Romana’s will relocate to former Ponderosa site
By MICHAEL ANICH, The Leader-HeraldJOHNSTOWN - The owner of Romana's, an Italian restaurant located on Route 30A for the past 35 years, has purchased the former Ponderosa Steakhouse building for $680,000 and hopes to move his restaurant later this summer.
Sam Vahaviolos, owner of Romana's, at 219 N. Comrie Ave., confirmed today his corporation known as Skat Inc. filed papers in the Fulton County Clerk's Office on Monday to purchase the Ponderosa building.
He announced in March his intention to move his restaurant there, citing a desire for more space.
Vahaviolos is working with the city Fire Department toward renovations at the Ponderosa building. The businessman said he wants to install a new kitchen, dining room and bar among other changes.
"We have a lot of work to do, inside and out," Vahaviolos said. "It's still going to be a couple months [before opening at the new site]."
The Ponderosa restaurant chain, based in Plano, Texas, closed its Route 30A location in November after local sales declined.
Vahaviolos has been negotiating since earlier this year to move his restaurant from the Johnstown Shopping Center to the Ponderosa building, which is just a few hundred yards away but more visible from the arterial highway.
Vahaviolos said his lease with the shopping center expired in March. He said he will gain 1,400 more square feet of space by moving from Romana's current 4,400-square-foot building to the former Ponderosa building.
He also may hire 10 more employees, he said. The restaurant now employs 35 people.
A few years ago, Vahaviolos considered moving his restaurant, which opened in 1974, to a different site.
Johnstown Fire Chief Bruce Heberer, the city's code enforcement officer, said in March that Vahaviolos at one time wanted to move the restaurant to the Hillside and Bloomingdale avenues area, but he never made the move.
While Romana's exit would leave a vacant space at the Johnstown Shopping Center, both that plaza and the Johnstown Mall across the road have been flourishing, with several new businesses opening since 2006. They include Olympia Sports, FYE and Fashion Bug at the shopping center and Subway, Gamestop, and Aaron's Sales and Lease at the mall.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached by e-mail at johnstown@leaderherald.com
