Another 6-8 Weeks Till Rockne's Opens

The new  restaurant being constructed on Royalton Road in front of the Plaza at SouthPark will open in late October or early November, according to owner Scott Brown.

Brown said construction is still going on inside the 6,649-square-foot eatery.

"It looks like it's ready, but it's not," said Brown, who also owns a  . "You have to walk inside -- then you can see it's clearly not ready."

Rockne's calls itself a fun, casual restaurant with a large selection of menu items, including sandwiches, burgers, steaks, pasta and salads. 

Strongsville will be the 11th location for the northeast Ohio regional chain.

The  will have seating for 200 plus an outdoor patio that will be heated from the floor up. In fact, all the sidewalks around the building will be heated to keep them clear of snow and ice. 

Brown said the interiors of Rockne's restaurants take a little longer to build than other eateries' because they aren't "cookie cutter" designs.

He said it's common for passersby to think a new Rockne's is ready to open long before it is.

"That happens with every store we build," he said.

Meanwhile, next door, construction has started on a new Chick fil A restaurant.