Get ready to say cheese in downtown Tamaqua.

After a year of construction, renovation and dealing with an unexpected pandemic, Wheel Restaurant is set for a July takeoff on East Broad Street later this month.

“We saw the real transformation in the last 60 or 90 days since we were allowed to go back to work,” said owner Savas Logothetides. “Heim, which is the general contractor, did a really nice job keeping everything organized and keeping everyone on schedule given the circumstances. They were dealing with product shortages just like anyone else.”

The original Wheel location in Pottsville is a staple of the Schuylkill community. Logothetides and co-owner Johnathan Paroby plan on bringing that same local flavor to Tamaqua. Not just your ordinary grilled cheese, Wheel offers over 75 ingredients, many which are local, to build your own gourmet sandwich. Buffalo chicken, rib-eye or ham? You name it, Wheel seems to have it. There are a ton of sides to pick from. But it doesn’t stop, there’s dessert, if you have room left. And wash it down with a cold beverage. Wheel will indeed have cold beer available.

“We want to integrate local ingredients and other local businesses,” Logothetides said. “We think that’s an important aspect. We look at our mission statement, it is to always provide memorable food, service and atmosphere, while also creating a positive impact on the communities that we serve. The community part is essential to our mission statement and it’s one of the ways that we’re able to reciprocate to the communities that are making us successful.”

Wheel will have its ribbon cutting on July 30, but it’s possible to get a taste before then. “We’re going to open quietly next week,” Logothetides said. “If you see people in here; we’re open. We’re only going to be open 2-3 days per week, leading up to our ribbon cutting, which is July 30. But if we’re open, we’re going to allow people to come in.”

Logothetides said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines will be in full effect; masks are to be worn and there will be tables inside and outside that are 6 feet apart. Additionally, Wheel will be open for takeout in about a week or two. Logothetides will look to hire between 20-30 total employees for his Tamaqua location.

“We have to get everyone trained,” said Logothetides. “We’ll be hiring the whole month of July. We have to make sure that the kitchen is ergonomic and that it makes sense. To execute at a high level, we have to make sure that we have all of the tools, systems and processes in place. The first 90 days of opening the restaurant are so crucial in that you only get one chance at a first impression. If you leave that a bad first impression, a lot of people won’t come back. You really want to make sure that you take your time, ease into it and execute at a high level.”

Wheel is a Tamaqua CRIZ (City Revitalization and Improvement Zone Program) project. A CRIZ is an area up to 130 acres, consisting of parcels designated by an authority to capture state and local taxes for the purpose of improvement and development in that zone. CRIZ funding can be used for property acquisition, debt service, new construction and many other costs.

“This has been a little bit of a journey for us and certainly a learning experience for the local CRIZ authority,” said Dan Evans, chairman of the Tamaqua CRIZ Authority. “If you look at the results, it’s a very exciting opportunity for the greater Tamaqua area. … We have done several projects to date; this is probably the largest one that we’ve undertaken.”

Inside of the Wheel are historic brick walls and a great combination of modern incorporations. There is a bar to sit at, a large indoor seating area and an outdoor patio.

“Here we are finally, in July, over a year later since we purchased the property now getting ready to open. We hit some significant delays throughout it, but the wait is going to be well worth it.”