WestChesterBuzz.com

Southern-California based Jack in the Box will open its first Ohio location in West Chester Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and special giveaways.

The ribbon cutting will take place at 8:45 a.m., after which the fast-food chain will open its doors at 9. According Jack in the Box spokesman Brian Luscomb, a special giveaway is planned for the first 500 guests.

The West Chester location, 7425 Tylersville Road, is located off I-75 (off the Tylersville exit), in an old gas station lot that is directly next to a Long John Silver’s.

In addition to that location, Jack in the Box is planning to open its second restaurant in Cincinnati at 5234 Ridge Ave. in Pleasant Ridge across the street from Burlington Coat Factory, off I-71. That location is projected to open in mid-October.

According to Luscomb, the new restaurant in West Chester is staffed with more than 130 local residents and features a bright and inviting dining room, which can accommodate up to 52 guests inside and 15 guests on its patio. The restaurant will also feature 24/7 drive-thru and dining-room service.

For those who are not familiar with the hamburger chain based out of San Diego, it features a diverse menu.

“We feature hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, ice cream shakes and some of the core products that are typical of a fast-food hamburger restaurant,” Luscomb said. “But we also offer choices like teriyaki chicken bowls, chicken fajita pitas, salads, stuffed jalapenos, egg rolls – items that you don’t typically find or are not offered at major chains.”

Also unlike other fast-food chains, Jack in the Box offers its full menu, all day, so customers can order breakfast at night or a burger in the morning. The chain is also known for its inexpensive tacos, which are two for $1.

For more information about the fast food chain, visit www.jackinthebox.com.

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Tags: Tags: brian luscomb, brian luscomb Jack in the Box, cincinnati restaurant opening, jack in the box, Jack in the Box Cincinnati, Jack in the Box midwest, Jack in the Box Ohio, Jack in the Box West Chester, jobs, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

A spokesperson with Jack in the Box confirmed Thursday that its first Ohio location will open in West Chester on Monday, Sept. 17, at 9 a.m.

Brian Luscomb of Jack in the Box said the company has targeted Cincinnati and plans on adding more locations based on the belief that local consumers are already aware of the fast food chain.

“We have been very diligent expanding into new markets,” Luscomb said. “We want to make sure that it is the right market and that it has a high level of brand awareness where people know what Jack in Box is and what it is all about.”

The West Chester location, 7425 Tylersville Road, is located off I-75 (off the Tylersville exit), in an old gas station lot that is directly next to a Long John Silver’s.

In addition to that location, Jack in the Box is planning to open its second restaurant in Cincinnati at 5234 Ridge Ave. in Pleasant Ridge across the street from Burlington Coat Factory, off I-71, sometime in October.

Cincinnati is the latest market in the Midwest for Jack in the Box, which has 70 locations in the St. Louis area and opened a location this past January in Indianapolis.

For those who are not familiar, Jack in the Box is a hamburger chain based out of San Diego that features a diverse menu.

“We feature hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, ice cream shakes and some of the core products that are typical of a fast-food hamburger restaurant,” Luscomb said. “But we also offer choices like teriyaki chicken bowls, chicken fajita pitas, salads, stuffed jalapenos, egg rolls – items that you don’t typically find or are not offered at major chains.”

Also unlike other fast-food chains, Jack in the Box offers its full menu, all day, so customers can order breakfast at night or a burger in the morning. The chain is also known for its inexpensive tacos, which are two for $1.

For more information about the fast food chain, visit www.jackinthebox.com.

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Tags: Tags: brian luscomb, brian luscomb Jack in the Box, cincinnati restaurant opening, jack in the box, Jack in the Box Cincinnati, Jack in the Box midwest, Jack in the Box Ohio, Jack in the Box West Chester, jobs, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Mellow Mushroom. Provided.

Mellow Mushroom in West Chester to open on Labor Day – The Mellow Mushroom in West Chester opened on Labor Day in the former Rafferty’s location, 9238 Floer Drive, off Union Centre Boulevard. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m Friday through Saturday.

Music retailer opens at Bridgewater Falls – A music retailer featuring guitars, amps, drums, keyboards, microphones and more opened Monday morning in the Bridgewater Falls Lifestyle Shopping Center. The store, Play on This!, specializes in music wares and wearables and is an authorized retailer for Two Old Hippies merchandise.

