Tarentum Train Station closes

The Tarentum Station restaurant and bar has closed and the historic landmark is up for lease.

Restaurant owner John Azzara asked Tarentum Borough, which owns the former train station, to terminate his lease, according to Borough Manager Bill Rossey.

The termination was made official Friday.

"It was his decision to close the restaurant, not ours," Rossey said. "We were willing to do anything and everything we could to help John Azzara."

Azzara cited "personal reasons" as to why he closed the restaurant.

"I've been mulling over this decision for a while," Azzara said.

Council President Carl Magnetta said that two restaurant owners are heavily interested in leasing the building.

He expects council to discuss a deal sometime between now and council's Sept. 17 meeting.

"We will have someone in there," Magnetta said. "That (Sept. 17) will be the latest."

Magnetta said that Azzara was, at one time, a very good tenant, but now it's time to move forward.

"John had a tremendous business at one time," Magnetta said. "I don't want to dwell on it."

Tarentum Station apparently has struggled for some time.

The restaurant's liquor license expired May 31 and was not renewed.

On July 16, borough council voted to threatened TICA Inc., of which Azzara is the president, with eviction from the building if $6,000 in past due utility bills and rent were not paid. Azzara paid that money, but still owed for August, Rossey said.

Azzara took over operation of the restaurant from a previous owner, signing his first lease with the borough in August 1994.

He said that the restaurant's business declined 50 percent over the past two years. He also said that he feels the opening of the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer and its numerous outlying restaurants and, more recently, the Route 28 construction project, are key reasons for the drop in business.

Azzara said the one thing he will remember most about his customers is that they were "very, very loyal."

"I have mixed emotions," said Azzara, who resides in the South Hills. "I'm really upset for my employees.

"I'll miss the people in the area. I'll miss my customers. I made a lot of friends here who I hope will stay good friends."

Azzara employed six full-time employees and 16 part-time workers. He said that not only the Tarentum Station, but a number of small businesses throughout the region will continue suffering from larger chains that are built, including the Pittsburgh Mills shopping complex.

"It really affected a lot of the small businesses in this area that have now either closed or relocated," Azzara said. "It's hard to compete with big chains with either advertising or big marketing."

Azzara's company owned all inside portions of the restaurant, including tables, chairs and all features that made the building a restaurant. The only thing he said he doesn't own is the building, itself.

Azzara said that he installed the water units for the building even though they are considered part of the building.

Looking to the future, Azzara said that he wishes to get back into the restaurant business.

"I've always been involved in the restaurant business," Azzara said.

Mike Mallory can be reached at mmallory@tribweb.com. Assistant City Editor Dave Williams contributed to this report.

Additional Information:

About Tarentum Station

The building has been designated a historic landmark by the Tarentum History and Landmarks Foundation.

According to the foundation's bronze plaque on the building, the train station was originally built in 1892 to serve the Pennsylvania Railroad and was moved to its location between Corbet and Lock streets in 1913. Among the nationally known people who stopped there were Kit Carson, William Jennings Bryan, Carrie Nation and President William Howard Taft.

It continued as a working commuter train station until about 1960.