Raiders for life

When you walk into the recently opened Tom & Dot’s at 36A S. Main St. in Miamisburg, it won’t take you long to notice the large display of photos and the family’s long history of serving customers.

Wright State University alumni Kathy and Gregg Klein opened Tom & Dot’s Gelato Shop as a tribute to Kathy’s grandparents, who owned a root beer stand in Indiana.

Tom McGrath told his granddaughter that she would be the next person in the family to open a frozen treat business. He was right, and Klein opened Tom & Dot’s on June 3.

Klein wanted to honor her grandparents and her family’s Italian heritage by serving gelato, a traditional Italian treat that tastes smooth and soft and contains less air than ice cream, which is denser.

Wright State University alumni Kathy and Gregg Klein recently opened Tom & Dot’s Gelato Shop.

The shop offers 16 flavors of gelato, coffee and artisan gelato sandwiches. Patrons can combine their love of coffee and gelato and order an Affogato, which contains espresso and Madagascar vanilla bean gelato. And, of course, you can order a root beer float.

“Gelato is udder deliciousness,” said Klein.

Kathy Klein graduated from Wright State with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, while Gregg Klein graduated from Wright State with a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s degree in education.

Gregg, who played on Wright State’s men’s soccer team, said the university played a huge role in their lives and gave them the tools they needed to open a gelato business.

Gregg Klein shows off his Rowdy Raider tattoo outside of Tom & Dot’s Gelato Shop in Miamisburg.

“I’m definitely a Raider for life,” said Gregg Klein, pointing to a tattoo of Rowdy Raider kicking a soccer ball near his calf.

The Kleins began dating while working at the former Burbank’s BBQ restaurant near Wright State’s Dayton Campus.

“We know how to give good customer service,” said Gregg. “That was one of the things we wanted to bring to Tom and Dot’s.”

Thanks to the recent renovations in downtown Miamisburg and plans for a splash pad and amphitheater at Riverfront Park located only a few footsteps away, the Kleins are confident in Tom & Dot’s future.

“It’s so nice, we have a lot of foot traffic,” said Klein.