A local fusion restaurant with roots in downtown State College plans to expand by opening a third location in the area, one that will offer popular favorites and some new dishes.
Yallah Chicken & Tacos will open at 1669 N. Atherton St., owner Hitham Hiyajneh told the Centre Daily Times. The location was previously home to Bradley’s Cheesesteaks & Hoagies.
An opening date has not been confirmed, but Hiyajneh said he hopes his newest location will welcome customers in no more than a couple of weeks. The nuts and bolts of the restaurant are largely ready; an inspection is one of the final hurdles.
Staples from the Yallah Taco menu like tacos, quesadillas and nachos are expected to remain, but will be joined by chicken sandwiches, cheesesteaks, hamburgers and wings.
Hiyajneh, who owns several other businesses in the State College area and another near Pittsburgh, brushed off any concern about maintaining his food’s quality as he opens more and more locations.
“Quality is always No. 1 for us. We know how to maintain quality because we centralize everything,” Hiyajneh said. “Every time we open a new location our quality gets better because we have more leverage, we have more employees, we have more centralization.”
About five people are expected to be hired, Hiyajneh said. The initial term of the lease is three years, but includes options that can extend the agreement, he said.
The about 1,100-square-foot space includes about 30 seats and features parking directly in front of the restaurant, which Hiyajneh said he hopes will help draw in more customers who frequently complain about parking in downtown State College.
“How many people can you employ? How many people can you change lives? That’s the whole idea,” Hiyajneh said. “It’s not about money to be honest with you. The more money you make you’re like ‘OK, keep it coming,’ but it’s not about money. It’s about drive. You have a talent, you need to use it.”
An energetic owner and one of a dozen children, Hiyajneh said he hopes the restaurant will also provide opportunities for his siblings. And it doesn’t sound like he has any intention of leaving Happy Valley.
Speaking uninterrupted for more than five minutes, Hiyajneh used to time to praise the people who are the fabric of the community. State College, he said, is “home.”
“At the end of the day, it’s a great place to live, to raise a family and a great community supportive of each other. The support of the community here is amazing,” Hiyajneh said. “... We have decent people living in this town and I love it. This is my home. That’s why I want to make this a better place.”
The restaurant is scheduled to be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
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