Youth-run food stand proposed along West Newton trail

Travelers along the Great Allegheny Passage trail may soon be able to stop in West Newton for a roast beef sandwich or a “woagie.”

The latter sandwich is a version of a hoagie that is a favorite at the town’s Waypoint Youth and Community Center. Chris Morse, the center’s CEO, plans to have local high school-age youths serve patrons at The Outpost. The proposed seasonal food stand would be located across Collinsburg Road from the Regional Trail Corporation office and visitor center.

Morse sees the stand as an addition to the town’s offerings as well as a valuable learning experience for the teenage staff.

“We’re trying to teach them to do everything from the ground up, including designing the menu,” he said. “We want to educate the kids how to run a small business.”

He said the stand also could serve as “kind of an information booth, telling people different things they can do in town.”

In addition, he proposes setting aside 10% of the stand’s profits toward a college fund for the young employees.

Morse intends to present the project plans to the West Newton council in September.

Food would be served from a repurposed shipping container to help comply with flood zone restrictions on permanent structures at the site. Morse bought the 160-square-foot container from a dealer in Mt. Pleasant for about $4,300. He had it modified by an area fabricator to create serving windows and an entrance door.

“The neat thing about these containers is the portability aspect,” Morse said, noting he’s considering adding wheels to make it even easier to move.

Morse and his wife, Pam, bought the lot where The Outpost will operate. They hope eventually to deed the property to the Waypoint center — which serves more than 200 youths, mostly students from the Yough or Belle Vernon Area school districts.

West Newton Mayor Mary Popovich believes the food stand could be a “win-win” for the trail town. “I’m certainly for anything that involves youths,” she said. “They need to get some experience, and this is the perfect chance for them to get that experience.”

The food stand project was awarded a $26,800 grant from the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County and an additional $15,000 through the Calvary Cares program at Calvary Church in Irwin.

“Each year, we partner with different organizations to help them fulfill their mission,” said Amber Beck, director of the church program. “In 2020, we’ve pledged to give $55,000 to various organizations.”

Much of the funding likely will be spent to complete needed utility work at the site, Morse said, noting borough and state officials must approve various aspects of the project.

“The hope is, once we get the first (stand) up and running, we can deploy a number of these along the bike path,” he said.

From container to kitchen

The Outpost joins a national trend of repurposing shipping containers that has been employed at other eateries in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.

The Bistro opened in early May at Bella Terra Vineyards in Hunker and is housed in an extra-long container measuring 320 square feet.

Founder and operations director Jay Bell wanted to improve upon the food trucks that had been providing customers meal items to accompany Bella Terra wine, but he didn’t have interior space available for a commercial kitchen. So, he opted for up-scaling a shipping container, purchased in Youngwood for about $80,000.

“You can produce a lot more in it than you could get on a food truck,” Bell said, while noting space is at a premium. “It seemed like a nice option. We actually put a walk-in cooler in a portion of it.”

The Bistro is operated by Elegant Catering of Youngwood.

“It’s been working great,” Bell said. “It’s generally very busy.”

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays through Tuesdays.

Farmer x Baker owner Jennifer Urich serves al fresco meals from a 160-square-foot former container at Aspinwall Riverfront Park. She purchased her steel container in Ellwood City, for $4,800, and transformed it into a cafe for less than $100,000. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.