With construction underway, Unity Township is welcoming new growth for the community with open arms. Construction workers have been working hard, getting everything ready since early September. The new establishments, including Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, and a potential sit-down restaurant, are expected to debut in 2026.
Since the official confirmation of the new establishments by Mike O’Barto, Unity Township supervisor, on October 22 via Facebook, the community has been eagerly waiting for the opening days.
The project started roughly a year ago, with the idea of a strip mall. But, with no solid idea of what stores were coming, a more stable path was created. When developers reached out with Chick-fil-A and Chipotle, the project had a clear blueprint and was ready to start in September 2025.
O’Barto, celebrating his reelection as supervisor, has been a Unity Township leader since 1994. Township supervisor is a big responsibility, with jobs such as legislating ordinances, laws in the township, and public safety.
Along with being the Township supervisor, O’Barto also takes on the role of being a road master, with responsibilities like paving, snow removal, and overall taking care of the 165 miles of road in Unity Township.
While Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, and a possible sit-down restaurant are being built on new land, the following businesses are recycling old land: Five Below, going into the recently closed Latrobe 30 Rite Aid, 7 Brew, being built on the old GetGo lot, Bubba’s, in the recently renovated Bruster’s Ice Cream and Yogurt’s building, and The Coffee Tree, seen in the same building as the Somerset Trust Company in the old Pizza Hut.
“Businesses look at the demographics,” O’Barto explains. “[The business owners] were able to come up with a study that showed that this may be a good area to put a new chain.”
The placement of the buildings gives the businesses an advantage: having people travelling from far and wide daily from Pittsburgh and Somerset County on Route 30 introduces new options that weren’t there before. Whether someone is on the ride to work at the crack of dawn or coming home from a long day in the late evening, the right place is there to make their day a little bit brighter.
Out-of-state visitors travelling through Unity Township will also benefit from the placement of the newfound restaurants. Events like Steelers training camp and the air show at Arnold Palmer Airport will also now have an even bigger advantage, as these establishments will bring in many more people and business into the area. The diversity of the establishments gives foreigners a wide range of options to pick from that they can’t find at home.
Unemployed teenagers and adults have a wide range of new jobs to pick from. Some of which being brand new to the area, providing diversity too. “These places create a lot of business, and they employ people, which helps the growth of our area by giving our residents more jobs,” O’Barto says.
The tax base will also have a big change as these new businesses arrive. This will provide additional funds for repairs around the area or future community improvements. “These new businesses will create more support for Unity Township’s tax base,” O’Barto explains.
Traffic is something that people must always think about when building new developments. New businesses, more traffic. Especially in these new developments, as they are being introduced into an already commercialized area. “There weren’t any interconnecting roads between where the Giant Eagle and Walmart plaza were. Once Excela Square arrived, we fought to get some roads that would keep people off of Route 30. If we hadn’t ended up getting them, much more traffic would have had to go onto thirty and get right back off, which creates opportunity for hazards,” O’Barto says.
“What am I most excited for? Oh, the Chick-fil-a for sure,” said O’Barto. “I feel like Chick-fil-A is probably the one that’s most exciting for people since I’ve been asked for years when we plan on getting one in Unity, along with the 7 Brew as well.”
Briana Tomack, president of The Latrobe Chamber of Commerce, has lived in both Altoona and Derry. She feels that Latrobe is the best place to live. Though she is biased, she has lived to experience the ups and downs of each.
The Chamber of Commerce is a system throughout Latrobe that is working to keep Latrobe’s Main Street USA vibe by keeping small businesses funded and creating the heart of Latrobe. “In the chamber of commerce building, you get to see a little bit of everything that Latrobe has to offer,” said Briana. It is also a community outreach center. People in the community who need guidance on travel destinations or even people to talk to can come to the commerce building in Latrobe to meet their needs.
Tomack hopes to see new members of the chamber of commerce. Any new members bring more to what the chamber has to offer for the community. Whilst she doesn’t feel that it will happen as chain businesses can be hard to get to join things like this, as it isn’t just this location you must talk to about getting the ok about joining. You must also reach out to the members higher in the company about the possibility of joining the chamber.
A few years ago, many doctors’ offices moved from downtown to Excela Square. There were problems for the small businesses in the downtown area. Many patients visiting the offices that were originally in downtown would explore what Latrobe had to offer. Now that the accessibility of the offices is not there anymore, business has been lost, and fewer people choose to explore Latrobe.
The new stores also bring accessibility to the community. With Eastgate Chick-fil-A being in Greensburg, Latrobe customers had to make the ten-minute drive just to get dinner. “We were ecstatic that a Chick-fil-A was coming to Unity Township on Route 30,” O’Barto says, “One of the reasons being, it was probably the number one asked question for the last five years.”
Though the drive time doesn’t sound bad, comparing it to the new five-minute drive makes a major difference. Gas would be saved, and lives would be a lot easier with the new convenience. A night of eating out turns from a hassle to a breeze.
Though the popular restaurants have fans of all ages, teens are their biggest target audience. A business advantage from a restaurant perspective is the proximity to the Greater Latrobe High School. The convenience of an after-school snack increases with students with a license. Driving from the school to Greensburg for their favorite food, versus driving down the road straight from school, is a lot more convenient.
Getting new business locally is always exciting, but getting a business from far away is even bigger. Developers chose the perfect spot to put their developments, as this area will not only bring the community of Latrobe, but also people from surrounding areas that are without these unique businesses. This will bring Latrobe to a new level, welcoming more excitement to what the town has to offer and opening doors for more growth to come.
