Arlecchino fills a large order for more space
Rick Shrum/Observer-Reporter
Arlecchino Ristorante in Peters Township has expanded its operations.
Rick Shrum/Observer-Reporter
Arlecchino Ristorante in Peters Township underwent an 1,800-square-foot expansion that added dining space, enlarged the kitchen and provided more parking.
Jonathan Vlasic did not have to expand Arlecchino Ristorante, his upscale Italian dining destination in Peters Township, to ramp up business during the pandemic. But he was committed to making it roomier.
“I run on passion and we aspire to be the best,” said the sole owner of the restaurant, which sits along Camp Lane off Route 19. “We want to be relevant and give customers more.
“We have no loans, no debt. I could have ridden things out . . . then I spent a half-million dollars.”
That half-million went toward an 1,800-square-foot expansion that added dining space, enlarged the kitchen and provided more parking. Planning director Ed Zuk said the township issued the building permit Aug. 21 and the certificate of occupancy this month, meaning the renovation is essentially finished.
But not quite. Vlasic is still another business owner who is dealing with supply issues.
“We’re waiting for glass for the wine room and it probably will be another six weeks,” he said. “Do I consider it done? Yes. Is it completely done? No.”
Vlasic, who resides in Ambridge, is one of the chefs, which points to another supply issue.
“We need a couple of cooks to fill all of the stations on the list,” he said. “We want culinarians who aspire to be chefs.”
He also owns a sister restaurant in the Allentown section of Pittsburgh, named Alla Famiglia, which also specializes in Italian cuisine.
Arlecchino, which opened for business in September 2011, is easily recognizable from Washington Road. It sits in a valley below the highway and resembles a schoolhouse of long ago – which it was. The structure dates to 1907.
The building, which is owned by a general contractor, Tom Robinson, was an upscale dining location in its previous incarnation as well. Owners Sean and Chuck Davis had christened it Classroom Restaurant.
Arlecchino is open for dinner only, from 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday – or until the last reservation. Private parties can be scheduled for Sunday.
Gas prices
Western Pennsylvania gasoline prices trickled down slightly from the previous week.
A gallon of unleaded self-serve cost $3.548, AAA East Central reported on Monday. That was three-tenths of a cent lower than a week earlier.
By contrast, the average price of petrol during the week of Jan. 25, 2021, was $2.735 – 77.6 cents cheaper per gallon.
The agency monitors prices in 23 cities and towns in the region, including Washington, which posted a significant decrease. The greater Washington area’s average was $3.478, down 6.0 cents from a week earlier. That was seventh-lowest in the region. Uniontown’s price was $3.556.
Brookville ($3.349) had the lowest average, followed by DuBois ($3.364). Mercer ($3.583) had the priciest fuel.
Pennsylvania’s average was $3.525, nearly 20 cents more than the national average of $3.33.
Fuel nationwide was up two cents from the previous week, five cents from a month ago, and 94 cents more expensive year over year. AAA blamed the jumps on the rising price for oil – around $85 per barrel, a $20 increase from November.
Greene County
Greene County Chamber of Commerce announced small business expansion loans are available through the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. The commission is offering the loans at an interest rate of 1% through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Revolving Loan Fund.
These loans are open to small businesses in the region that want to finance a building purchase, an equipment purchase or do a renovation project. For more information, call Steve Meredith of the SPC at 412-391-5590 Ext. 325, or Don Chappel at the Greene County Industrial Development Corporation, 724-852-2965).