From diner and bank to burgers and shakes: 2 new restaurants taking shape in State College
As one door closes, another door opens.
Or, in the case of West College Avenue in downtown State College, two doors are soon to open. Restaurants Hello Bistro and BRGR are set to open this fall.
Construction is in full swing in both locations, with the former Ye Olde College Diner demolished and the former Citizens Bank getting a complete remodeling.
Hello Bistro, a division of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, is bringing salads and burgers to the mix of fast casual downtown fare.
“The concept is really great for a lot of different environments, but especially a college environment,” said Kevin O’Connell, chief marketing officer for Eat’n Park.
The restaurant, set to go up in the former Ye Olde College Diner location, will feature build-your-own and signature salads and burgers. Salads have a choice of over 50 ingredients, with extra cost for protein and avocado. For busy college students and downtown employees, O’Connell said, the restaurant will offer online ordering and pickup.
The West College Avenue location is the first Hello Bistro to open in Centre County, with seven in Pittsburgh, one in Cleveland, Ohio and another one opening in Cleveland soon.
Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, which owns several restaurants including the eponymous Eat’n Park, has a restaurant in Altoona, but its State College location closed in 2015.
“We’ve been looking, really, for an opportunity to get back there, and we thought Hello Bistro would be perfect for State College,” O’Connell said.
Former Eat’n Park CEO Jim Broadhurst, current owner Jeffrey Broadhurst’s father, served as chairman on the Penn State board of trustees and has a strong connection to the area, he said.
Building design will include a sizable eat-in area and feature some Penn State elements in the decor, he said. “It’s really designed based on that freshness and it’s also kind of a fun, irreverant ... brand.”
Hello Bistro plans to open in the fall, but doesn’t have specifics yet “because construction timelines are variable,” O’Connell said.
Right next door at 122 W. College Ave., Pittsburgh-based BRGR is bringing burgers, salads, shakes and more to the former Citizens Bank building.
Spokesperson Dan Ayer said the restaurant is targeting an opening date of Sept. 9 “to be open for the beginning of football season.”
Customers will have the opportunity for build-your-own or signature burgers with toppings that range from banana peppers to peanut butter. Milkshakes come traditionally, with flavors like fruity pebbles and cookies and cream, and spiked with alcohol, Ayer said.
Appetizers, according to BRGR’s menu, include tacos, poutine, mac’n cheese and chicken and waffles.
“Our chef-driven burger offerings are well thought out and, you know, the ingredients make for some really special burgers,” said Rick Stern, partner at S&P Restaurant Group, which owns BRGR. “... We use the best products we can find. High quality meat, high quality hot dogs. Our chef focuses on making sure we use the best quality products available.”
Stern said the restaurant’s interior will be Americana-themed with concrete countertops, metal accents and some design elements incorporated from the former bank — like the vault, safety deposit boxes and deposit box doors and keys.
“We just think it’s gonna be a great store,” he said. “We’re really excited about being there and the way it’s going to work.”
Stern said S&P Restaurant Group had wanted to open a State College location for years, and were close to signing a lease at The Metropolitan, when they found the Citizens Bank location had just closed.
“We kind of fell in love with it,” he said. “We just think our product and our brand ... this type of ... casual restaurant is really a perfect fit for the demographics in State College.”
The restaurant will seat about 125 people with a room for private dining. “This is a bar meets restaurant gastro-pub type of vibe,” said Ayer.
“I think people will like our food and I think the atmosphere’s going to be great,” said Stern.
This story was originally published August 7, 2019 at 6:56 AM.
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