A restaurant popular for its barbecue and vegan specialties and vintage auto garage-themed decor plans to open a third location in the former Teddy's Restaurant on Route 30, which closed last week after nearly 36 years.
The owners of the Double Wide Grill in Pittsburgh's South Side and in Mars in Butler County, plan a “roadside attraction” theme for their North Huntingdon location.
“Before it became Teddy's, there was a Howard Johnson's in that location,” said Steve Zumoff, one of the Double Wide Grill's owners. “We liked the idea of a place where people would jump off the turnpike while traveling to get something to eat, so we thought we'd go for that kind of feel.”
Zumoff said an original Howard Johnson logo that was found embedded in the floor when crews started demolition inside the 6,500-square-foot building will be incorporated into the restaurant along with — if permitted — a replica of the “Muffler Man,” a 15- to 25-foot-tall fiberglass statue that was widely used in advertising during the early 1960s.
Depending on how long renovations take, the Double Wide Grill could be open by mid-summer, he said.
“We're excited about opening in that location,” he said. “It's a busy area in a growing community.”
Zumoff said Teddy's last owners, David and Christine Kostkas, sold the business because they had trouble staying profitable.
“They weren't making it,” Zumoff said. “I guess to a lot of people, it just wasn't Teddy's anymore after the original owner was gone.”
The Kostkases could not be reached for comment.
Teddy's was opened in 1979 by Theodore “Teddy” Karcher Jr. of North Huntingdon, who operated the restaurant until his death in 2006 at age 52.
Although the restaurant added a digital marquee in 2012, it hadn't changed much after Karcher's death.
In a community with an evolving restaurant scene, Teddy's owed nearly $24,000 in delinquent business taxes to North Huntingdon.
Zumoff said the Kostkases “cleared up” the delinquent taxes when ownership of the building changed hands. A spokeswoman for the township tax office said Tuesday that the municipality had not yet received a check.
Rich Gray, chairman of the North Huntingdon board of commissioners and a longtime Teddy's customer, noted the difficulties the restaurant faced after its founder died.
“Mr. Karcher made Teddy's very well-known,” Gray said. “After his passing, it was still very good but never seemed quite the same without his special touch. We were longtime customers. I'm sorry to see them close.”
Despite the loss of a fixture in the community, Gray said he “looks forward” to the Double Wide Grill's opening.
“It's a great location,” he said. “I wish them well.”
Zumoff said menu items such as vegan pulled pork and wings made from the wheat-based meat substitute seitan has helped build the local chain's popularity.
“People like to be able to go out for dinner and not worry that there's nothing on the menu for their vegan and vegetarian family and friends,” he said.
Tony LaRussa is a Trib Total Media staff writer.
