Southwest Ohio air base, college, draw international businesses
12/30/2012RIVERSIDE, Ohio — A massive military base and a nearby university in southwest Ohio are helping feed the growth of ethnic restaurants and other international businesses.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University are both near Dayton and have strong international influences from foreign-born employees, students and visitors. The Dayton Daily News reports that ethnic restaurants and groceries are flourishing in the Riverside and Fairborn areas.
Wright-Patterson is Ohio's largest military base, and has some 29,000 military and civilian employees. A base spokesman says besides foreign-born employees and liaison officers, many military personnel have served overseas and enjoy the international businesses.
Riverside is home to Puerto Rican, Lebanese, Greek and Japanese restaurants, among others. Grocery stores offer everything from Mexican to Cambodian specialties.