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Again thereSSRqs light at End of the Tunnel
YOUNGSTOWN — The newest bar and dining room to open downtown is also one of the oldest.
End of the Tunnel, in the lower level of the City Centre One Building, will hold its grand opening Friday. The watering hole has been open since late last year.
But the name goes back to 1973. That’s when the original End of the Tunnel opened, in the same location.
“My dad built this building in 1973,” said bar owner Richard E. Mills during an interview in the cozy and classy barroom. “A lot of the lease deals for this building were made right here.”
Mills is president of Ohio One Corp., which owns and manages City Centre One and several other downtown buildings.
The original End of the Tunnel operated from 1973 to 1999, but the bar has remained in continuous operation, with breaks for renovation work between owners. Since 1999, it has been called Wade’s Downtown, Sherlock’s Pub and, for the last eight years, Martini’s.
But its name isn’t the Tunnel’s only link to its origins. Harrise Morosky, who with her sister, Adele Scharsu, runs the bar and kitchen, worked at the original Tunnel from 1986 until it closed.
Morosky was assistant manager of Youngstown Country Club before returning to the Tunnel. Scharsu was banquet manager at the former Moonraker Restaurant in Boardman and also worked at the former Holiday Inn-MetroPlex in Liberty.
While some things remain unchanged, the Tunnel has been given a thorough upgrading, with new carpeting and bar fixtures. Mills describes the decor as “executive upscale.”
The kitchen also has been gutted and refinished. Open for lunch only (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), the Tunnel serves deli sandwiches and subs, open-faced sandwiches, soups and salads.
End of the Tunnel is a lunch and after-work drink spot that caters to the downtown work-force crowd, and it’s hours reflect its niche. It is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Friday’s grand opening celebration will include free appetizers and music by Cleveland-based singer-songwriter Alex Bevan. For more information, call (330) 480-9224.