Winghart's owners seek former Rivertowne spot in North Huntingdon
A shuttered tavern along Route 30 in North Huntingdon could gain new life next year with a liquor license transfer from Hempfield.
North Huntingdon commissioners will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on a request by Smithfield Holdings Inc. of Mt. Lebanon to transfer the liquor license held by Winghart’s Burger Beer & Whiskey Bar. The public hearing begins at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal building, 11279 Center Highway.
Winghart’s was evicted from its Westmoreland Crossing site on the Westmoreland Mall property as a result of a lengthy court battle with CBL/Westmoreland LP, the mall’s owner. That legal battle went all the way up to the state’s Superior Court. Winghart’s is accused of owing $91,000 in unpaid rent.
Bandhu Brothers Inc. owns the license, whose operating authority expired on June 30, according to Shawn Kelly, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The license is in “safekeeping,” Kelly said.
The LCB has not received a transfer application for this license but, if it is being transferred between municipalities, the LCB would not accept and process it until approval from the receiving municipality is included with the transfer application, Kelly said.
Prasad Maragabandhu, president of Bandhu Brothers Inc., said he shares ownership of Wingharts with his brother, Sivram Bandhu, who is secretary-treasurer. They hope to open the restaurant early next year and employ about 14-to-15 fulltime workers, plus a similar number of part-timers.
They intend to transfer ownership of the license to another of their companies, Smithfield Holdings, which has a Mt. Lebanon residence as its official address, Margabandhu said.
Winghart’s Lounge will operate at the site of the former Rivertowne Pub & Grille, which closed last year as part of Rivertowne Brewery Co.’s bankruptcy. Rivertowne’s owners sold their brewery in Murrysville and closed its pubs on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, Verona, Monroeville and North Huntingdon.
Margabandhu’s Shivs Real Estate purchased the one-half interest in the Rivertowne building and its 2.9-acre parcel in the western end of North Huntingdon in January from Rivertowne co-owner Christian Fyke for $7,500. Fyke had owned the building jointly with his business partner, Joseph Boros Jr. of Monroeville. The pair had bought the property for $520,000 in 2011.
Margabandhu said that he had reached an agreement with Boros on using the property.
Boros could not be reached for comment.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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