About Town: Revamped restaurant is all about the cheesesteak

John O'Gorman and his family had run the Bluffton Ale House for about seven years when he got the urge to try a new concept.

After selling the restaurant amid the recession only to take it over again, O'Gorman in June settled on a dominant theme: the Philly cheesesteak.

"It was time for a change," he said. "A lot of people have asked us about cheesesteaks, so we decided to have a restaurant pretty much dedicated to cheesesteaks."

O'Gorman turned to Rodney Woodward, who was born in New Jersey and grew up about 45 minutes from the City of Brotherly Love.

The duo plan to open Bluffton Ale and Cheesesteak in November at the O'Gormans' familiar spot: Suite G of 1 Sherington Drive in Sheridan Park.

"Basically what we're trying to do is re-create south Philadelphia," said Woodward, who has worked for the family's other restaurants and will manage the new one.

The reincarnated restaurant's logo will feature the Liberty Bell, and its menu will include a variety of chicken and steak sandwiches -- such as Schmidt's Homerun and Chamberlain's Original -- named after Philadelphia luminaries.

The signature sandwich will be served authentically with Cheez Whiz on top, Woodward said.

The men plan to buy bread from a Philadelphia bakery and trim and prepare fresh ribeye in-house.

Woodward said he has visited many of Philadelphia's famed cheesesteak purveyors and called friends to get the inside scoop.

The menu will also include appetizers, salads, food for kids and desserts.

John's sons, John Jr. and Tim, will remain involved in the family's restaurant, ice cream shop and liquor store in Okatie. The new place will be mostly Dad's.

He has decorated the restaurant to resemble an old diner or ice cream shop, with shiny red seat cushions. He has also installed a new floor and ceiling, refurbished the restrooms and hung Phillies baseball paraphernalia on the wall.

After years of operating a late-night singles hangout, O'Gorman said he intends to make his new business more family-oriented, serving beer and wine but not liquor.

The more subdued environment is fitting, he said, because many of his family's first customers now have families of their own.

"They're now almost 10 years older with two kids, and they love the idea," he said.

OTHER BUSINESSES

Other recent business openings, closings and changes in the area:

• Deb Eason and Annette Fioravanti have opened Chianti & Jake's Doggie Bed & Breakfast on Hilton Head Island.

The business is named for their dogs, a yellow Labrador and a golden retriever.

The women, who also own a gourmet Italian chili company, offer "doggie day care" and host dogs overnight at their south-end home at 31 Goldfinch Lane.

The also offer feeding and watering as directed, brushing and bathing as requested, administration of medicine, transportation to a vet or groomer, and daily updates by phone or e-mail. The update service is intended primarily for visitors who stay in accommodations that don't allow pets, or residents who want to ensure their dogs are being well cared for while they're out of town.

Visiting clients are welcome to fetch their dogs as often as they please, or they can leave their dogs for the duration of their stay, Eason said.

"We're with the dogs 24/7," she said. "It's so much different from a kennel in that we're with them all the time."

WHAT IS ABOUT TOWN?

As you drive around southern Beaufort County, you notice a sign for a new shop, new construction or road work. Or you realize that an old store you once frequented has gone out of business. About Town answers the question, "What's going on here?"

If you have information about something that has changed the local landscape or if you wonder about one of those changes and would like us to tell you more about it, contact reporter Josh McCann at jmccann@islandpacket.com or 843-706-8145.