Two new eateries are in the works for Westerly Parkway Plaza in State College.
National restaurant chain The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill and Pennsylvania-based sticky bun purveyor Mr. Sticky’s have leased space in the plaza, according to Bennett Williams Commercial, the real estate agency for the property.
The Great Greek leased the 2,855-square-foot storefront at 532 Westerly Parkway and Mr. Sticky’s leased the neighboring 2,469-square-foot space at 536 Westerly Parkway, next to Domino’s. Both spaces were last occupied by My My Chicken, which closed in 2020.
A fast casual Mediterranean restaurant, The Great Greek has 25 franchise locations in 12 states. Its menu features a variety of appetizers like tzatziki, hummus, tirokafteri, melitzanosalata, dolmades, spanakopita and soup; Greek salad and rice bowls; and handhelds like gyros, an Athenian burger and a falafel pita. Entrees include chicken, steak, lamb and shrimp souvlaki and gyro and falafel plates.
It also has sides such as feta fries and lemon potatoes; a dessert menu with baklava, baklava ice cream and rice pudding; and a kids menu.
The chain’s recipes come from the original Great Greek restaurant founded by a Greek-Armenian family in Henderson, Nevada, according to the company’s website. Partners Nick Della Penna and Trent Jones acquired that restaurant in 2016, expanded to two more, then went nationwide with franchise locations.
The Great Greek plans to expand to six more states with “dozens more” locations by 2024, according to the website. It currently has no restaurants in Pennsylvania, but does have locations in the Big Ten towns of Ann Arbor, Michigan and College Park, Maryland.
Grange Fair-goers may recognize the other new tenant expected to open in the plaza. Mr. Sticky’s got its start there and its sticky buns have been a staple at the fair and other events in Pennsylvania.
The family-owned company began as a mobile concession business but opened its first permanent location in Williamsport to meet year-round demand. Since then, it opened another shop in Lancaster, and has franchise locations in Pottstown, Mechanicsburg and Harleysville and Greenville, North Carolina.
Each location has its own menu, but all serve Mr. Sticky’s signature coffee and regular, walnut, cinnamon and mini sticky buns. The Williamsport shop offers a full menu of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, soups and salads, while the Mechanicsburg location has breakfast sandwiches and a variety of baked goods and coffee drinks.
Planned opening dates have not been announced for either restaurant.