Frisch’s. Provided.

New Frisch’s Big Boy opens in Liberty Township – A new Frisch’s Big Boy restaurant opened in Liberty Township last Monday. Located at 7075 Yankee Road, the second Frisch’s outpost in Liberty Township offers drive-through and eat-in dining. The restaurant is located near the Kroger Marketplace and Lakota East High School.

Lakota school district finalizes 2012-2013 academic calendar – The Lakota school district finalized its 2012-2013 academic calendar last Monday after the Ohio Department of Education approved Nov. 5 and Nov. 6 as professional development days for all teaching staff. School wraps up in late May, with a one-hour early releases on May 30 and May 31, which is the last day for students.

Gabby Blados.

Lakota athletes commit to Division I schools – Two Lakota West juniors and a Lakota East senior have recently made verbal commitments to play their respected sport in college. Jr. Lauren Heger (soccer) picked Cincinnati, Jr. Gabby Blados (volleyball) picked Clemson and Sr. Jarrett Rindfleisch (baseball) will attend Ball State.

Lakota West holds No. 2 Urusline to scoreless tie – Both Lakota West and Ursuline had reasons to win last Tuesday, but neither team could find a way to get it past the other’s goalkeeper in what ended in a 0-0 tie at Steve Cummins Soccer Park in West Chester Township.

New texting ban rules take effect – Shauna Steigerwald of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week on Ohio’s new law banning texting while driving – and prohibiting teens from using wireless communications devices in any way while driving.

Posted in: Business, Fall sports, Government, News, Schools, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Bridgewater Falls, Bridgewater Falls Shopping Center, Frisch's Big Boy, Frisch's Big Boy Liberty Township, Liberty Township business news, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, Play on This, Play on This Bridgewater Falls, restaurant opening, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

Collin McCord moves a calzone to the oven during lunch hour at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilder, Ky. Photo taken by Will Velarde. The owner of the Wilder location confirmed that his West Chester location will open on Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2012.

In late July, the owner of the Mellow Mushroom in West Chester said that he was planning to open the restaurant on Labor Day. This week, Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, Ky., confirmed that it will open as expected on Monday.

The Enquirer’s Shauna Steigerwald recently wrote about the new West Chester location on her “New in Town” blog on Cincinnati.com.

Like the Wilder location, the restaurant, 9238 Floer Drive (facing Union Center Blvd.) will serve handcrafted pizzas, hoagies, salads, calzones and appetizers, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and chidren’s options, plus a full bar, with 24 craft beers on draft, a rotating bottled beer selection, wine and cocktails.

The interior of the new Mellow Mushroom in West Chester will have a vintage amusement park theme. Photo provided.

All of the locations feature artwork; the West Chester restaurant will pay homage to vintage-era theme parks with its art: A streetside fair Ferris wheel sign, tie dye awnings, chasing LED-illuminated roller coaster artwork, a vending cart hostess stand, a pizza cutter toss carnival game, a claw retail display and Zoltar fortune teller with a glowing crystal ball.There are private party sun rooms, and there’s a seasonal covered patio. Trivia nights, family nights, beer tastings and special events will be offered.

The location of the Mellow Mushroom itself is in the former Rafferty’s at 9238 Floer Drive, which is off Union Centre Boulevard.

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m Friday through Saturday.

For more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

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Tags: Tags: jobs, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

Collin McCord moves a calzone to the oven during lunch hour at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilder, Ky. Photo taken by Will Velarde. The owner of the Wilder location expects his West Chester location to open on Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2012.

The Mellow Mushroom in West Chester, which is expected to open on Labor Day, Sept. 3, will have a job fair this Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.

The job fair will take place at the Cincinnati Marriott North, 6189 Mulhauser Road, in West Chester. During the event, the restaurant will be looking servers, cooks (prep cooks, dough tossers), bartenders, dishwashers and hostesses.

Overall, the business is looking to hire more than 100 employees.

Once hired, employees are scheduled to start training Aug. 22.

The location of the Mellow Mushroom is near the hotel on the other side of Union Centre Boulevard, in the former Rafferty’s location, 9238 Floer Drive.

