Progress is being made on the latest North Shore “eatertainment” concept.
Pittsburgh-based HiLife Hospitality’s partnership with the Pirates will include dining and entertainment spaces and a plaza near PNC Park. The 30,000-square foot outdoor plaza with two stages and a 40-foot screen is scheduled to be ready for the Pirates home opener on April 4 against the New York Yankees.
A casual restaurant called Sugarbird should be ready by summer, said Herky Pollock, partner with HiLife Hospitality. The establishment will feature chicken tenders and nuggets, donuts and soft-serve ice cream.
A beer garden will also be attached to Sugarbird.
The Highball Social Club is planned to debut in the fall, Pollock said. It will feature Italian street food such as pizza, calzones, sandwiches and other authentic dishes. The social club will be located below the residential apartment building.
It will have games and two bars and serve brunch on weekends as well as have plenty of televisions and space to socialize, Pollock said.
“The North Shore is happening,” Pollock said. “You will get the very best of everything with this new complex. It is going to be iconic and add to the fabric of the North Shore and the city of Pittsburgh.”
HiLife is the group behind other concepts such as Burgatory, Shorty’s Pins X Pints, and Shorty’s Tap X Taco. HiLife is collaborating with Chicago-based Barker/Nestor, Inc. and locally owned Bootstrap Design, on the project.
Pirates president Travis Williams said in a statement that the HiLife Hospitality team has been a leader in the dining and entertainment industry for a long time.
“They understand the Pittsburgh marketplace, especially the North Shore,” Williams said. “With that first-hand experience and that of the Barker/Nestor and Bootstrap Design team, we are extremely confident they will develop a winning concept for Pittsburgh and the North Shore.”