Westmoreland developments: Ice cream shop, barbecue takeout, Playa Bowls franchise open doors

“Exhausted parent” is not necessarily the clientele The Parlor by Steel City Whip is looking to attract.

But if one should stop by the Hempfield ice cream and Dole Soft Serve shop, Dan Busatto has just the right flavor for them.

The bourbon-spiked espresso ice cream complemented by chocolate chunks — dubbed “Exhausted Parent” — is one of the most popular menu items at Busatto’s latest business venture, located in Hempfield’s West Point Plaza.

The Parlor by Steel City Whip is one of four new businesses in Westmoreland County, including a takeout barbecue restaurant and the county’s first Playa Bowls location.

The Parlor by Steel City Whip

Busatto is no stranger to entrepreneurship. He has worked 25 years as a private insurance broker, and his wife, Carey, has been a self-employed photographer for more than a dozen years.

“We just wanted to build something since we built businesses separately,” Busatto said.

The couple hope to pass the business down to their three daughters — Elie, 14, Adie, 11, and Bella, 7.

After coming across a Dole Soft Serve truck while on a beach vacation, the Busattos knew they wanted to bring the vegan, dairy-free ice cream alternative to their hometown.

“(We) thought this would be a great idea back at home,” Busatto said.

After four years of selling the cold treat out of a built-out trailer, Carey pitched the idea to move into their own storefront. The family celebrated three weeks in the brick-and-mortar shop off of Route 130 on Wednesday. They sell three Dole Soft Serve flavors and 16 ice cream flavors from Wisconsin-based Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream.

The Barbecue Spot

Cort McCurdy could not have picked a better time to leave the restaurant industry.

McCurdy, 33, of Salem worked 13 years as a chef at Pittsburgh restaurants, such as Gaucho, The Commoner and Forbes Tavern. He took a job butchering, curing and smoking meat at Bardine’s Country Smokehouse in Salem in 2020 — a time when sit-down restaurants tanked.

“By the time covid hit, they were all but shut down,” McCurdy said. “Some of my friends lost their business. Some of them just never opened up. Some were closed for a couple months.”

The meat industry did quite the opposite, he said.

“At that point, anywhere that was cutting meat or processing meat was basically begging for people, because demand was so high during that time,” McCurdy said. “I remember my first couple months up at Bardine’s, there were just lines out the door for hours and hours and hours, people trying to come in and get their meats.”

Reflecting on one month running his own takeout barbecue restaurant, McCurdy is optimistic the trend will continue.

McCurdy left Bardine’s to start his own food truck, Smokey Meats Barbecue, in June 2023.

Last month, he opened a storefront in Hempfield’s West Point Plaza to expand his business on wheels — which still attends local festivals and markets.

The Barbecue Spot, featuring Bardine’s meats, specializes in live fire cooking. The brisket and baby back ribs have proven most popular so far, McCurdy said.

“A common piece of feedback that I’m always getting from people is that we can travel and drive for barbecue, but really as of the last couple years, there really haven’t been too many options in the area,” he said. “People seem really happy that we’re here and that they can get some good local barbeque not far from home.”

Nestled amongst neighborhoods and a community baseball field, the West Point Plaza provides the ideal location, McCurdy said.

“It looked like a really nice area and definitely a good neighborhood feel to it — a close community,” he said. “It seemed like a really, really good place to set up shop, and everything worked out.”

McCurdy also looks forward to partnering with neighboring businesses in the plaza, including Marino’s American Eatery and The Parlor by Steel City Whip.

Playa Bowls

If Murrysville residents commuting to Pittsburgh via Route 22 on June 21 saw an early morning crowd assemble in the Blue Spruce Shoppes Plaza, Beth Bennett can offer an explanation.

More than 300 people gathered last month — some as early as 5:30 a.m. — to test out Westmoreland County’s first Playa Bowls location on its opening day.

Bennett, 48, who lives out of state, first got involved with the New Jersey-based restaurant chain in February, opening a location in West Virginia.

“I just loved the health choices that they had to offer,” she said. “We loved the vibe of the locations, where it feels like you’re on the beach.”

Playa Bowls specializes in smoothies, juices and acai bowls. The Nutella bowl — an acai base topped with granola, strawberries, bananas, coconut flakes and a drizzle of the popular chocolate-hazelnut spread — is the most commonly ordered item so far, Bennett said.

The next closest Playa Bowls locations are in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, State College and Hershey.

“I grew up in Greensburg,” she said, “so to me, it brings me back. I (have) traveled this road many times, and it’s just really exciting to bring this exciting brand to the area and give everyone a chance to eat a little bit healthier, enjoy a beachy vibe.”