(WOLF) — Chili's is coming to Dickson City The borough of Dickson City had approved the construction of the Texas-based restaurant chain back in April of 2024 and construction soon started following the demolition of the UNO's location that had been there One unique feature of this particular branch is its spiritual connection to the hit tv show Although multiple episodes take place at a Chili’s historically there has never been a Chili’s in or near Scranton where the show takes place The new Dickson City location plans to embrace the themes of the show by having décor hanging on the walls to encourage photo opportunities They will also be selling shirts similar to the ones worn in the show believes the borough to be the hub for all kinds of businesses they did demolish the former UNO’s building which was at the rear of the property They brought the new building up to the front so that its much more visible which allows more exposure So they’re going to be opening very soon within the next few months,” said Forconi The restaurant is set to open around late spring or early summer the national retailer known for its extensive fabrics and craft offerings is looking to close over 500 stores across the nation including the Dickson City location in Lackawanna County That store is one of 33 the chain seeks to close in Pennsylvania as part of bankruptcy proceedings. The full list can be found here Among the other Pennsylvania stores eyed for closure are locations in Selinsgrove This is the chain's second bankruptcy filing in less than a year Its fortunes have ebbed and flowed with the nation's economy Prior to going public in 2021 Joann reported in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that "the COVID-19 pandemic had spurred growth in the sewing and broader crafting industry fashioning their own masks and using the additional time at home for DIY pursuits," NPR reported But by the fall of 2023 a sales slump prompted the following year's restructuring The latest bankruptcy proceeding got underway in January of this year. "Right-sizing our store footprint is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the best path forward for Joann," a restructuring website for the company states a Pittsburgh fixture known for sandwiches stuffed with cole slaw and french fries abruptly closed its Dickson City location without notice last week The restaurant's Google listing and Facebook pages both list the establishment as "permanently closed." The popular restaurant and sports bar opened the 1249 Commerce Blvd it was Primate's 31st location and its easternmost location Last year Primante closed its westernmost locations in Michigan The first Primanti Bros opened at 46 Eighteenth Street in Pittsburgh's Strip District along the Allegheny River The 4500 square foot restaurant opened to much fanfare encouraging customers to camp out and tailgate in order to be one of the first 100 customers to win free sandwiches Authentic Restaurant Brands acquired Primanti Bros in January 2022 and says it's focused on driving sustainable growth by pairing the benefits of scale and data analytics with insights informed by extensive operational expertise and an established local presence ARB said they'd like to grow the Primante Bros Patients receiving sometimes hours-long treatment at the future Geisinger Dickson City Cancer Center will have beautiful views of Northeast Pennsylvania’s mountains through glass walls in the infusion bays “It's a difficult journey that patients have to take,” said Dr “Trying to make things convenient and trying to make things as calm and peaceful as it can be as they're confronting the difficult challenges of cancer and its treatment.” Geisinger’s vision for the future of regional cancer care incorporates Lackawanna County’s natural beauty with excellent treatment that could be found in major cities The new Dickson City Cancer Center is slated to see its first patient on June 23 By using nature to soothe patients during what is often a challenging time Geisinger hopes to focus on patients’ mental wellbeing in addition to their physical health added that the natural light will be helpful to the doctors working long hours we're introducing natural light into the building for the physicians,” he said Geisinger Health System officials say that roughly 20% of cancer patients leave Lackawanna County for treatment The need for cancer care in Lackawanna County is estimated to grow by 3.2% through 2026 because the 65+ population is projected to grow by 12% by then While Geisinger already has a cancer institute Space constraints at Geisinger Community Medical Center (GCMC) limited the ability to expand cancer programs there Geisinger representatives say a standalone center was a better pathway to fulfilling community needs This is mutually beneficial to the hospital in Scranton which will now be able to explore other growth options The $58 million, 61,000 square- foot facility on Martin F. Gibbons Boulevard in Dickson City will complement the work of the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center in Wilkes-Barre with more localized care for area residents New and expanded services will be available a first for Geisinger in Lackawanna County “This allows us to bring the expertise of the Geisinger radiation oncology staff to Lackawanna County so that we can partner with medical oncology to provide that comprehensive cancer care,” said Lisa Keifer the cancer institute's senior director of operations “It'll be the latest and greatest technology within radiation oncology so the patients in Lackawanna County can just come here for their treatments and then go home.” there will be 17 hematology and oncology exam rooms almost tripling the amount currently offered at GCMC Three multi-disciplinary spaces will be available to offer better care coordination for patients who see multiple specialists The center will also feature food and drink options allowing Geisinger to offer support for families and caregivers as they arrive at the center to support their loved ones through their diagnoses Having so many services under one roof saves families and caregivers from driving around to different locations for their loved one’s treatments Panikkar says Geisinger’s goal for both patients and their families is to make treatment simple for people The June 2025 opening will come after about three years of construction. Geisinger broke ground back in summer 2022 The construction team’s focus is getting the exterior weather proofed by winter Both Geisinger and Sordoni Construction Services are confident that the project will wrap up when expected “We've been blessed with great weather and work from a workforce standpoint,” Hill said “There's a big workforce here that's dedicated to bringing this in that time frame we're looking for.” Hill expressed gratitude for the team that understands the urgency of the project a new