New pizzeria coming to Monroe Ave.
A new business — but one that’s been around since the late 1950s — is coming to the site of a closed Dunkin Donuts at 1760 Monroe Ave., Brighton.
A proposal to turn the location into a Pizza Hut with dine-in and curbside pickup service was granted a conditional use permit June 21 by the Brighton Planning Board.
Three-hundred square feet of space will be added to the building to create a restaurant with seating for around 40 people.
Three parking spots on the property’s north side, and two overflow spaces on its west side, will accommodate curbside customers who will be required to place orders on an app. (Only dine-in customers will be able to place orders on-site.)
Workers will deliver food to curbside customers through a sliding door.
Plans originally submitted to the town in April by developer Tasty Hut LLC included a drive-thru lane for pickup.
Because of the site’s small size, that setup would have required securing multiple zoning variances, said Rick DiStefano, senior planner for Brighton. So, the plans were revised to eliminate the drive-thru.
The developer has not indicated when construction will begin or how long it will take.
There are a dozen Pizza Hut locations in the greater Rochester area, but only three have dining rooms.
The Dunkin Donuts, next door to The Sheffield pub and near Brighton’s Twelve Corners, closed during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic and never reopened.
Two other pizza places are in the vicinity of where the new Pizza Hut will go: a Pontillo’s and Joe’s Brooklyn Pizza.
A third, Ken’s Pizza Corner, closed in May after 12 years.
In a story published last week, Restaurant Business noted that although the Pizza Hut brand has struggled for years, recent comeback efforts, including the launch of foldable Melts pizza, have boosted sales.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New Pizza Hut coming to vacant Dunkin Donuts site in Brighton NY
