4 new businesses to check out in downtown Greensburg

Downtown Greensburg has some new neighbors.

Four businesses have opened along South Pennsylvania Avenue and Otterman Street in recent months, selling gift items, wellness services, baked goods and upscale bar food.

The Greensburg Community Development Corporation — a nonprofit focused on revitalizing the city — received 15 occupancy permits from new business owners over the past six months, said Alec Italiano, planning and development director for the city.

A dozen of those permits were for downtown businesses, he said.

“We have a lot of positive momentum here, and I think it’s just a testament to Greensburg being a hot retail market right now and trying to be accommodating to all of the new businesses coming into town.”

At least two additional business developments are in the works, Italiano said.

“The impact is huge. OK, yeah, there’s a tax way of looking at it. More businesses bring in more tax revenue for the city, but it’s also just bringing more vibrancy to the city. It’s giving people a reason to come downtown and kind of rediscover the town.”

Some of the new businesses include:

3 Stone Merchant

When Rich and Danielle Butcher purchased the property at 25 W. Otterman St. to open a gastropub, the Greensburg couple knew they wanted to give a nod to the building’s history.

It used to house the Merchants Hotel, which opened under a different name in the late 1880s.

“It’s 3 Stone Merchant because (the hotel) was one of the first three stone buildings — as in foundation stone built (in Greensburg),” Danielle said. “I’m pretty sure the courthouse was still a log cabin.”

The building formerly housed the Rialto Bar and Bistro, which was in business for about 90 years until owner John Rullo closed its doors in November 2022.

The Butchers purchased the property and an adjacent parcel in December for $700,000.

Although the Butchers renovated the space before its official opening in early April, they kept one thing the same: a photo of the Rullo family members who first opened the Rialto hangs on the wall behind the bar.

“They’ve all just been super and supportive — stopping in, looking at things, wishing us the best,” Danielle said of the Rullo family. “They were so excited that we’re going to keep the picture of their grandpap and uncles up in the corner.”

3 Stone Merchant serves specialty cocktails, draft beer and upscale bar food — including a Mexican-style corn dog, fried chicken and waffle sliders, Philly cheesesteak egg rolls and wings with specialty sauces.

The Butchers aim to foster a casual environment with made-from-scratch food similar to the menu at their J. Corks restaurant, located minutes away on East Pittsburgh Street.

“J. Corks isn’t for everyone,” Rich said. “Not everybody wants to go out and (do) fine dining. A lot of people want to eat bar food. They want to watch a football game.”

Although the couple had first discussed expanding J. Corks, they could not pass up the West Otterman location — particularly because of its proximity to the Palace Theatre.

“People are coming to the Palace from all over — Pittsburgh, Johnstown, you name it. They’ll come in here for shows,” Danielle said. “And if the building that’s right next door to the palace is closed, none of us as business owners altogether want to see that.”

The restaurant will employ about 60 people, Rich said.

“Sixty people are going to depend on what we do down here. We’re going to be able to provide a 401K plan for these people, some kind of health care,” he said. “That’s really cool.”

RSVP Gifts & More

Suzanne Ward began investing in properties in downtown Greensburg in 2018.

But when she couldn’t find a business owner to move into a property she purchased at 127 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Ward decided to fill the vacancy herself with her RSVP Gifts & More store.

The shop — which sells gifts for events such as birthdays and bridal and baby showers — opened on Route 30 in Hempfield in 2010. Ward took ownership of the store in 2020.

“I was always on the go,” said Ward, of Greensburg. “You’re on the go, you’re invited somewhere, and you’re asked to bring a birthday gift or something. I’m not very good at that.”

RSVP Gifts & More fills that gap, she said.

“You feel good and you know that you have a good gift that you’re giving somebody,” said Ward, who co-owns City Cribs 2, an offshoot of the City Cribs development firm.

The store opened on South Pennsylvania Avenue in mid-April, and it is only continuing to grow, she said. She plans to sell Greensburg stamped items and merchandise from the nearby Downtown Greensburg Project.

Ward is also looking for a restaurant owner to move into the second portion of the building, either solo or with another interested business owner. She would like to see an eatery with healthier food items come to the space.

“Our team at City Cribs has really enjoyed bringing in businesses that are not already in the downtown, or bring a new spin on it,” she said.

Nico Bakery and Cafe

Like Ward, Nico Grunewald wants to bring a new twist to the downtown Greensburg cafe scene.

Grunewald opened Nico Bakery and Cafe at 132 S. Pennsylvania Ave. on April 15. Business has been steady since he opened the doors, he said.

“There’s no real bakery in downtown Greensburg,” said Grunewald, of Laughlintown. “We make everything from scratch.”

While Grunewald imports some ingredients from Switzerland, France and Italy, the bakery’s coffee comes from Greensburg-based Cardinal Coffee Roasters.

“I really want to try to work with these local people as much as I can,” said Grunewald, who co-owned French Express in Latrobe from late 2016 to 2020.

The bakery sells baked goods such as croissants, crepes, cinnamon rolls, creme brulee and tarts. Breakfast and lunch entrees such as quiche, soup and sandwiches also are on the menu.

Up to this point, Grunewald has been the only person working in the kitchen. Additional staff will start over the next few weeks to help manage the orders, he said.

Grunewald wants to bakery to adopt a city feel, as if customers are stepping into a cafe in Pittsburgh or New York City.

“What a joy to open the door of the bakery, you have the smell of the croissant, fresh-baked, and you have the display of the pastries in front of you,” Grunewald said. “That’s really what we want to do. We want to showcase our craftsmanship.”

Revival Wellness Company

Kami Wast wants to change the mindset around health care.

When customers come into her Revival Wellness Company storefront at 211 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Wast wants them to feel like they are entering a spa.

The store — which opened in February — offers a variety of wellness and aesthetic services, including vitamin and hydration infusions, lip fillers, skincare treatments and a weight loss program.

Wast started Revival Wellness Company in the Virtus Barbell gym on Main Street in 2021. She traveled to powerlifting competitions with the athletes to help them prepare with hydration and vitamin infusions.

When the gym could no longer financially support her business, Wast moved a few minutes down the street to her current storefront.

“It’s just been wonderful having my own space with more visibility and to be able to reach that broader audience,” said Wast, of Churchill.

Wast began her career as a registered nurse at UPMC East. She went on to work as a nurse practitioner and a government contractor for medicare and medicaid.

Wast’s frustrations with the country’s health care system led her to entrepreneurship.

“I really feel like the current health care landscape isn’t working for people. There’s such a long time to get in to, not only primary care providers, but specialists,” Wast said. “I really think that there needs to be more of a collaborative approach in health care, rather than you go to the doctor, they tell you what to do, you leave and then typically fall off the wagon.”

Wast’s own personal health challenges have also inspired Revival Wellness Company.

“I was having issues absorbing vitamins myself and having to go to different hospitals to get infusions,” Wast said. “My thought the whole time was ‘I can literally do this myself. How can I do this myself and help other people?”

Wast has also helped about 100 clients struggling to find success with traditional weight loss methods.

“I also have struggled with weight my entire life since I was 7 years old, and I’m 30 now. The weight loss solutions that I use were not an option for me when I decided to make that lifestyle change,” she said.

“Being able to help people in that regard is really my biggest passion, because I know firsthand what it’s like to struggle with weight and all of the other mental aspects that come with it, the physical aspects that come with it, the stigmas that come from other health care providers because of your weight.”