History's happening at Rossford cafe: Danny's addition will bowl you over

Take a trip down memory lane in Rossford at the renovated Danny’s Cafe.

There are elements of Libbey-Owens-Ford, high school sports teams from the past, and even a former town bowling alley throughout the expanded restaurant and bar at 600 Dixie Hwy.

“I wanted this to be a legacy project for the town,” said owner Brad Morrison. “It’s about everything that happened here in the 1800s, how L-O-F brought everybody to one spot.”

At every turn, there is a piece of history to be taken in, or to take a moment in the present, sip a beer, watch some sports, or dance to live music.

“I don’t want it to be my place. I want it to be the town’s place,” Mr. Morrison said. “There’s a story behind everything.”

A slice of Rossford Lanes has literally become the stage for bands and disc jockeys. The stage floor is made up of several of the former bowling alley’s glossy lanes. It’s surrounded by a rack of 30 donated bowling balls from community members.

A west-side wall looks like the outside of the former Frautschi Bros. general store. Next to that is a replica of the L-O-F glass furnace that is a working fireplace.

The dining tables have pictures on them with scenes from around town, such as homecoming pictures from 1925, the L-O-F groundbreaking, and former Rossford mayors. The bartop is also inlaid with photos featuring Rossford businesses.

A main hall downstairs will have a Rossford sports team hall of fame mural stretching across it.

“There will a timeline on the wall so people can come in here and find their grandparents and family on the wall,” Mr. Morrison said.

One of Danny’s new areas is an upstairs, outdoor seating area, accommodating 25. The tables have a heating element to make it comfortable late into the fall and early in the spring. The patio offers a view of Dixie Highway, looking down to the school, over the downtown boulevard, and out to the casino.

To the east of the outdoor area, there’s a water tower and feature, custom built for Danny’s, with a western motif.

Also upstairs is the Ford Social Room that can be rented for parties and gatherings of up to 100 people. The saloon has a Nashville-New Orleans aura with red and black colors. Mr. Morrison’s “mural guy,” Dean Davis, hand-painted each gold filigree on the walls to make it look like wallpaper. A dumbwaiter carts food up from the downstairs kitchen.

“We want people to step back in time when they come here,” Mr. Morrison said. “You look at the old pictures of L-O-F during the early 1900s, and all the Christmas parties, that’s what we wanted to capture. ... Everything was made by hand up here.”

Camille MacKinnon, event coordinator/general manager, is in charge of booking the Ford room, which she described as having a “speakeasy, sexy” feel.

“Brad wants people to have an experience when they come here,” she said. “So far, everybody that’s come up has been blown away by it. ... I don’t think there’s anything like it in Toledo.”

Kelly Moore is the general manager in charge of operations. Mr. Morrison said he prides himself on taking care of his staff. In the kitchen, the workers have their own television and control the programming.

There are 50 televisions throughout the building.

Sandy Zellner, who was eating an early dinner Monday at the cafe with family and friends, grew up in Rossford and has watched the changes at Danny’s, which has been open since 1933.

“It’s just good for the town,” she said of the expansion. “It’s exciting. You know, you come in and you see all your friends. It’s like ‘Cheers.’”

Mrs. Zellner recommended the pizza, pierogis, and wings.

Mr. Morrison, who is 56, is from Oregon, which is where his main business venture, Maumee Bay Turf, is based. His ties to Rossford run deep, though. The former University of Findlay basketball player coached for Rossford, and his children attended Rossford schools.

“We just started walking across the street after basketball games. We’d either go to Moe’s or go to Danny’s,” he said.

Mr. Morrison declined to talk budget specifics for the renovation and addition. At a recent council meeting, Mayor Neil MacKinnon said $3 million has been invested in the corner restaurant.

Danny’s has doubled in size and is now 6,000 square feet.

Mr. Morrison hopes to have a grand opening celebration later in the fall.