Big Shot Bob's to open new Hempfield location

Big Shot Bob’s House of Wings is expanding once again, this time outside Westmoreland Mall.

The wing joint will be located at the former Winghart’s spot in Westmoreland Crossing behind the mall. Owner Keith Wassel said he hopes to open the Hempfield location, which will serve over 100 flavors of wings along with sandwiches and hoagies, the first week of January.

“It’s going to be BYOB,” he said. “We’re not going to have a liquor license in there. There’s a liquor store right next door.”

The space formerly housed Winghart’s, which was told to “immediately vacate” by a Westmoreland County judge in March because it owed the mall about $91,150 in rent and costs dating back two years.

At the time, Winghart’s officials argued it was justified in withholding the rent because CBL, the entity that owns Westmoreland Mall, breached its lease by failing to maintain and advertise the premises, despite Winghart’s paying a “common areas and operating costs” fee. The argument was rejected by Judge Chris Scherer.

Wassel said he was interested in opening a restaurant in the plaza, and was in contact with the landlord for any available space. He added that he also owns Big Shot Bob’s locations in Carnegie, Penn Township, Cranberry and White Oak, which opened last month.

Other locations opened by different owners are scattered across the area, including one in Boardman, Ohio, and in Weirton and Wheeling, W.Va.

Open interviews have been held over the last few weeks, and will continue at the restaurant Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We want to find people from that area … as many as possible,” Wassel said.

Despite several closures taking place inside the mall, developments have been taking place outside the mall, including IronRock Tap House, which opened at the end of November. The restaurant, located at the former Ground Round spot, is 10,000 square feet with a 4,000-square-foot patio with fire pits and couches.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is also slated to open outside J.C. Penney in an auxiliary parking lot next to Applebee’s along Route 30. Around the corner in the former Bon-Ton store, a mini casino will open in mid- to late summer, featuring 750 slot machines and 30 table games, and it could bring about 500 full-time jobs with average wages around $43,000.

Stores that left the mall in the past year include Sears, which closed March 17; Charlotte Russe; Helzberg Diamonds, which closed March 24; Gymboree; Payless ShoeSource; and Dressbarn. Verizon Wireless and Sleep Number were added to that list in July, while New York & Company is set to close at the end of January.