Pamela VonBergen, owner of the Subway restaurants at West Rayen Avenue and Federal Place, is making arrangements for the opening of her third downtown eatery — Hot Head Burrito.
“I used to be a Chipotle freak, and I went to Hot Head’s one day and decided to buy the franchise. The food was excellent and had more flavor than Chipotle. There’s more variety at the place; you can get quesadillas, tacos, burritos, nachos and all kinds of different sauces,” she said.
The restaurant will be located on the corner of Lincoln and Elm streets, the former home of Mighty Moe’s Sports Restaurant, and is expected to open between Feb. 10 and Feb.17. Pamela VonBergen submitted a proposal to lease the premises on March 14 of last year, and has since made the necessary preparations for the restaurant’s opening.
“The lease has been finalized, and I got the construction permit taken care of in the past months. I had the building completely remodeled on the inside, and we’re still planning to put signs up — one in the front and back,” she said.
Pamela VonBergen also said that she is prepared to take on the challenge of opening up another restaurant and expects to face few difficulties.
“We’re definitely ready. We’ve already had three of our employees from Subway training at the Hot Heads in Austintown, and I feel confident about opening. I pride myself on fast, efficient service with a smile, and my employees always give one hundred percent satisfaction. The hardest challenge is just going to be educating the customers about all the different sauces,” Pamela VonBergen said.
Larry VonBergen, store manager of both Subway locations, will be the general manager of Hot Head Burrito. He too feels ready for the restaurant’s opening.
“It’s going to be a great experience for me, and I’m super excited about opening. Our customers will be able to see the grill, and they’ll get to see how all the food is cooked right in front of them. It’s just going to be a great experience for everyone,” Larry VonBergen said.
Pamela VonBergen ensured that her Hot Head Burrito restaurant will serve fresh food in a welcoming environment. She said that nothing they serve will be frozen — they don’t even have a freezer in the building.
“I love it. I can’t wait until we’re open, and I think the kids are going to love it as well. We have great trust with everyone and a good relationship with the kids. It’s just a rewarding and fulfilling experience,” she said. “In March, when the weather gets warmer, we’re going to put 8 tables outside of the place so that it’s kind of like a patio, and we’re going to play music for all the customers to listen to.”