From left to right, Gus Pine, Kathy Dahlkemper, Ben Wilson, Michael Miodis, Dezirae Miodis, Jeremy Peterson, Brendon Mendoza and Emily Fetcko cut the ribbon to the new Odis 12 location at the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority hub at 127 E. 14th St.
Nicholas Sorensen/Erie Times-New
USA TODAY Network, Reuters
Jeremy Peterson, CEO of the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, spoke of downtown revitalization during the Sept. 30 grand opening of the second location of Odis 12 Sports Bar & Grille in the EMTA joint operations facility complex at 127 E. 14th St.
“It was in this very room (on Aug. 25, 2025) that we announced that Odis 12 is coming to the EMTA in this complex, now known as the Mid City Strip,” Peterson said.
What Peterson described as a long-neglected area, is seeing new life with the addition of Odis 12.
“It’s not about what this means for the EMTA, it’s about what it means for the neighborhood and the city. It’s about the redevelopment efforts that have been going on for many years,” Peterson said. “This is a dream that has finally become a reality. Michael Miodis is our first tenant and if you’ve never been down here before, you’re missing out.”
What Odis 12 brings downtown
Because the 14th Street restaurant is Michael Miodis’ second Odis 12 location, visitors familiar with the West Side restaurant at 3702 W. 12th St., can expect a similar experience.
“We’re excited to be here and feed the downtown community and be in the heart of the city,” Miodis said. “Over here we’re by more businesses so hopefully we will have more business lunches and happy hours. The menu will be pretty much the same, but we do plan on switching it up a bit down the road.”
When Peterson introduced Miodis at the news conference on Sept. 30, he said Miodis wanted to ensure everything was ready before opening to the public. That included a soft opening from Miodis the week before the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“It was emotional from the standpoint of all the hard work and dedication and the sleepless nights it took to get this done,” Peterson said. “Even Miodis will tell you it’s been an emotional process. It took a while to get this up and running but that’s because Mike is a businessman who wants to make this transition seamless and ensure it’s going to work. He works out the bugs and makes sure all that goes into a restaurant is functioning and the food is good and so is the atmosphere.”
The Odis 12 project involved a $1.3 million investment from Miodis, and more than a year of planning and construction. For the Mid City Strip, the EMTA has invested $76 million with help from federal funds.
The partnership was announced in August 2025.
“It’s been a long couple of months both mentally and physically,” Miodis said.
More to come for the Mid City Strip
Peterson said more tenants are expected to come to the Mid City Strip.
“We have some tenant space,” Peterson said. “Right now we have some interest, but I’m sure after this it will spark even more. Nothing public yet but I’m sure in the near future we will have another announcement.”
Peterson also noted a proposal involving a shuttle and Erie Events.
Under the proposal, patrons could park on 14th Street near the EMTA hub, and then take the shuttle downtown to an event such as an Erie Otters game or a show at the Warner Theatre.
“They are preliminary discussions right now, but what we’re contemplating is similar to their entertainment loop where we have a bunch of events at the Warner Theatre, the Erie Otters games, concerts at the arena,” Gus Pine, executive director of Erie Events, said. “Odis 12 and whatever comes to this building in the future is a great connection with our events. This would be a great spot for people to come to before a hockey game. They’ll have dinner and park here where it’s easier to park and then be able to be shuttled back and forth.”
Pine said he hopes that the shuttle will begin operating before the end of the Erie Otters season.
Contact Nicholas Sorensen at Nsorensen@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Odis 12 Bar & Grille brings new energy to Erie downtown revitalization
Reporting by Nicholas Sorensen, Erie Times-News / Erie Times-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Jeremy Peterson, CEO of the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, welcomes Michael Miodis (center) and Odis 12 to the Mid City Strip at 127 E. 14th St. Miodis sits next to EMTA board chairman Ben Wilson. Nicholas Sorensen/Erie Times-New USA TODAY Network, Reuters
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This story was originally published September 30, 2026 at 3:47 PM.