Bicycle Heaven reopens after flood damage

Bicycle Heaven, the Northside’s bicycle museum and bike repair shop, reopened in late February following flood damage which occurred on Christmas Eve.

In a post made on Feb. 18 on the Bicycle Heaven Facebook page, owner Craig Morrow announced that the locale would again be open seven days a week, though at reduced hours of 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Before the flood the museum was open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Morrow, speaking to The Chronicle, said while not all the damage from the flood — which was caused by a burst pipe — has been repaired, enough has been done that visitors to the museum won’t find their experience impaired.

“We’re still doing some repairs, some cleaning, but we’re able to open,” he said.

Morrow said he couldn’t “afford to be closed,” driving his decision to reopen. While the museum is free, it accepts donations and also gets revenue by offering bicycle repair services.

Morrow expects the museum to be fully repaired within another month or so, though stressed the only remaining damages are on the back end of things, and won’t be seen by visitors.

A GoFundMe was launched after the flooding to help pay for repairs, and has raised more than $17,000 out of a $100,000 goal. Morrow said he’s leaving the GoFundMe up, so the public can still donate to help the museum recoup costs from the repairs.

The GoFundMe can be found at gofundme.com/f/bicycle-heaven-museum- flooded-devastating-damaged.

In addition to reopening, Morrow said Bicycle Heaven plans to hold its two annual bike swap meets this year, the first taking place May 27-28, and the latter taking place Aug. 19-20.

Owners of Fig&Ash opening new restaurant

The owners of the fine dining restaurant Fig & Ash are opening a new bar on the Northside, one aiming to add a more casual feel to the neighborhood.

The brothers-in-law turned business partners, Alex Feltovich and Cory Hughes, will inaugurate the restaurant by the name of Fat Cat in the upcoming months at 520 East Ohio St. Feltovich told The Chronicle that although they don’t have a set timeline, they hope to open Fat Cat by the start of the summer.

Feltovich also shared that the goal of their new establishment was to add a more approachable concept to the mix of the neighborhood.

“We felt the last thing East Ohio Street needed was another high-end type restaurant.” He said, “We wanted a place where you could just pop in and grab a sandwich, or have a beer while watching the game, or just get together with some friends.”

Feltovich said they wanted Fat Cat to have a retro feel and that it will feature games and live music. When asked to compare the experience of developing Fig & Ash to developing Fat Cat, Feltovich revealed the main differences came down to the building.

“Greece Contracting has been pretty instrumental in getting us to where we are now and keeping things on schedule,” he said.

Feltovich and Hughes told The Chronicle they are really excited to open another concept on East Ohio St. and think it will be well received.

“We can really help make this a go to spot for a lot of our neighbors,” said Feltovich.

Allegheny Sandwich Shoppe changes ownership

A Northside staple is under new ownership and bearing a new name after 42 years of existence.

Allegheny Sandwich Shoppe is now The Sandwich Shop, with founder and owner Nick Mastros turning the restaurant over to its head chef, Anthony. The switch was announced on Jan. 26 on the Shoppe’s Facebook page and on its website.

Mastros thanked his loyal customers in his farewell post and expressed confidence that Anthony would be able to “continue the tradition of quality meals with the home cooked feels.”

“We’ve always strived to make the Allegheny Sandwich Shoppe a place that feels like home for our customers, but over the course of four decades, it has been the customers that make it feel like home,” Mastros wrote.

Jan. 28 was the restaurant’s last day in its original form. The Sandwich Shop remains in the same location Allegheny Sandwich Shoppe was in, 822 Western Ave. in the Allegheny West neighborhood.

Cerasoli Pizzeria sold to Inferno Pizza

Cerasoli Pizzeria, located at 3052 Brighton Road in Marshall-Shadeland, has been sold to regional pizza chain Inferno Pizza.

In a Feb. 8 post to their Facebook page, Cerasoli announced the sale.

“I’m sure many of you know that we’ve been selling for a little while now, and we’re happy to have found a buyer,” the post reads. “We really enjoyed being a part of your community for the past 10 years, and we will miss you guys and the memories we had.”

The post encourages the public to support Inferno Pizza once they open, saying the owners are “super friendly and family oriented just like us.”

The Chronicle was unable to reach Cerasoli’s ownership for comments.

Northsider becomes head of Pittsburgh Food Policy Council

Joanna Deming, who previously served as the executive director for Fineview and Perry Hilltop Citizens Councils, is now the leader of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC).

Deming’s appointment was effective Jan. 23. The PFPC, according to its website, aims to “build a food system that benefits our communities, economy and environment in ways that are just, equitable and sustainable.”

Deming served with the Fineview and Perry Hilltop councils for six years, and is herself a Perry Hilltop resident. She has also served with the Northside Leadership Conference, Neighborhood Community Development Fund, Central Northside Neighborhood Council (now Allegheny City Central Association) and several other civic organizations.

The Chronicle was unable to reach Deming for comment. Her appointment was announced on Jan. 12.