It might have taken a little longer than planned, but the Gamble Mill in Bellefonte is back in business.
And for those of you worried about changes, you’ll find very little of it here, said Dave Fonash, one of the new owners.
Fonash and Paul Kendeffy, with a silent partner, announced plans to purchase the restaurant at 160 Dunlap St. last fall. They own Zola New World Bistro in State College and Alto in Lemont.
The partners also plan to open the Mount Hill Tavern in Harrisburg, where renovations are under way and the project is on schedule to open in early June.
He said they were drawn to the Gamble Mill because its historic building is just such a “neat” property.
Fonash said that there have been no structural or interior changes, but the restaurant has gone smoke-free. Much of the same staff is back to serve customers.
For those concerned about the food, yes, the menu has been tweaked, making the menu a little less contemporary and a little more traditional — a style Fonash describes as “rustic American” — but the changes are minor, he said.
“People are going to be able to find a lot of the things they found on the old menu,” he said.
The Gamble Mill will be open Monday through Saturday. Lunch hours begin at 11:30 a.m., with the last seating at 2 p.m. The bar opens at 5 p.m. and seating for dinner starts at 5:30. The last reservation for dinner will be at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Spring Fitness
The timing was right for Aaron and Kendra Spring.
The couple recently opened Spring Fitness at 3208 Benner Pike on the outskirts of Bellefonte. They also operated Underground Sun, a tanning business.
Aaron Spring said that the location, which had operated as a fitness facility in the past, became available and they decided to step into the fitness business.
He said that he wasn’t impressed with what other facilities in the area were offering.
A key goal was to purchase the most modern and up-to-date technology available, Spring said.
The facility has a cardio theater room, with treadmills, ellipticals, steppers and exercise bikes. A perk of the newer equipment is that customers can bring headphones, plug them into a machine and watch any of the numerous televisions without disturbing others, he said.
There’s also a full weight room.
“It just keeps getting busier every day,” he said.
The gym is open Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.
For more information, call 355-3700 or e-mail SpringFitness@hotmail.com.
Rita’s freebies
Thursday might be the first day of spring — but it might be too cold for this freebie I’m about to share.
As per tradition, Rita’s Italian Ice will hand out free Italian ices to mark the beginning of spring.
From noon until 9 p.m., visitors at Rita’s, 119 E. Beaver Ave. in State College, will receive a free 10-ounce cup of Italian Ice in your choice of flavor, including a new birthday cake cream ice, which will be added to the menu Thursday as the company marks its “Sweet 16.”
‘Mad Money’ at PSU
“Mad Money with Jim Cramer,” a CNBC investing show, will be at Penn State on March 26 as the first stop on the show’s 2008 “Back to School Tour.”
The show will tape at Eisenhower Auditorium — with an audience consisting of mostly Penn State students — and air on CNBC at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. that day.
There are a limited number of tickets available to the public. Visit www.cnbc.com/id/16179714/site/14081545/ to learn more.
If you’re interested, I would check this out relatively soon. Student tickets become available on Tuesday, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Jennifer Thomas can be reached at 231-4638.