Seeing signs of revival and renewal in downtown Jeannette, Matt and Christine Kuhns picked a Clay Avenue site for their new restaurant venture.

The 520 Bar & Grill opened in November, taking its name from the street address. Things went well for the first few months.

“We were building up our customer base. We were building up our Wednesday-to-Saturday bar crowd,” said Matt Kuhns of Irwin.

Then the pandemic hit.

“We were not fully established before we were shut down,” Kuhns said. “We were only open for 3½ months. The first five years are very critical in the restaurant business, so this happening was a major shock.”

Shirley McMarlin | Tribune-Review From left: General manager Ashlee Stranko, owner/chef Matt Kuhns and server Hayley Kuhns at The 520 Bar & Grill in Jeannette.  

The restaurant is up and running again, with reduced hours and menu, but still serving American cuisine favorites like burgers, pasta, pizza, hoagies and chicken, fish and seafood entrees.

Weekly specials include Taco Tuesdays, a $7.99 burger and fries on Wednesdays and assorted $6.99 pastas on Thursdays.

Pitching in

The Kuhns family and their employees are working hard to make it a go.

Matt is the chef, while Christine covers the business aspects. Their three teenagers also pitch in. Hayley, 18, works as a server, bartender and floor manager and is taking business management classes; Brennan, 16, is learning to cook; and Eleanor, 16, fills in as needed, especially with food prep.

Christine designed the rustic/industrial interior, which features prints of historical Jeannette photos from the archives of photographer John Howard.

Shirley McMarlin | Tribune-Review A historical photo shows previous tenants in the space now occupied by The 520 Bar & Grill in Jeannette.  

Post-shutdown, regular diners are finding their way back. Members of the Jeannette Historical Society come every Thursday after their weekly meeting.

“Chef Matt does a great job. Everything is fresh and tasty,” said member Kevin Dorko of Greensburg during an Aug. 20 dinner. “We’ve tried the seafood, the pasta, the pizza. We haven’t come across a stinker yet.”

Kuhns has been cooking for more than 25 years, starting at age 16. He’s a graduate of the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute and has cooked at area restaurants including Rodney’s, both locations of The Boulevard and the former Angelo’s in Irwin.

Shirley McMarlin | Tribune-Review From left: Jeannette Historical Society members Donna McCullough, Kevin Dorko, Livvie DeLuca and Chad Krawtz eat every Thursday at The 520 Bar & Grill in Jeannette after their weekly meeting.  

“I can cook anything from greasy spoon to classic French,” he said, but chose American standards “to have something on the menu for everybody. Everything is fresh and made from scratch, including our sauces. We hand-press our burgers.”

The 520 occupies the space of the former Bella Mimi’s restaurant. In addition to a large foyer, dining area, large-group seating areas and bar, the building also has a room that Bella Mimi’s used for bakery cases. Kuhns hopes eventually to open it as a bottle shop and counter for to-go sandwiches and side dishes.

Brewery partner

The restaurant also partners with Sobel’s Obscure Brewery, which is planning to open its taproom next door.

“When he opened, Matt wanted to carry our beer,” said brewery owner Dave Sobel. Ultimately, the two decided against duplicating efforts.

“I said, ‘We’ll make you a house beer,’ so Matt sat down with my daughter and designed one,” Sobel said. The result is the 520L, which Kuhns describes as “an American IPA with a slight apricot undertone.”

The restaurant delivers food on weekends to the brewery’s pop-up beer garden next to its warehouse on South Fourth Street in Jeannette. The relationship benefits both parties, as Sobel’s also has suffered from diminished business at bars it was supplying before the pandemic.

Shirley McMarlin | Tribune-Review The 520 Bar & Grill takes its name from its street address on Clay Avenue in Jeannette.  

“You operate at 25% capacity, but you’re still paying 100% utilities,” Kuhns said. The 520’s bar stools have been replaced for the time being with two widely spaced, two-seat high-top tables.

“We had a full bar on the weekends. Every bar stool means $10,000 to $15,000 in revenue per year,” he said.

The restaurant didn’t qualify for small business assistance grants, Kuhns said.

“They wanted to see at least two years in business, and we only had a few months, so we didn’t qualify,” he said. “We’re struggling right now. We’re just taking it day by day.”

“It’s difficult for all restaurants right now, and especially for Matt, being a new one,” Sobel said. “I hope they make it. Matt is a great guy.”

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