Local developer to restore restaurant
Local developer Christopher Cook is leading efforts to bring the former Phoenix Restaurant back to life.
Cook’s Kitchen at the Phoenix is expected to open in November.
The Church in the Middle of the Block, of which Cook is the majority owner, bought the 300 Fourth Ave. building in 2021.
“We own a lot of properties in that area. We felt in order to make the neighborhood better, we should have ownership of the building,” Cook said.
The restaurant will be owned by Lajo’s Italian Sausage, of which Cook is the president.
The restaurant building had been on the market for about three years after previous owner Tony Russo closed its doors at the end of 2018, Cook said.
Cook has hired Mike Ritchey, who ran the Keystone Restaurant near Cresson, as manager and Ortiz Lee, former chef at Kiro’s Cafe, as his chef.
Cook expects to hire seven or eight full and part-time employees and said he is excited about the menu.
“It will be a combination of all fresh, home-cooked meals with a mix of American favorites and Italian classics. We will be featuring 16 original soups on a revolving basis, all recipes that I created. We also will have a smoothies bar with a large variety of flavors. We are converting the bar into a fruit bar,” Cook said. “We will have something that anyone would want. Phoenix was fine dining. You will get super quality food, but it is not fine dining.”
Cook expects popular items to be wedding soup, sausage lasagna and Italian stuffed pork chops.
The reopening of the restaurant will be great for the city, Mayor Matt Pacifico said.
“It is really awesome to get another neighborhood restaurant like that. These sorts of offerings are really good for the community and for the residents who live in the neighborhood. These sorts of places add to the fabric of the city. With what he has done with other places, I am excited to see what he will do with the Phoenix as well,” Pacifico said.
Business hours will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m, Tuesday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday and will be closed on Monday.
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.