New restaurant set to open in downtown Johnstown

JOHNSTOWN --A new restaurant will soon be coming to downtown Johnstown.

It's a unique concept: a balancing act of healthy food along with indulgent items on the menu.

The restaurant is called “Balance.”

It's between Market Street and Gazebo Park in the old RJ's Cafe and Lounge building.

Walking down main street in downtown Johnstown, you'll find cellphone stores and sub shops, but one local woman is hoping to add her own flair into the mix.

"These walls here will come down and that will open up the space up from the front to the back," Amanda Artim said as she showed off her new restaurant.

Artim just bought the restaurant and already has a lot in store.

"I chose to open a restaurant in downtown Johnstown, not only because it's been a dream of mine for about 10 years, but the city means a lot to me and this was the perfect location to make my dream become a reality," Artim said.

She said she's going to play to play off the name of the restaurant, “Balance.”

"The first half of the day is going to be spent with smoothies and cold press juices, very health driven,” Artim said. “And then the evening will be much more indulgent and tapas style, with signature cocktails, craft beers."

Artim said she’s working with an architect from Pittsburgh. Tables and the new bar against the wall will be made of trees that have fallen within the city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas.

"We're actually opening up the front,” Artim said. “That will be all glass, panoramic doors, that we'll be an open air restaurant. And in the summer and spring, people can sit outside."

She wants to keep some of the history of the building, including exposing the natural brick walls and keeping the ceiling from the previous owner.

While Artim is opening up shop, on either side of the restaurant, you can see "For Sale" signs in windows.

"But that doesn't mean it has to stay that way,” Artim said. “Why not work together, to change that, to bring businesses downtown? This city can be wonderful. It is wonderful. And there's so many people who care."

Just across the intersection, Jordan Schroll purchased Rocco's Subs about two weeks ago.

At only 21 years old, he said he wanted to take a shot at owning his own restaurant and keep the business in downtown.

"Yeah, it's pretty uncommon,” Schroll said. “I figured I'd either go to school, college, or take out a loan and buy a restaurant, so I really didn't want to school, so I figured I'd buy a restaurant instead."

Schroll has experience. He worked at Pizza Man's Pizza in Lower Yoder Township for five years.

"I don’t want people to come down here because they work down here and it’s close,” Schroll said, “I want people to come down from other parts of Johnstown and want to hang out because they like it, not because they have to."

"I think we're going to have something for everyone here, but yeah we want to see the nightlife come back alive downtown. And there's so much to offer down here as people continue to work together, and like I said, I just can't wait to be a part of that."

Artim is still looking for a passionate chef to join her team.

She expects to open around February or March. You can follow their progress on their social media pages.

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