Bennett’s Publical Family Sports Grill:

I have been to this family sports bar and grill in Miamisburg, Ohio, many times. This place has THE BEST PIZZA EVER! However, did you know it’s haunted?

The first time I went to Miamisburg, just southwest of Dayton, my daughter and I were having a mother-daughter shopping day. We were just down the street from Bennett’s when I discovered this fabulous restaurant. The building was erected about 1917. My daughter and I walked in and ordered pizza, sweet potato fries, and mozzarella sticks. Wow! It was the best meal we ever tasted!

But, as much as we enjoyed ourselves and our meal, I just couldn’t shake a feeling that something bad had happened in the past upstairs in the building. It was very strange. Something like this had never happened to me before. In fact, it was such a strong feeling that I did something I have never done before, and told the waitress I was sensing a male spirit upstairs to the back left of the building and that he had possibly died in a fire.

My daughter thought I was crazy but the waitress didn’t. She actually was quite excited. She told me that no one else knew about the male spirit but some of the staff, and years ago the manager, had experienced seeing a man in a mirror upstairs. That man must have been the male I was sensing. Somehow, throughout our meal, I just couldn’t shake the strong feelings of sadness and being trapped.

Months later, I came back with my brother, and I felt the same. But this time it was almost like I had gotten used to the feelings. I have dined at Bennett’s many times since those first two experiences.

However, a few months ago I went back seeking evidence so I took my EMF-reader and was ready to see if there were other spirits. I had a feeling there were. I walked in with a friend who is a true sensitive and we ordered pizza, of course. Then I asked the waitress about the spirit upstairs, telling her what had happened to me years before while dining at the restaurant and told her that I was writing a blog article about these experiences. She was not surprised.

She told me that years ago, the manager had a friend who was interested in the spirit and wanted to go up and experience it herself. When they got up to the second floor, which is now used as a banquet room, they took a picture in front of a mirror. What they saw in the photo astonished them. The figure of a man was looking back at them in the mirror. This was what the first waitress had told me when I spoke about it years ago. I was comforted now that I wasn’t the only one who felt the strong presence of the male spirit on the second floor.

          After talking with the waitress, I contacted the manager and we had a great conversation about Bennett’s. She has experienced a lot of things in Bennett’s but nothing threatening. “The spirits just like to hang out,” spoke the manager.  She says she is open and kind to the ghost upstairs when she feels his presence, which is mostly when she and the staff are setting up for a banquet on the second floor.

However, the ghost has been sensed by other customers before. I was not the only one! Years ago, when the restaurant first opened, the manager says a waitress sought her out to tell her that a guest in the banquet room, had sensed the male spirit and insisted on changing tables to be further away. “She didn’t like the feeling,” the waitress told the manager. Other customers have also told the staff that they have sensed the spirit over the years.

          But was there another spirit in Bennett’s Publical?  

          Another thing I felt the day of our mother-daughter afternoon was a strange presence in the bathroom on the first floor. My daughter and I went into the bathroom before leaving for our long drive home. While in the bathroom, we sensed we were certainly not alone!

          

           So when I went back recently, I was ready! I brought my EMF-reader and walked the long hall to the bathroom. As I walked, I started picking up on something that lit up my reader. I entered the bathroom and as soon as I walked under a large archway, my EMF-reader lit up like it was Christmas! After a few moments, the reader suddenly went dark. I did a full sweep of the bathroom and my reader didn’t go off again until I went into one of the stalls. As soon as I closed the stall door behind me, it lit up again and this time it stayed lit for 8 minutes!

After the lights went out on my EMF-reader, I walked out of the stall and did another sweep of the small space. Once again my EMF-reader lit up, but this time, over the sink! It had not done that before. I looked around the bathroom to see if was caused by old or loose wiring, or possibly high EMF, but when attempting this, it never went off.

          

           As I left the bathroom, I walked back under the large archway and my reader lit up one last time for about 2 minutes before it turned off. I think the spirit must have liked me and was simply bidding me a goodbye, until my next visit.

          

          Walking out of the bathroom, I then walked down the hallway toward the backdoor. I was doing a sweep of the area when my EMF-reader went off again right in front of an office door. Again I looked for wiring or electric outlets but there weren’t any. The spirit apparently resided in the middle of the hallway near that door. My reader didn’t go off anywhere else in the rest of the restaurant. I was not able to go up to the second floor that day, perhaps one day I will!

         

          So would I recommend visiting Bennett’s Publical Family Sports Grill in Miamisburg, Ohio? That would be a big fat YES!!! After our social distancing restrictions are lifted, of course.  If you don’t want to visit to encounter a spirit or two, you should at least go for the amazing food!  If you love the paranormal, this is truly the best spot for a bit of action while you chow down!

The paranormal spirits as well as the drinks inside the bar are nice. No matter which type of spirit you prefer, you simply MUST try the pizza!

©Rosella C. Rowe

Disclaimer:

This article was written from the author’s personal experience and perspective only. The article itself and all in it, are not an endorsement. The views from this article are the authors alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of the: people, business, or place, and/or building of subject.