Oliver House celebrates 150 years

of history, brews, and food

This year, the Oliver House celebrates its 150th birthday. With this milestone, The Downtown Toledo landmark, bounded by Broadway and Ottawa Streets, is taking the opportunity to cast a new light on the operations in the historical property. Built in 1859, the pre-Civil War building initially served as a hotel for the young city of Toledo. Now, it is home to several restaurants and event spaces, a theater company and art gallery, and a handful of residential units.

Karen Lucas has been working as the manager of the Oliver House Complex for about six months. She was brought on to manage the facility and oversee the relocation of Petit Fours Patisserie and Café after the business, formerly located in Perrysburg, was bought by Oliver House owners Pat and Jim Appold. She shares the renewed vision of the Oliver House: “We have to have wonderful food, wonderful beer, and consistently great service.” The new look of the Oliver House includes several refurbished spaces, in addition to new logos and a new website, with improved email marketing of events and menus.

On Ottawa Street, visitors of the new-to-Toledo Petit Fours Patisserie and coffee shop (formerly in Perrysburg) enter through what was once the women’s entrance to the hotel. In the Patisserie, a palette of pink, white, and black create a warm space to enjoy artisanal pastries, from cookies, scones, and brownies to cupcakes and petits fours. There are also savory treats available, including a special recipe deviled egg. The Patisserie is also known for its custom cakes, made to order for weddings and birthdays. The comfortable space welcomes patrons of The Cafe, an offshoot that serves great soups and sandwiches made from scratch. The Patisserie and coffee shop are open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and The Cafe serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Another entrance on Ottawa Street takes visitors into Rockwell’s Lounge, a bar overlooking the Maumee River. “With a view like this, you could be anywhere in the world,” says Lucas. Rockwell’s continues its elegant steakhouse tradition, serving USDA prime cut beef, among the finest selections served in the area.

While the Oliver House may be moving away from being known primarily as the home of the Maumee Bay Brewing Company, it is still an integral part of the business. The Brewing Company is still in operation as the only local microbrewery, and is the exclusive brewer and bottler of Buckeye Beer.

Maumee Bay Brew Pub, on the second floor of the Oliver House, offers a unique atmosphere, with its high ceilings and view inside an operating brewery. The Toledo Brewing Hall of Fame and Museum is on display, with hundreds of historic beer paraphernalia items, as well as tributes to, and biographies of, those who created Toledo’s brewing tradition. The Brew Pub’s signature dish, pizzas created in its wood-fired oven, will soon return to the menu.
In addition to the restaurants, coffeeshop and brewery, the Oliver House is also home to many unique and historic event and banquet spaces. One of these is the newly refurbished original lobby of the hotel. The building is also home to seven townhouses with panoramic views of the Maumee River and Downtown Toledo. The South Wing of the Oliver House, home to the North Coast Theater company and an art gallery, was once the men’s entrance to the historic hotel building.
With its rich history, the Oliver House Complex is a landmark of the Toledo community – one that is still thriving with new business and new life. It’s hard to enjoy the beauty of its structure and its story without wondering what the next century will bring.