Two iconic family-owned restaurants — Christy’s Family Pizzeria and the Airline Dairy Creme — will each receive $1,500 from the Vandalia-Butler Foundation’s Small Business Opportunity Fund to support their continued service to the community.
Keith Fields, whose family purchased Christy’s two years ago, plans to use the funds to help cover the cost of a new gas line for the restaurant. Sarah Lay, who took ownership of the Airline Dairy Creme three years ago, will use the money to expand marketing and advertising efforts.
Located along the same stretch of road, these longtime eateries have served the Vandalia-Butler community for more than a century combined. Christy’s is a local favorite for its crowd-pleasing pizzas, while the Airline Dairy Creme draws regulars with soft-serve ice cream, soft pretzels and sandwiches. Generations of local teens have worked their first jobs at these restaurants.
The Small Business Opportunity Fund was established in 2015 in memory of Ron Gearhart, a longtime school board member, real estate broker and consultant, to offer financial assistance to small businesses in Vandalia and Butler Township. The Vandalia-Butler Foundation makes at least one award annually.
The Vandalia-Butler Foundation and its funds are components of The Dayton Foundation. Leadership for the Vandalia-Butler Foundation rests in our own community, while fiscal oversight of our funds is maintained by The Dayton Foundation, which serves the Dayton/Miami Valley area. This partnership allows for the Vandalia-Butler community to benefit from local leadership and profit from resources pooled with others for investment growth.
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