A new sports-themed sports bar and eatery appears to be making progress towards opening in the former Walnut Grill at Waterworks in Pittsburgh near Aspinwall.
A sign reading “Rival: Eat, Drink, Sports” is displayed along Freeport Road near Aspinwall and crews were busy working outside late last month on the outdoor patio.
But details on the new business are scant, as restaurant leadership remains mum about the sporty new dining spot.
Rival ownership was not available for comment April 29 when a TribLive reporter visited Rival at Waterworks seeking additional information.
A worker inside Rival declined to comment, saying the president of Rival was not “ready to comment.”
Rival’s Collier website describes the eatery as a relaxed sports bar with a menu that includes wings, cheese steaks and live entertainment.
Rival Collier opened in June 2024 and the brand name is a play on intense sports teams rivalries — such as when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Baltimore Ravens or when the Pitt Panthers take on the West Virginia Mountaineers.
In a 2024 TribLive interview, Matt Turbiner and Kirk Vogel, owners of the Walnut Grill Holdings group of restaurants, discussed their plan to give the former Collier Walnut Grill location a new look, menu and concept.
Kirk Vogel is listed as president and founder of Walnut Grill Holdings, according to his LinkedIn account.
Walnut Grill at Waterworks closed on March 16 after 16 years in business but no reason for the closing was provided.
A sign posted on the property advertised Rival is hiring for Rival Waterworks and potential employees can apply online for server, line cook, hostess, busser, bartender, prep cook and food runner positions.
A call made April 30 to the Rival in Collier revealed Pittsburgh Rival is expected to open in a few weeks, according to an unnamed employee who revealed employee orientation is underway at the Waterworks location.