Blackfalds residents could be dining on Boston Brutes and Boston Royals before Christmas.
Construction of a Boston Pizza restaurant in town is well underway, with the newest addition to the popular chain expected to be serving customers by mid-December.
“There’s a very young population there, with many families in Blackfalds,” said Richard Carramusa, one of the partners behind the new franchise. “We just feel that the time is right and the concept fits for that community.”
Carramusa is also a partner in the two Boston Pizza restaurants and a stand-alone Boston Pizza kitchen in Red Deer, as well as Boston Pizza outlets in Hinton and Edson.
He said the Blackfalds location will consist of an 85-seat family restaurant and a 55-seat sports bar. Dine-in, take-out and delivery services will all be available, he added.
The 4,400-square-foot building will feature Boston Pizza’s latest design, which so far has only been incorporated into one restaurant, in Edmonton, said Carramusa.
“It’s a brand new prototypical design, so we’re pretty excited about that.”
He’s also pleased with the restaurant’s location along busy Hwy 2A.
Carramusa expects the Blackfalds Boston Pizza to employ 40 to 50 people, with most of the positions to be full time.
He said there are advantages to operating several restaurants in the same area.
It’s easier to manage them, they can share staff and supplies as needed, and all can benefit from local marketing initiatives and relationships with local suppliers.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com