It has been a busy year on the central Pa. restaurant front.

We've had a share of new restaurant openings. Among the heavy hitters, we welcomed Gilligan's on the Carlisle Pike, Little Bird Craft Kitchen in Hampden Township, Cliff's Tavern in Lower Allen Township, Metro Diner in Hampden Township and Zanelli's Italian Restaurant & Bakery in New Cumberland.

We've said goodbye to others - MoMo's BBQ, What If West, Red Sky Cafe and Blue Moose Bar & Grille, to name a few.

Now as we enter late summer, here are some restaurants we look forward to opening in the coming weeks and months.

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Mama's Pizza

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305 Market St., Harrisburg

The restaurant closed this summer.

Giovonni Scotto said he is in the process of purchasing the restaurant from original owner Luigi Scotto and will reopen it in in two to three months, following a remodeling project.

The restaurant is not associated with the Mama's Pizza on Derry Street in Paxtang.

Scotto said he likes the Market Street block, and expects to capture business from the nearby Harrisburg University which is proposing an expansion project at Third and Chestnut Streets.

The shop will operate under the same name with the same pizza and sub menu, although upgrades will include more salads and Italian food, he said.

Scotto owns several restaurants including Cliff's Tavern and The Underground Live in Lower Allen Township.

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Dave and Buster's

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Capital City Mall, Lower Allen Township

Fans of the restaurant and arcade chain have been patiently awaiting its arrival since news broke last year it was coming to the Lower Allen Township shopping mall.

Soon, the wait will be over. Dave & Buster's is expected to open in early fall in space once occupied by Old Navy and Christopher Banks stores.

Dave & Buster's is headquartered in Texas and was founded in the 1970s by two friends, Dave Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley. They opened the first complex in 1982 in a 40,000 square-foot warehouse in Dallas.

The chain is known for its state-of-the-art games as well as menu of favorites, from burgers and wings to steaks, nachos and pizzas. It also mixes innovative cocktails and fun drinks.

The 28,000 square-foot restaurant and arcade with a bar and boardroom will have two entrances including one from inside the mall.

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Blue Moose Bar and Grille

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6791 Linglestown Road, Lower Paxton Township

The restaurant closed in July after seven years.

George Sgagias, owner of Underdog Sports Bar & Grill in Swatara Township, said he will be taking over the restaurant and hopes to reopen it as early as August. He also operates the The Annville Grille in Annville near Lebanon Valley College.

He said he's debating about keeping the Blue Moose name and the restaurant will remain casual and serve items such as burgers, wings and seafood.

The restaurant opened in 2011 and was a spinoff of owner Sandy Firestone's Sasha's Hideaway. Her daughter, Amanda Grigor, helped to shed Sasha's fine dining image and create a causal sports bar vibe with the Blue Moose.

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Crostwater Distilled Spirits

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506 Industrial Drive, Fairview Township

A northern York County industrial park is about to have a spirited business join the warehouses off Interstate 83 by early this fall.

Crostwater Distilled Spirits will open soon with American Heritage Kitchen tasting room.

The 19,000 square-foot building will encompass the distillery and 70-seat tasting room as well as a kitchen, a separte milling room and business offices.

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A menu will highlight locally sourced ingredients, from meats and cheeses to vinegars and produce, and will be designed to pair with house-made cocktails and Pennsylvania wine and beer.

Crostwater is headed by Victoria Close, who used to own a medical billing company and is now fully devoted to launching the distillery and tasting room. Four years ago, after stopping at a distillery in Virginia with her husband Kevin, Close said she became fascinated with distilling.

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Yak N Yeti

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49 W. High St., Carlisle

Two years after opening Yak N Yeti in New Cumberland, owner Tenzin Norbu is expanding with a second restaurant.

A Yak N Yeti will open in Carlisle in the former Misenos Pizzeria next to the Hamilton Restaurant.

Norbu said he expects to open the 100-seat restaurant in early August.

"I have a lot of customers who come from Carlisle. Every year I do the Amani Festival and get a great response," Norbu said.

The restaurant will serve a similar Himalayan menu to Yak N Yeti in New Cumberland with a few additional items, he said.

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Jewels of India

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26 N. Hanover St., Carlisle

An Indian restaurant is coming to Carlisle later this summer.

Jewels of India will open soon in the former Andalusia restaurant.

The restaurant will serve traditional Indian food including a lunch buffet and specials highlighting different cuisines of India. In addition, cooking classes will be held on the second floor.

"I'm positive we will be a great addition to the culinary experience of Carlisle," said Chenna Chakka, owner.

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To assist with the restaurant, he said he is partnering with Leena Shenoy, owner of Passage to India in Harrisburg, as a consultant. Shenoy opened Passage in 1993 with her late husband, Vishnu Shenoy, and together they introduced Harrisburg diners to their first taste of Indian food.

"She knows the people, the industry and the food," Chakka said. "She knows the culinary taste and experiences of central Pennsylvania."

Chakka emphasized Jewels of India is not intended to be Passage to India two. It will be contemporary offering diners a high-end experience.

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Valley Bistro

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4520 Valley Road, Hampden Township

Steve and Jacqueline Ferentinos are diving back into restaurant ownership.

Later this summer, they will open Valley Bistro, a breakfast and lunch spot off Wertzville Road.

"I just started getting the itch. I love the restaurant business," Jacqueline said. "I love serving people. I love the interaction."

Valley Bistro will serve a fresh-focused breakfast and lunch menu, catering to various diets, from gluten-free to vegetarian. Diets aside, they also will sell burgers.

Valley Bistro brings the couple full-circle into restaurant ownership. They previously operated Brick City Bar & Grille in midtown Harrisburg and a restaurant in Baltimore. Jacqueline's father, John Mallios, owns the Keystone Restaurant in Harrisburg where she assists on Saturdays.

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Primanti Bros.

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131 W. Chocolate Ave., Hershey

A Primanti Bros. restaurant will join nearly a half-dozen other tenants expected to open at the Hershey Towne Square. The restaurant is opening late summer.

The Pittsburgh-based Primanti Bros. has been expanding its reach in recent years. It opened a restaurant in Lancaster in 2017 and also operates outlets in York and State College. Rumors about the chain opening in the Harrisburg region have been circulating for several years.

Primanti Bros. is known for its sandwiches made with french fries and cole slaw, although the menu covers burgers, wings, salads and pizza. It started in the 1930s as a food cart in Pittsburgh's Strip District and eventually expanded into a storefront on 18th Street in the city.

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Among the shops at the downtown restaurant and retail complex along West Chocolate Avenue and Ridge Road will be a Starbucks, Great Clips, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Jersey Mike's Subs, according to a listing by Bennett Williams Commercial, which is overseeing the center's leasing.

The project has been years in making and is centered around the former Hershey Post Office building. Three additional commercial buildings are under construction to create a streetscape style town center.

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Freshido

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West Chocolate Avenue

Freshido restaurant will join Primanti Bros. at the Hershey Towne Square this fall.

The restaurant will specialize in poke bowls and sushi burritos. Owners Shawn You and Benson Chan also operate a Freshido at Strawberry Square in Harrisburg.

The 1,200 square-foot Freshido will have counter-ordering and table seating, You said. The partners also operate Shogun Asian Fusion in Lower Paxton Township and Kondu at the Harrisburg Mall in Swatara Township.

You said Hershey is a good location for Freshido of its proximity to Hersheypark and the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

At the center of Freshido's menu are poke (pronounced POH-Keh) bowls. The bowls are comprised of chunks of fish, rice and vegetables with various umami and flavor-packed sauces. Broken down, it's deconstructed sushi.

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