Strongsville Rockne's to Open in July or August

The new Rockne's restaurant on Royalton Road in the Plaza at SouthPark is about four months from opening.

"It's going to be somewhere in July, maybe August," said Scott Brown, owner.

Brown, who also owns a , said the building is about half complete now, with brick work starting this week. He said the winter weather did not impede construction much.

"I was blessed on that," he said.

Strongsville will be the 11th location for the northeast Ohio regional chain, which currently operates in Medina, Fairlawn, Brooklyn, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Streetsboro, North Canton, Akron, Kent and Massillon.

The newest restaurant 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, according to John Jusi, who oversees development, construction and maintenance for Rockne's. 

"It's nice not to have to deal with slush being brought inside, and it's safer," Jusi told Patch this winter. He said three other Rockne's locations include heated sidewalks.

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

The company submitted building plans to Strongsville last year for the 6,649-square-foot restaurant, according to Assistant Building Commissioner Keith Foulkes.

Construction got under way Nov. 14, Jusi said. He said it typically takes at least seven months to build a Rockne's, if the weather cooperates.

A sign for a new Chick fil A has gone up on the parcel next to Rockne's, but construction is not ready to start on that building quite yet, officials said.