Look around: business is booming
The past couple of weeks have been eventful for Peters Township and its businesses.
First, Pizza Al’s opened on Route 19. Less than two weeks after that, on Dec. 2, Fiori’s Pizzaria opened its doors. Patrons flooded both new eateries, eager for a chance to taste the new menus – so much so, that wait times were long, traffic was plenty and we witnessed people parking at neighboring businesses and making a dangerous walk on busy Route 19 to the pizzarias.
Last week, Giant Eagle’s Market District Express and new GetGo gas station opened. The first store of its kind, Market District Express features a cafe, deli, sushi bar, Starbucks, condensed grocery offerings and more. The amount of convenience it brings to the area is amazing.
But, more important than convenience or another place to order pizza from, are the jobs that these new businesses have created – we’re not just talking about those working as cooks and cashiers, but about the people who constructed the Market District Express and remodeled existing spaces to house Pizza Al’s and Fiori’s.
As we all know, times still aren’t the best, and many have not yet been able to dust themselves off from the recession that began in 2009. Peters Township is paving the way for better times, as activity breeds activity, and people supporting these local businesses are helping the local economy more than they probably realize.
Sure, many communities have a long way to go, but we are thrilled to see new businesses opening in Peters Township, and beyond. A few recent notable, local openings include Up Dog Yoga in South Fayette, The Fresh Market in Mt. Lebanon, Walnut Grille in Bridgeville and Mt. Lebanon and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza and On Deck Bar & Grille in McMurray.
New stores have opened at South Hills Village, The Galleria of Mt. Lebanon and Tanger Outlets.
Drive a little further south, and the Racetrack Road corridor in Meadowlands is booming, as is business in Southpointe.
We are fortunate to live in an area that wasn’t hit as hard as the rest of the country by the recession, and we are even more fortunate to have new businesses popping up to patronize – and to work for.