For more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: jobs, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Mellow Mushroom in West Chester set to open on Labor Day – The owner of the Mellow Mushroom in West Chester said last week that his restaurant is looking to hire more than 100 employees and is targeting Labor Day, Sept. 3, as its opening date. The location of the Mellow Mushroom is in the former Rafferty’s at 9238 Floer Drive and Union Centre Boulevard.

Portion of LeSourdesville-West Chester Road reopens – The Butler County Engineer’s Office reported Tuesday that LeSourdsville-West Chester Road has reopened. A portion of the road, .6 mile north of Cherry Lane Farm Drive/Lyonhil Drive and ten feet south of Beckett Ridge Boulevard, had been closed since July 23.

Paulette Grady. Photo provided.

Paulette Grady named principal at Cherokee Elementary- The Lakota Board of Education approved the appointment of Paulette Grady to principal of Cherokee Elementary School during a special meeting last Monday. Grady had previously served as Cherokee’s assistant principal and will replace Jennifer Forren, who left to take an administration job in the Loveland school district.

West Chester Fresh Market to open Aug. 22 – A public relations specialist, who works for The Fresh Market, announced last Tuesday evening that its new West Chester store will open Aug. 22. Jordan Worrall of BRAVE Public Relations said there will be a “large-scale grand opening event” when the business, 7720 Voice of America Centre Drive, opens its doors at 9 a.m. that day.

Local athlete featured in Cincinnati Children’s ad – This summer, Cincinnati Children’s has been airing an advertisement featuring 2011 Lakota West graduate and now Michigan volleyball star Lexi Dannemiller, who went Children’s for rehab on her knees. Lexi’s mom, Maria, who was also interviewed for the commercial, discussed the experience with WestChesterBuzz.com.

Black Cherry Chocolate Chip is Graeter’s ‘Mystery Flavor’ – Graeter’s revealed its latest “mystery flavor” last Wednesday. The new flavor is … Black Cherry Chocolate Chip. According to Graeter’s Facebook page, it is all natural black cherry flavored ice cream loaded with black cherries and its signature dark chocolate chunks.

Joe Morgan talks baseball in West Chester – There to interact with fans and help publicize his new Honda dealership in Monroe, Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan visited the Sports Gallery in West Chester last Thursday night for an autograph session. While at the event, the senior advisor of the Cincinnati Reds talked about the current team.

Swine flu confirmed at Butler County Fair – The Centers for Disease Control confirmed last Thursday that nine of 10 suspected influenza cases at the Butler County Fair have tested positive for the H3N2v swine flu. That puts Butler County in the lead for confirmed H3N2v cases so far this year throughout the country.

Suspect, who is being described as a heavy set male with a European accent, used credit cards he stole from lockers at West Chester fitness clubs to purchase electronics, police say. Photo provided.

Suspect wanted for stealing credit cards from local gyms – The West Chester Police Department is looking for information to help identify a suspect, who is wanted for taking credit cards out of lockers at local fitness clubs in West Chester. The suspect, who is being described as a heavy set male with a European accent, was able to get into locked lockers at both Urban Active and LA Fitness in West Chester on July 21 and 22.

Music retailer opening at Bridgewater Falls in late August – A music retailer featuring guitars, amps, drums, keyboards, microphones and more is expected to open in the Bridgewater Falls Lifestyle Shopping Center in late August. Play on This! specializes in music wares and wearables and is the nation’s only authorized retailer for Two Old Hippies merchandise.

Returning starters primed for fast start for Lakota East – With nine returning starters on offense, including a junior quarterback who was a backup at this time last summer, Lakota East head coach Rick Haynes feels that his team should get off to a fast start in 2012. WestChesterBuzz.com previews the season, as summer practice officially began last week.

Expectations are high at Lakota West – The Firebirds are hoping to return to the postseason after it has suffered back-to-back losing seasons. The main question heading into the season, however, is who will be the quarterback? WestChesterBuzz.com previews the season, as summer practice officially began last week.

Posted in: Board of Education, Business, Crime, Fall sports, News, Schools, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Fair swine flu, Cherokee Elementary School, Fresh Market, Fresh Market West Chester, Graeter's mystery flavor, Graeter's West Chester, H3N2v swine flu Ohio, Joe Morgan, Joe Morgan Cincinnati Reds, Joe Morgan signing, Lakota Board of Education, Lakota East football, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Lexi Dannemiller, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, Michigan volleyball, Paulette Grady, Paulette Grady Cherokee Elementary, Play on This, Play on This Bridgewater Falls, University of Michigan volleyball, West Chester fitness club thief

Collin McCord moves a calzone to the oven during lunch hour at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilder, Ky. Photo taken by Will Velarde. The owner of the Wilder location expects his West Chester location to open on Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2012.

