On a warm, sunny Monday, Atria’s in Mt. Lebanon reopened with a touch of time travel: It’s now rebranded as 1930 by Atria’s.
The well-known establishment on Beverly Road closed Dec. 31 for the renovations.
“We felt like the original location needed a remodel while still preserving the history of the building and the legacy of the Atria family,” said Patrick McDonnell, general manager and beverage director. “We’ve received some great feedback at an event we hosted (Sunday).”
McDonnell’s family has owned the establishment since 1998, when his parents Pat and Nancy McDonnell purchased the business.
Over the past four months, the modern cocktail bar has been updated with an improved display of bourbon, whiskey, scotch and tequila.
The fresh look includes high-end spirits and specialty cocktails. 1930 by Atria’s partnered with Mt. Lebanon native Spencer Warren, owner of The Warren Bar and Burrow in Downtown Pittsburgh.
The establishment has four areas: The Library, The Secret Room, The Parlour and The Sitting Room.
The cuisine is “American leading with a twist,” McDonnell said. Executive chef Erick Munoz, a native of Puerto Rico, has expanded the culinary choices to feature cuisine from around the world, as well as reimagined classic pasta and steak dishes Atria’s is known for.
The menu will be smaller and change every four to six weeks to keep it fresh and allow for most of the menu items to be prepared in the main first-floor kitchen of the three-story building, McDonnell said.
1930s by Atria’s will serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday with dishes such as steak and eggs, eggs Benedict and blueberry pancakes.
The ownership made sure to preserve the history and character of the recognizable building on Beverly Road, which originally housed a neighborhood grocery store, then a bar and restaurant. They chose the name 1930 by Atria’s as a nod to the year when Italian immigrant Joe Atria established a modest grocery store. It was also once a barbershop and dry cleaner.
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With the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Atria’s introduced six-packs of beer to go and created a neighborhood bar and restaurant. It had the first liquor license in Mt. Lebanon, McDonnell said. He said guests have told him they appreciate that his family is honoring the Atria family and keeping the neighborhood feel of the place. McDonnell said that it was important to honor the Atria family, who are well-known in Mt. Lebanon.
They also kept the outside patio.
“We definitely wanted to keep the patio,” McDonnell said. “With the weather getting warmer, I think the patio will be very popular, especially on nice days like we have (Monday).”
