Slippery Rock has 4 new eateries
SLIPPERY ROCK — Downtown Slippery Rock is going through something of a transformation with several new businesses opening up, including four new eating establishments.
Mayor Ken Harris said this is a large number of new businesses to be opening in a short period of time.
He noted all of the places that have opened or are opening are in locations that have had businesses close in the past.
“It's good to see those in business again,” Harris said.
La Famiglia Pizza and Pasta House opened just last week.
Owner Mike Szurek said that he has worked in the food industry for 20 years and he jumped at the opportunity to open his own restaurant.
“I just love cooking,” Szurek said.
The restaurant, located at 354 S. Main St., is in the same location as the former Luigi's restaurant, which closed in March. The menu features traditional American and Italian food.
“I'm trying to go for a more authentic Italian flavor than a lot of the general places,” Szurek said.
He said he has tried to throw a few twists in the menu, such as the candied bacon club, which he said adds a sweeter flavor to a traditional club sandwich.
He said the restaurant has been busy since its doors opened.
“Word travels fast around here,” Szurek said.
Inferno Pizzeria opened in mid-June.
The shop, owned by Matt and Liza Hovis, is located at 126 S. Main St. in the same building as Hovis' last business, Matt Hovis Photography.He said he got out of the photography business due to technology and industry changes.“It's a profession that isn't as lucrative as it used to be,” Matt Hovis said.The couple brainstormed and decided to open a restaurant. Matt decided that he wanted pizza and Liza branched out the menu.Liza Hovis has a culinary background, having taken culinary classes and being a certified personal chef. She came up with some of the more unusual pizzas as well as the idea of selling pizza by the slice.“We weren't just trying to be another pizza shop,” she said.In addition to traditional pizzas like pepperoni, the restaurant also features pizzas such as strawberry balsamic and chicken, and French onion.Matt Hovis said the brick oven is the “heart” of the restaurant.“It makes the pizza more classic, I think,” he said.Rock-N-Yogurt, which sells frozen yogurt, opened in May.Ken Boring, who owns the store with his brother Dale, said that it made sense to open up a frozen dessert store in the borough.“There was really nothing (in terms of ice cream) here for miles,” Boring said. “The response from the local people is just crazy.”The store features eight rotating flavors of frozen yogurt and about 35 different toppings. Customers get a bowl and are allowed to fill it with any combination of yogurt flavors and toppings.Before this, Ken Boring was a mechanic and Dale Boring was an athletic trainer.“(We were) looking to do something different,” Boring said. “Tired of the same old grind.”Not open yet is Rooster's Coffee Bar, which will be located at 150 S. Main St. It will serve gourmet coffee and homemade baked goods.The store is being opened by Brian and Bob McCafferty. Baked goods both will be on site and across the street at the North Country Brewing Co., which Bob McCafferty owns.“It's going to be a pretty busy bakery,” Brian McCafferty said.Although the bakery will be a priority, he said that the gourmet coffee is the big focus.“That's our main goal,” McCafferty said.He said that he has gotten a lot of positive feedback about the store.“I think it's going to be very well received,” McCafferty said.He said that he hopes to open as soon as possible, but is not sure exactly when.“We're just not having an exact date at this point,” McCafferty said.Bill Sonntag, president of Slippery Rock Development, said that all four restaurants are good businesses to have on Main Street.“We're very happy with the storefronts being filled up, that's for sure,” Sonntag said. “I think that's a real plus for Main Street.”Additionally, work continues on a new Sheetz store at the corner of Main and Franklin streets. The project is expected to take six months to complete. The new store will replace the Sheetz at Main and Cooper streets.
