.’”
Stein says that the stress he puts himself under is worth it, ultimately, because of the bigger picture. In opening three dining hubs near the heart of Mount Vernon, he is hoping to bring life back to downtown.
“I just really believe in what we’re doing downtown,” said Stein, who is a Columbus native, but most recently a nine-year Mount Vernon resident. “I’m really inspired with what a lot of the other groups that have really put a lot of investment and time into downtown, with the different universities and businesses and stuff. I just see what they’re doing.
“And the fun part is, in the next nine months, I honestly believe we’ll have one of the nicest downtowns and potential atmospheres for a small town that there is in Ohio.”
This sentiment rang true for local businessman Brian Williamson as well, as he munched on a signature sub in the shop after Wednesday’s ribbon cutting.
“I think it’s great,” Williamson said, surrounded by other local workers who were scarfing down subs and potato chips for lunch. “I think it’s helping out the downtown for sure, more things for people to do.”
Stein emphasized how he strives to ‘live local, serve local, eat local, drink local and use local people.’ He hired local construction firms to mold his first two downtown projects and talked with customers in his shop on Wednesday about the importance of buying local products.
For Stein, doing so has a boomerang effect.
“If I’m able to help support local people then they’re going to help support me,” he said. “It’s kind of a circle.”
As the crowd started to thin on Wednesday and the 1 o’clock hour rolled around, two children spilled their cups of ice water at a table near the front end of the shop, the ice chunks sliding across the table and onto the floor.
Stein, who was talking with a customer, excused himself and rushed over to the table.
“Don’t worry about the floor, just worry about you,” he said while mopping up the water and ice with a spare rag.
Once he finished, he helped the children and their grandfather move their meals to the next table over, and then he ran back to the kitchen to discard the rag and tend to more customers.
David Stein was running again. So much for that deep breath.
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