Dagwood's Restaurant
Dagwood's Restaurant, once located at 292 East Main Street in Newark, was established by W. L. Cochran in 1950. During the restaurant's prime, people from all over the country visited Dagwood's, which was known for being open 24 hours and for its home style cooking.[1] This once-popular destination fell on hard times, and the owners were forced to close September 30, 2010 after 60 years of business.[2]
There were many factors that contributed to the closing of Dagwood's Restaurant. The first was a fire that had destroyed a rental property belonging to the owners. The owners demolished the property at a cost of $80,000, instead of spending the $1,000,000 in necessary repairs. This loss of income took its toll on the family. The second contribution was a lawsuit settlement for $65,000 that was awarded to a victim of a late-night fight in the parking lot, who had lost his eye in the altercation. The last reason indicated for the closing was the decrease in patronage following Ohio’s indoor smoking ban. The former owner, Ron Cochran, stated that many of the restaurant's loyal and longtime customers became scarcer and visited less often following the ban.[3]
M.J.