The owner of the Mellow Mushroom in West Chester said that his restaurant is looking to hire more than 100 employees and is targeting Labor Day, Sept. 3, as its opening date.

Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, Ky., said on Tuesday that the restaurant will hold a job fair next week, Aug. 8-9, and then start training Aug. 22.

The job fair will be taking place at the Cincinnati Marriott North, 6189 Mulhauser Road, in West Chester from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. next Wednesday and Thursday. During the job fair, the restaurant will be looking servers, cooks (prep cooks, dough tossers), bartenders, dishwashers and hostesses.

The location of the Mellow Mushroom itself is in the former Rafferty’s at 9238 Floer Drive and Union Centre Boulevard.

Molony also said that the West Chester location is going to be “totally unique” and will feature an amusement park theme. The restaurant will feature a mushroom tree and ticket counter hostess stand, an arcade-type retail display, a $10,000 liquor display, a roller coaster car suspended from the ceiling, a lighted Zoltar art piece, the world’s largest marble and an open kitchen design where visitors can watch pizza dough being thrown.

Applications are available on the Mellow Mushroom website and can be scanned to mellowevents@zoomtown.com or mailed to 1014 Town Dr. Wilder, KY 41076.

For more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: jobs, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

Collin McCord moves a calzone to the oven during lunch hour at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilder, Ky. Photo taken by Will Velarde. The owner of the Wilder location expects his West Chester location to open in late August of 2012.

According to people close to the new Mellow Mushroom and Jack in the Box locations currently being constructed in West Chester, the two anticipated chains may not open until late summer.

Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, Ky., said on Friday that the opening for his West Chester restaurant will take place in late August. The location is in the former Rafferty’s at 9238 Floer Drive and Union Centre Boulevard.

Molony also said that the West Chester location is going to be “totally unique” and will feature an amusement park theme. The restaurant will feature a mushroom tree and ticket counter hostess stand, an arcade-type retail display, a $10,000 liquor display, a roller coaster car suspended from the ceiling, a lighted Zoltar art piece, the world’s largest marble and an open kitchen design where visitors can watch pizza dough being thrown.

Mellow Mushroom will also be hiring approximately 100 employees. Applications are available on the Mellow Mushroom website and can be scanned to mellowevents@zoomtown.com or mailed to 1014 Town Dr. Wilder, KY 41076.

For more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Jack in the Box spokesman Brian Luscomb said on Monday that the company is still targeting a summer grand opening for the West Chester location. It appears that the opening could occur in early September.

Luscomb also said than the company’s second location in Cincinnati, 5234 Ridge Ave. near I-71, is on schedule to open in October.

Both stores will be filling approximately 200 positions, ranging from team members to team leaders to managers. Interested applicants should call 866-290-JACK (5225) or apply online at www.jackinthebox.com/careers.

The West Chester location will be the first Jack in the Box restaurant to open in the state of Ohio. Jack in the Box has its corporate offices in San Diego, Calif.

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Tags: Tags: brian luscomb, brian luscomb Jack in the Box, cincinnati restaurant opening, jack in the box, Jack in the Box Cincinnati, Jack in the Box midwest, Jack in the Box Ohio, Jack in the Box West Chester, jobs, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Construction starts on Millikin Road – Beginning last Monday, Millikin Road in Liberty Township closed between the north and south legs of LeSourdsville West Chester Road for an improvement project. During the construction, local access to the closed portion of Millikin Road will be maintained for residents living within this section only. All other motorists and thru traffic will be required to use the posted detour. The road is tentatively scheduled to reopen the week of June 4, 2012.

Lakota West softball coach wins 300th game – WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Monday that longtime Lakota West softball coach, Keith Castner, won his 300 game that past Saturday. He became the 31st softball coach to accomplish the feat in the state of Ohio, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association record book.

