One State College restaurant closed, another opened and more September business news

Jessica McAllister
·4 min read

September brought a change of seasons as well as a number of business changes in Centre County, from openings and closings to announcements about what’s coming — and then, in one case, what’s not coming.

In downtown State College, HiWay Pizza and The Saloon shuttered, while Snappy’s ended its 25-year stretch in Centre Hall. The area also gained a new restaurant option when Marzoni’s Brick Oven & Brewing Co. opened following renovations to the North Atherton Street building.

There’s also a lot in the works in the Centre County business scene, with Pure Barre preparing to open a studio and LandPro Equipment breaking ground on a new location.

And Philadelphia icon Pat’s Steaks both announced a future location in Happy Valley and quickly reversed course.

Here’s an overview of some of the business news you might have missed from September:

Now open

  • Marzoni’s Brick Oven & Brewing Co. opened its first State College location on Sept. 7 at 1215 N. Atherton St. (the former TGI Fridays). The family-friendly restaurant that specializes in handmade brick oven pizzas, Italian American cuisine and beer from its own microbrewery also has locations in Duncansville, Altoona, Mechanicsburg and Selinsgrove.

  • Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, an elder law firm, opened an Altoona office at 1913 E. Pleasant Valley Blvd. That makes the sixth office for the law firm, which also has locations in State College, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Wyalusing and Wysox.

  • Steve Shannon Tire Company opened at the former Sears Auto Care at 183 Shiloh Road, State College. The family owned and operated company that started in Bloomsburg in 1988 has more than 30 retail locations and five warehouses. The State College location has nine service bays, according to a press release.

Closing their doors

  • The Centre Hall Snappy’s closed at the end of September “due to circumstances beyond our control,” company officials wrote to customers. The location, at 2893 Earlystown Road, had been open for more than 25 years.

  • Downtown State College staples HiWay Pizza Pub and The Saloon closed this month, with the owners directing customers to the HiWay Pizza location at 1301 W. College Ave. The restaurant and bar were owned by Dante’s Restaurant’s & Nightlife, and in a press release the company urged customers to stay tuned for updates on upcoming renovations and a 60th anniversary celebration.

  • The Green Drake Gallery and Arts Center in Millheim announced on Facebook that it will close Oct. 14. The Green Drake has been in a 130-year-old building at 101-B W. Main St. since opening in 2011. It has hosted art shows, music performances, poetry readings and receptions.

Change of plans

Just weeks after the owner of Pat’s Steaks told Philadelphia Magazine about plans to open a State College location, an announcement met by a wave of excitement on social media, he reversed course and said there’s been a change of plans. Owner Frank Olivieri told the magazine that he “simply reconsidered” but didn’t rule out the idea of expansion in the future.

Something new

Penn State Berkey Creamery announced it’s now offering dairy-free sorbet both in-store and online. A scoop of sorbet in-store costs the same as a scoop of ice cream at $6 and is currently available in cherry and lemon flavors.

Pure Barre is preparing to open a State College location at 19 Colonnade Way.
Pure Barre is preparing to open a State College location at 19 Colonnade Way.

Coming soon

  • Pure Barre is preparing to open a State College location at 19 Colonnade Way. The fitness studio will offer a variety of barre classes. It has a tentative opening time in late December, owner Erin Ruggles wrote in an email, and is offering a presale “Founders Member” rate of $99 a month for life for the first 100 members who sign up. Visit purebarre.com for more information.

  • Mount Nittany Health announced it plans to open a location in the Hills Plaza that would be open to everyone — not just Mount Nittany patients — and offer same-day care. It’s expected to open in the spring.

Acquisition

Ruppert Landscape announced the acquisition of Scott’s Landscaping, which has served the State College area for more than 30 years. Ruppert Landscape is headquartered in Laytonsville, Maryland, and has 33 branch locations in nine states.

Breaking ground

Authorized John Deere dealer LandPro Equipment broke ground Sept. 21 on its new 21,000-square-foot facility at the intersection of U.S. Route 322 and Summer Lane in Potter Township. The company expects the new location to be completed in summer 2024, and it will relocate from its current building at 2818 Earlystown Road.