Finally, a cool new place opens up north — and it’s not a chain.

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“We went on a leap of faith,” Michael Perry told this news outlet in an interview at his new cafe. “We did our research, of course, but we decided to do this because this area wants something like this.

“The one thing we’ve heard most often from customers is, ‘This is exactly what Englewood needs.’”

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Residents of Dayton’s northern suburbs have watched in growing frustration as the majority of new-restaurant and other retail activity has focused south and east of Dayton, in and around the Mall at Fairfield Commons, The Greene Town Center, Cornerstone of Centerville, the Dayton Mall/Ohio 725 corridor and Austin Landing. The northern suburbs has seen some new-restaurant activity in recent years, but most are national or regional chains.

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The Perrys decided to help reverse that trend, and started working on the Northmont Plaza space in Englewood in mid-2017.

Mila’s — a mashup of the couple’s first names — operates as a lunch spot Wednesday and Thursday, and as a lunch and dinner destination Friday through Sunday, and also hosts live music on the weekends. A jazz quartet is scheduled to play at the venue from 8 to 11 p.m. this Friday night, Aug. 17.

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The cafe’s motto is, “Eat, drink and be social.” The cafe serves four craft beers on tap (currently featuring Jackie O’s, MadTree and Brewdog) as well as canned and bottled beers, and offers wines by the glass or bottle. The food menu includes items such as a Suburban Burger topped with Avocado Mayo, Bacon and Red Onion, and a Chipotle Wrap that has bacon, turkey, tomatoes, romaine lettuce and a chipotle pepper/cream cheese blend, Michael Perry said. Vegan options include Spinach Pita Pocket and Zucchini Fritter with Lime Aioli.

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The 2,400-square-foot space seats 55 and has a maximum capacity of 93.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The kitchen stays open “all the way up to 1 a.m.” on weekends, Perry said.

The cafe's web site is still under construction. Information about Mila's can be found on the cafe's Facebook page.