Authority approves nightspot at John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport (KJST) - Pennsylvania

JOHNSTOWN — Fans of country-western and classic rock music will have a nightspot catering to them when two veteran restaurant owners open their new endeavor in John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport terminal building.

David Horten of Richland Township and Galen Blough of the Riverside section of Stonycreek Township outlined plans for Rock and Country Grill at Tuesday’s meeting of the Johns­town-Cambria County Airport Authority.

“There is no place in Richland that is dedicated to country music or classic rock,” Horten said. “It is the most popular music in this town.”

The authority voted to authorize its solicitor to negotiate a lease for the restaurant space, which has been vacant since Audi’s Olde World Restaurant closed in November 2011.

Horten cited his 20 years and Blough’s 40 years of experience in the restaurant business.

“I think we can make this place go,” Horten told the authority board.

Horten is owner of NyKo’s Restaurant on Scalp and formerly operated Four Corners of the World in the Richland Plaza and Shooter’s Lounge in the Bel Air Plaza, among others.

Blough cut his restaurateur’s teeth at his parents’ former country-rock nightspot, Cal and Dot’s Inn, which was located at 400 Bentwood Ave. in Geistown.

The partners are not concerned about the airport restaurant location’s troubled history. Rock and Country Grill would be the seventh operation since the new terminal opened May 1, 1999. Previous incarnations have been The Wings Restaurant, Lino’s at the Airport, Skyway Cafe, Barnstormer’s Bar and Grille, Sassy’s at the Airport and Audi’s.

Although the restaurant is off the beaten path, it is close to busy shopping and dining areas, authority Chairman William Polacek said.

For the restaurant to succeed, it must become a destination for patrons, Horten said.

“If you provide good food at a decent rate, people will come,” he said. “If you put country-western music here, people are going to go.”

Horten is pushing for a June 17 opening in time for Thunder in the Valley. He’s asking the airport to excavate an area along the airfield for outdoor dining to cater to the motorcycle crowd.

“Since Shooter’s, I know these guys want to go outside,” he said.

Source:  http://tribune-democrat.com