Greensburg, Hempfield area welcome mental health nonprofit, Fla. restaurant franchise, coffee shop

Former mental health counselor Stephen Kuniak is no stranger to parents who are concerned that their child plays too many hours of video games.

Much to the surprise of most parents, Kuniak, a professor and Greensburg resident, believes video games can actually foster positive mental health among children — if used correctly.

Combining his lifelong gaming hobby with community, Kuniak opened in late June a nonprofit video game lounge in Greensburg to provide positive social interactions for children, college students and families.

The nonprofit, called Experience Points, is one of several recent openings in the area.

3Natives, a Florida-based fast casual restaurant with a focus on nutritious food, opened a franchise in Greensburg this month. Caleese Coffee, a cafe and drive-thru slated for Hempfield, is expected to open this fall.

Experience Points

Kuniak, 42, worked more than 15 years as a licensed professional counselor before taking an associate professor position at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven, where he teaches online courses in the school’s clinical mental health counseling program.

But it was during Kuniak’s graduate school education that he started to realize video games could be used to bolster children’s mental health.

The theory is based on research by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and Joseph Campbell, an American writer who worked in comparative mythology.

Jung’s concept of archetypal imagery suggested that there are universally known behaviors or thought patterns that people subconsciously recognize and categorize — such as the “hero” in a book or movie.

Campbell’s research proposed people can benefit from consuming stories where characters rise above the odds to accomplish a common good.

In Kuniak’s eyes, video games are a more active method for people to consume such stories, directly involving the user in the plot line. That’s where the idea for Experience Points came from.

In video games, experience points are earned each time a player completes a new task or challenge. Kuniak equates that to the mental health care process.

“I think that’s very parallel to what we do in mental health services,” Kuniak said. “I ask people to go out and do tough stuff, and it’s uncomfortable for clients. … It’s hard, but if they go out and work on it, they gain experience and that levels them up as a person.”

Experience Points is not a traditional mental health counseling center. Rather, Kuniak describes it as a mental health-informed gaming lounge where people can be directed to external services if they choose.

“It is just a social space for people to have those stories in real time,” Kuniak said, “and hopefully that is preventative as opposed to being treatment-oriented.”

Kuniak posts Experience Points’ operating hours, which vary from week to week, on Facebook. He aims to grow the nonprofit and bring on part-time staff in the coming months. Family game nights, local esports tournaments and Dungeons and Dragons groups are among the plans Kuniak has for the space.

The nonprofit currently houses about eight gaming stations and various board games, featuring options for kids and adults. A $15 admission grants visitors access to the space for the whole day.

The space, leased from the Westmoreland Cultural Trust, was renovated with the help of a $125,000 county Department of Human Services grant, Kuniak said.

“When I was in college, I got really lucky to have met some folks who were into the same things as I was, and we did this stuff,” he said. “I don’t know that everybody has that ability to meet people who are like-minded, outside of chance.

“My hope is that this is a place for that.”

Experience Points is at 3 W. Otterman St. For more information, visit experiencepts.org or find the nonprofit on social media.

3Natives

Suzanne Ward’s RSVP Gifts & More store along South Pennsylvania Avenue has a new neighbor.

Ward moved the store from its original location — along Route 30 in Hempfield — to downtown Greensburg last spring. After months of searching for another business to fill the attached space next door, she decided to fill it herself — opening Pennsylvania’s first 3Natives franchise.

The restaurant opened Aug. 20, offering paninis, wraps, salads, smoothies, acai bowls and fresh juices.

“They have something for everybody, even my kids,” said Ward, 41, of Hempfield.

The restaurant space is complemented by two bright, tropical murals painted by Norwin graduate Cody Sabol — one inside next to the seating area and another outside at the back of the restaurant, where Ward plans to host live music performances, meditation sessions and yoga and Pilates classes.

Children’s seating and activities are also offered inside.

“It was really important to me for families to be able to come, be able to eat a meal, enjoy and not feel like their kids couldn’t have some activities.”

3Natives is at 127 S. Pennsylvania Ave. It is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, but hours will likely be scaled back during winter months.

For more information, visit 3natives.com.

Caleese Coffee

New Alexandria residents Jennifer and Rich Bihon have always dreamed of opening their own coffee shop. They plan to put that dream into action in October, launching a sit-down cafe and drive-thru in Hempfield’s West Point Plaza.

Jennifer, 57, and Rich, 53, moved to Westmoreland County from Seattle three years ago, wanting to live closer to Rich’s family in Greensburg. They operated Donut Chef along Route 22 in Salem for two years, doubling the 50-year-old bakery’s business.

But the longtime residents of Seattle, the birthplace of Starbucks, knew a true coffee shop was their ultimate goal.

“I think just growing up in the mecca of coffee, it’s always been in our blood since we were younger,” Jennifer said.

The couple started looking for a space in Murrysville before stumbling across an opening in the plaza, Rich said.

“One of the things that really drew us to this area is that it’s off the beaten path a little bit,” he said. “It’s more of a community-focused area. We weren’t particularly drawn to a plaza. … But we did see how people in this area do come to this little plaza, because it is dead center in a community.”

The couple signed the lease for the space Aug. 1 and are completing renovations, targeting a mid- to late October opening. They plan to offer standard and seasonal espresso beverages, Lotus energy drinks, cold-brew coffee, fresh protein smoothies and breakfast sandwiches.

Caleese Coffee will partner with two roasters — Mechanic Coffee Co. in Verona and Caffe D’arte Coffee Roasters in Seattle — and outsource their pastries from a local bakery.

“It’s been something we’ve been talking about for 20 years,” Rich said of the business venture, “and we’ve finally gotten to the point in our lives when we were able to make it happen.

“We just said ‘Let’s just do it.’ ”

Caleese Coffee, in Suite 1 at 106 West Point Drive, will be open starting at 6 a.m. seven days a week. Exact operating hours are yet to be determined. A second location may be coming to Murrysville in the future.

For more information, visit caleesecoffee.com or find the business on social media.