HiWay Pizza Pub’s newest State College area location will return the restaurant to where it got its start 56 years ago.
The third HiWay Pizza will replace Inferno Brick Oven & Bar at 340 E. College Ave. this summer, Dante’s Restaurants and Nightlife, the owner of both restaurants, announced on Monday.
Andy Zangrilli opened the first State College HiWay Pizza in 1963 on the Hiester Street side of the same building. HiWay will be returning to the same space where it operated from 1976 until 2008, when Inferno opened.
“All things old are often new again and so now has come the time for Inferno to take a bow and allow HiWay Pizza Pub to once again carry our pizza banner downtown,” Dante’s director J.P. Mills said in a news release. “We will work quickly over the next few weeks to transition into the HiWay Pizza brand including our full menu of pizza, salads, burgers, cheesesteaks, wings and more. We feel this change is timely and builds on our recent focus in HiWay Pizza.’
All Inferno employees will maintain their employment with Dante’s as part of the HiWay Pizza staff, Mills said.
HiWay is the flagship brand for Dante’s and has locations at 1688 N. Atherton St. and 1301 W. College Ave, which opened in 2017. The more modern concept of the west location will be brought over to the North Atherton and West College locations.
“Enhancing the atmosphere and guest experience as well as expanding our food and drink menu is our focus, but don’t worry, the same great food that made HiWay a State College tradition will remain,’ said Dante’s director Jennifer Zangrilli. “The closing of Inferno gives us the ability to grow our HiWay brand and celebrate the pizza that our company was built on.’
