The lot is said to be the site of Beatty's Tavern in the early 1800s, which at times was used as the original Greene County court. (The current Greene County Court house now being across the street.)
The tavern has long since disappeared, and the building now housing Oasis Cafe was built in 1867 as the First National Bank. The original bank building, built in 1834 by the bank's founder John Hivling, is still located south of this building at the other corner of the block, and is now home to Mi Lady's Beauty Salon, the Enchanted Hourglass giftshop, and the Salvation Army.
The First National Bank eventually was renamed the Xenia National Bank. In 1943 it expanded by building onto the lot east of the corner, with the construction matching the original 1867 style so well, that today it is difficult to tell the two halves were built 76 years apart. By 1955, the bank needed even more space and moved into its third new building about two blocks farther east. Xenia National Bank eventually became Security Bank. (To commemorate this small part of Xenia's history, the parent company of Oasis Cafe took the name Xenia National, LLC, and Oasis Cafe's gift certificates are based on the design of the original bank checks issued when the building was first built.)
After the money moved out, food moved in. Frisch's Restaurant moved into the corner building after the bank vacated and altered the front by adding stainless steel trim and corrugated metal panels, typical of that period, apparently so it wouldn't appear to still be a bank. Since then, the corner has housed a variety of restaurants, until a brief period in the late 80s to mid 90s when a church group met there for several years. It became a restaurant again in 1997 when Bill and Annette Mangan started Oasis Cafe. For the first 3 or 4 years, Oasis Cafe occupied only the corner building, and had limited seating.
Meanwhile, the other (east half) of the building, which had it's own entrance, housed a card shop in the 60s. The latest occupant was a tanning salon. When the tanning salon left, Oasis Cafe expanded into that part of the building after converting it into a dining room.
Oasis Cafe is currently owned and operated by Sonja and Mike Pershing, who are maintaining most of the same menu items made popular by the Mangans, who also founded the Oasis Cafe 'n Pub in the University Shops across from Wright State University.
Mike Pershing