Chi Chi's locations near sale
Two more Chi Chi's restaurant sites in Allegheny County are about to change ownership.
The former Chi Chi's on Rt. 19 in Upper St. Clair has a potential buyer who wants to demolish the building and replace it with a two-story structure housing both retail and office space.
And the former Chi Chi's on Rt. 51 in Pleasant Hills has been purchased by a local company that plans to demolish it and replace it with two one-story buildings.
Steve Sherman, owner of Pittsburgh Chili Kings LLC, who purchased the Pleasant Hills site from Mid America Properties LP for $1.2 million, said he expects a Bob Evans Restaurant will occupy one building and a bank, possibly Dollar Bank, the other.
The Upper St. Clair Chi Chi's, owned by Richard and Dom Palombo, is under sales agreement with Win Upper St. Clair Florida LP. It plans to place a bank, restaurant, Starbuck Coffee shop and other retailers on the first floor and have offices on the second, said Matt Serakowski, township assistant manager.
No sales price was disclosed. The buyer also is building a Walgreen's on the site of a former Houlihan Restaurant, also on Rt. 19 in Bethel Park.
Upper St. Clair's Planning Commission has approved the change, said Shannon Miller, township planning and zoning administrator.
A public hearing on the proposal before the township commissioners is scheduled May 2. A second hearing, required by the township, is scheduled June 6.
Recently, Frisch's Restaurant Inc., based in Cincinnati, purchased the Chi Chi's restaurant site at 3951 William Penn Highway (Rt. 22) and Duff Road, Monroeville, for in excess of $1.7 million.
Frisch's has demolished the structure and will replace it with a new building housing a Golden Corral Restaurant, the second to be opened by the company in this region. When completed, the restaurant will seat about 378 and employ about 200.
A Frisch's Golden Corral is scheduled to open June 6 in South Uniontown Township, Fayette County.
A Golden Corral open for two years near the Mall at Robinson, in Robinson, is owned by another company.
There were eight Chi Chi's restaurants in the region until they were closed last year, following an outbreak of Hepatitis A at the Beaver Valley Mall outlet that affected 660 people and resulted in the deaths of four.
For $42.5 million, Outback Steakhouse Inc. obtained the rights to buy 76 Chi Chi's sites across the nation. John Ahrendt, an Outback real estate specialist, sold the Butler and Hermitage sites to Kimco, a New York-based real estate investment trust, and has been attempting to sell a location on East Pittsburgh Street in Greensburg.
Ahrendt said Outback is considering keeping the Ross site on McKnight Road for its use.
