Neal is taking his much beloved style, borne of his father’s Alabama roots, to 202 N. Third St., and hopes to be part of the revitalization of downtown Hamilton. A private soft opening will be held today, with a public opening planned for Dec. 1.
He’s especially grateful this Thanksgiving, he says, as the holiday also marks the anniversary of his business opening on Nov. 24, 2001.
“When I grew up, downtown Hamilton was thriving,” he said, adding that he wants to encourage Hamilton residents and out-of-towners to go downtown. “Our style of cooking and our uniqueness are a perfect fit to draw people from outside the area downtown,” he said.
His bottled sauces, already sold at area stores including Jungle Jim’s, will be manufactured in the basement of the North Third Street location, as well as in a satellite location on Route 4, which he plans to open for tours as well.
He opened his Second Ward location to give the neighborhood hope.
“I wanted to show them that we could have fine dining in their area too,” he said. “There wasn’t much around, but we decided to not just put a restaurant in there, but do it with elegance.”
He said that he worked with the Hamilton Mill to find his current location, after eyeing the German Village area for about five years. The location is curated for the lunchtime business crowd, he said, with iced coffee and espresso drinks on the menu for the first time, free WiFi throughout the restaurant, and delivery available within a one-mile radius. Dining hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Thanksgiving is also his first wedding anniversary. His wife, Debra Neal, ran deli cafés at Proctor & Gamble and General Electric for 15 years, so their union brought “a power team together,” Neal said, that brings deli sandwiches with smoked cold cuts, homemade soups, chili, and specialty salads to Neal’s for the first time along with coffee.
Looking forward, Neal has his eye on franchises opening in the next three years in nearby West Chester Twp., Kentucky, Indiana, and as far as Georgia.
“I want to let them know that a local guy from Ohio has the Alabama blood and is bringing that cuisine back to Georgia,” he said.
Neal isn’t keeping to one project. He’s also looking to expand his road offerings with a custom smoker and concession trailer that he can bring to block parties and the RiversEdge Amphitheatre, and is filming a reality show with his brother, Jeff Neal, telling the stories of small businesses in Hamilton. A book, “A Journey of a Son,” is in the works, and by summer 2015, and he also hopes to start a culinary school for single parents in the restaurant.
Neal said he feels that the city of Hamilton has been more focused on helping small businesses in the past five years.
“Before, it was at a standstill,” he said. “But one of the things I like about the city of Hamilton, it never gives up. It keeps fighting and keeps striving.”
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