By Emily Petsko
Point Park News Service

Business at Primanti Bros. is up by 35 percent, NOLA on the Square is busier than anticipated and competition puts a hop in their step at Moe’s Southwest Grill.

What these Market Square restaurants have in common is that they are still welcoming booming business nearly 11 months after the square’s revitalization.

The Project for Public Spaces, in cooperation with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, revealed the renovated Market Square during a re-opening ceremony last October. Whereas the old square comprised four quadrants intersected by ongoing traffic, the new square has one connected, pedestrian-oriented area with ample seating and space for vendors and concerts.

Since then, several new restaurants, including DiBella’s Old Fashioned Submarines, Winghart’s Burger & Whiskey Bar and NOLA, have taken advantage of the location, which quickly became a popular lunch spot for Downtown employees. Already-established restaurants reaped the benefits of the revitalized square, as well.

Michael Mitcham said business at Primanti’s, where he is manager, has been so good that owners were enticed to open another restaurant in Market Square. Diamond Market Bar & Grill, set to open in two weeks next to the Original Oyster House, will offer a classic American tavern atmosphere and menu.

While many people come to Market Square for a nationally-recognized Primanti’s sandwich, Mitcham said what brings customers back to the square is the eclectic selection of restaurants, from the Creole-inspired NOLA to Tex-Mex food at Moe’s Southwest Grill.

“You know what they say: competition drives business. And our business brings business,” Mitcham said in a phone interview.

Likewise, Michael Curti, manager at Moe’s said he believes the Chipotle directly across the street motivates his employees to strive for speedy, quality service, which further drives business.

Although he just began working as assistant manager in May, he said reports from the store’s owners indicated sales have increased since the square’s renovation, in addition to higher check averages.

“Not too many cities have that open plaza so close to the heart of the downtown district, and it’s certainly a big attraction,” Curti said of the square’s unique location.
NOLA on the Square, which is approaching its sixth month in Market Square, serves 215 customers, on average, during lunch hours on Thursdays and Fridays. To manager Ann Walczak, this initially came as a shock.

“I’ve opened other restaurants before and had to sit around for months and months before people even knew that we were there, before there was ever any kind of following,” Walczak said, “and it was never even as big as our slow nights here.”

Walczak believes the restaurant’s location in the heart of Market Square is a major factor in attracting customers. On nights when there are band performances, NOLA customers overflow into neighboring restaurants’ outdoor seating.

“We weren’t quite prepared for the volume we were doing consistently every night [when we opened],” Walczak said. “We’re prepared for it now, but we had to make a lot of changes because we weren’t expecting that type of response.”

Downtown residents Mike and Barbara Sadowsky frequent Market Square nearly every day, usually stopping by Starbucks to relax over a cup of coffee.

“It’s a big improvement,” Mike, 67, said about the renovated Market Square while leisurely painting with watercolors. “It’s nice that traffic doesn’t go right through the middle of the square.”

“I think they’re doing good things down here,” Barbara said with a smile as she set down her novel. “I really like it.”

The Sadowskys said they also like to attend concerts, buy books at the Tuesday Reading Room and browse the farmer’s market on Thursdays. Market Square has several events lined up for upcoming months, including an international event on Sept. 17 called PARK(ing) Day, which allows artists and residents to transform parking spaces into a temporary public retreat, such as a miniature urban park.

Restaurant managers hope that attractions such as these will continue to help Pittsburgh’s economy stabilize, as well as reshape the way locals and visitors alike view Market Square.