Here's the new tenants coming to the Street at the Meadows

Tim Schooley
Pittsburgh Business Times

An Emporio: A Meatball Joint restaurant is coming to the Street at the Meadows as part of a new roster of largely local tenants at the development by Horizon Properties near the Meadows Racetrack and Casino.

“We feel that the market is really strong for what our concept is,” said Matt Porco, chef and owner of Emporio, of the Washington County area around the Meadows. “I look at Washington as being that tried and true sports mentality. We feel we’re going to fit very comfortably into that market."

The new restaurant is expected to open next summer in a 4,000-square-foot building to soon be under construction on an outparcel in front of the development, which is itself situated in a location near the casino.

The new location will be the fourth for Emporio, along with downtown, Wexford and within PPG Paints Arena, and it will be joined by other newcomers to the 40,000-square-foot development.

Jason Cannon, a first vice president with CBRE, who leases the Street at the Meadows, a development Horizon first began a few years ago, noted Whitehorse Brewing, a craft brewer, whose production facility in located in Berlin, Pa., near the border of Somerset County, has also committed to a lease to establish a 1,200-square-foot tap room. 

The new craft beer offering will be joined by J&D Cellars, a wine maker based in Eighty Four, Pa., that specializes in producing a variety of wines from grapes and other fruits.

They come to a property along with a Dunkin’ Donuts, an office for Howard Hanna, and an outpost of wealth management firm Hilliard Lyons. Already operating at the Street at the Meadows is a Buford’s Kitchen, a Markook Authentic Mediterranean Eats and a Primanti Bros. restaurant.

Rod Piatt, chairman of Horizon, called the mix of new tenants "a perfect fit for our site."

“They all have local and regional following, so I think it will be a great driver of business to the street,” he said.

Cannon said the early success of established tenants such as Buford’s and Markook helped to lease the rest the space at a development which only has a few openings left.

“We told a great story about what the market really is and how successful our existing clientele has been,” he said. “It’s made it a relatively easy sell.”

Porco said to expect the new Emporio restaurant to feature plenty of televisions along with seating for more than 200 when an outdoor patio is included.

He said the new restaurant will also feature an area dedicated to takeout orders of what Emporio is calling its "big bucket of balls," offering a home meal replacement version of the restaurant's popular menu selection of different kinds of meatballs.

"We want to focus an area of the restaurant where people can come straight in to a takeout area with a cashier," he said.