Conrad breaks Lakota strikeout record – WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Monday that Lakota East ace Michael Conrad broke the Lakota school district career strikeout record. The previous record had been held since 1980. Conrad, who The Cincinnati Enquirer baseball player of the year and the Greater Miami Conference baseball player of the year last spring, has signed on to play ball at the University of Cincinnati.

Former county auditor begins paying off $4M penalty – Sheila McLaughlin reported last week that former Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers has to shell out $58,967.74 from her savings to start paying off a $4 million tab in a fiberoptics scandal that landed her in federal prison. Federal authorities wanted to garnish all of the money — $250,000 — from Rogers’ retirement accounts. But Rogers had argued that her children needed something to live on and pay the mortgage while she was in prison for two years.

Mellow Mushroom to open location in West Chester – Mellow Mushroom, a pizza restaurant and pub chain with a bit of a hippie vibe, will open an outpost in West Chester this summer. Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, is shooting for a mid-July opening at the former Rafferty’s, 9238 Floer Drive and Union Center Boulevard.

Townships announce policy on weather warning sirens – It was announced last week that West Chester and Liberty Townships have negotiated an intergovernmental agreement and policy for the activation of its outdoor weather warning sirens. Under the proposed policy, sirens will be activated under slightly different parameters in each jurisdiction.

Lakota West volleyball team off to best start in school history – The Lakota West volleyball team broke its record for best start to a season and most consecutive wins. The team had won 12 straight before losing abbreviated matches last weekend. The team’s coach, Christy Switzer, also passed the 100-win mark for her career at Lakota West.

Fox’s Pizza Den to open in May – Fox’s Pizza Den, a pizza chain started in Pittsburgh in 1971, will have a Cincinnati location this spring when it opens at the Bridgewater Falls shopping complex in Fairfield Township. Vaughn Lewis, owner of Fox’s Pizza Den, is aiming to open the location by the end of May.

Lakota East defeats rival to take top spot in GMC – Lakota East snapped a four-game losing streak against Lakota West and moved into sole possession of first place in the Greater Miami Conference after a 3-1 victory at the Hawks Nest Thursday. Only a game separates the two rivals in the GMC standings.

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Tags: Tags: Bridgewater Falls, Bridgewater Falls Shopping Center, Butler County Engineer's Office, Christy Switzer, cincinnati restaurant opening, Fox’s Pizza Den, Fox’s Pizza Den Bridgewater Falls, Fox’s Pizza Den Cincinnati, Kay Rogers, Keith Castner, Keith Castner Lakota West, Lakota East, Lakota East baseball, Lakota East softball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota strikeout record, Lakota West, Lakota West boys' volleyball, Lakota West softball, Lakota West sports, Lakota West volleyball, Liberty Township construction, Liberty Township road closures, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, Michael Conrad, Michael Conrad Cincinnati, Michael Conrad Lakota East, Mike Conrad, Millikin Road, Millikin Road closure, Millikin Road in Liberty Township, Millikin Road in Liberty Township road closure, Taylor Fair, Taylor Fair Lakota East, Weather warning sirens Butler County, Weather warning sirens Liberty Township, Weather warning sirens West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester construction, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester road closures

Shauna Steigerwald reports

Mellow Mushroom, a pizza restaurant and pub chain with a bit of a hippie vibe, will open an outpost in West Chester this summer.

Collin McCord moves a calzone to the oven during the lunch hour at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilder, Ky. Photo taken by Will Velarde.

Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, is shooting for a mid-July opening at the former Rafferty’s, 9238 Floer Drive and Union Centre Boulevard.

In keeping with the pizza chain’s free-spirited feel (it was founded by three hippies in Atlanta in 1974), the new store’s decor will include a roller coaster car in the ceiling of the main dining room and a “Shroomville” mural, also influenced by the area’s amusement park heritage. An open kitchen allows diners to watch crusts being thrown.

On the menu are craft pizzas with 49 toppings and more than 70 craft beers, 24 of those on tap. There are also hoagies, soups, salads, calzones and appetizers.

A Beer Club, trivia nights and special events will be offered.

For more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Mellow Mushroom will also be hiring approximately 100 employees. Applications are available on the website, can be scanned to mellowevents@zoomtown.com or mailed to 1014 Town Dr. Wilder, KY 41076.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: cincinnati restaurant opening, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester restaurant opening