palliative medicine fellowship program will begin next summer Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life for patients with serious illnesses and terminal diagnoses The hope is that the cancer center will offer even more of an incentive for Geisinger’s locally educated doctors to stay in the area “Our hope is that we'll be bringing young doctors to the area to train here to learn about the care that we give to the patients that live in our environment and inspire them to stay here and continue to care for patients,” Panikkar said “I think when you show the vision about where you can be and what you can do and the ability to deliver complex care in the community I think that's one of our overarching goals of what we're trying to do with our program.” WVIA News wants to hear from you! If you have a story idea for one of our journalists, it's as simple as sending an e-mail. Reach out anytime at wvianews@wvia.org Northeast Pennsylvania’s newest Chili’s Bar and Grill is a colorful explosion of nostalgia and tributes to Scranton’s favorite NBC comedy Chili’s "Scranton Branch" opened for business Monday giving the region not just another eatery but another tourist attraction for those who love “The Office," which was set in the city the "Scranton Branch" is actually located in suburban Dickson City a borough and shopping hub neighboring the Electric City proper the mayors of Dickson City and Scranton were both on hand for a Monday's opening day ribbon-cutting ceremony along with Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan and U.S “We are really excited about this partnership with this amazing TV show that featured Chili’s in a couple episodes,” said BJ Renteria vice president of operations for the mid-central region “We really wanted to embrace it and bring it to life for the people of Scranton and Dickson City.” The Chili’s Scranton Branch is the only place to order the Awesome Blossom a deep fried onion once ordered by Michael Scott with a request for “extra awesome.” The item was removed from the menu at all Chili’s locations in 2008 This location also highlights Chili’s history with tile tables and posters on the wall referencing chili cook offs and other events that took place prior to 2005 “The team has done an amazing job of adding little Easter eggs around the restaurant,” Renteria said “You could spend the entire day looking at all the pictures and all the things on the wall.” Diners are greeted at the front door by a large chalkboard mural that says “Welcome to Chili’s Scranton Branch.” The artwork featuring Scranton landmarks was created by the original Chili’s artist from the early 2000s “Seeing Chili’s Scranton Branch was like stepping into a time machine,” actor Brian Baumgartner said in a release issued for the occasion “The Chili’s team pulled out all the stops in creating this restaurant and I’ll be stopping in for an Awesome Blossom every time I come visit.” The actor who played Kevin Malone in the workplace sitcom has visited Scranton many times over the years including last month to film advertisements at this location and others including the actor who played the Chili's manager in Season 2 The reunion brought national attention to Lackawanna County once again a $5 "Scranton Marg" is offered at every Chili's location For super fans of “The Office,” this was a long time coming The NBC mockumentary followed a motley crew of employees at the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin “Chili’s was a faux pas back in filming days,” explained Mari Potis director of membership and events at the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce but fact-checking fans noticed a discrepancy when the team had sales meetings and “Dundee” award ceremonies at Chili’s A Chili’s restaurant didn’t exist in Scranton at that time — the nearest location was in Wilkes-Barre Township outside the Wyoming Valley Mall. Now, 20 years since the start of it all “We’ve been building in Scranton,” Potis said “People will always come here because there’s new generations always new fans of the show… and there is a real place to actually connect you to the show.” Santa’s workshop won’t be the only place to find toys Monstarz Toys and Collectables in Dickson City offers custom and vintage toys you won’t find anywhere else “We have the largest assortment of action figures around The company has been around for over 30 years and the past three of those years have been spent in Lackawanna County attracting toy lovers and curious minds “I've been following this toy company for We had done a return to living dead figure And then I would see him at conventions and whatnot And then I just found out he was moving to the Scranton Carbondale Highway creating a unique collection of classic favorites and new discoveries “ I think everybody has some kind of nostalgia in them for some kind of thing that they played with when they were a child There's really something in here for everyone Everybody has a favorite movie or some kind of pop culture or a superhero they looked up to when they were a kid And we have all of that here," explained Heinle With an impressive collection of horror movie merchandise the company also manufactures a variety of toys from both obscure and loved media We also have a Jordy Verrill figure from Creepshow that's about to drop right around Christmas time," said Heinle then Monstarz could be considered a library But we also like to talk about toys with people even sometimes if somebody just sees something and they want to tell us a story about when they have that toy as a kid Filled with toys and collectables from wall to wall the store is going to be open seven days a week leading up to Christmas Calling all 'The Office' fans (and I am one of them) here's something that you may want to check out in Scranton Remember the first episode of Season 2 in 2005, which was set in a fictional Chili's in Scranton for the annual Dundie Awards? That was a great episode and helped propel the show's popularity According to the Associated Press there are currently no Chili's Restaurants in the Scranton area...until now a Chili's Restaurant will be opening on Commerce Road in Dickson City What's the big deal? We have one in Vestal, and there is another Chili's in Big Flats, NY. Well, this one is a bit 'The Office' themed. The AP notes that this Chili's Restaurant will have a sort of mid-2000s and Dunder Mifflin feel There were a few episodes that featured a (fictional) Stranon-area Chili's Restaurant Remember the episode (another Dundee Awards night) where Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) got drunk One item you normally won't find at other Chili's Restaurants will be offered at the Dickson City location- the Awesome Blossom which is a deep-fried onion with a cheese dipping sauce that was made famous in one of 'The Office' episodes featuring Michael Scott (Steve Carell) take that short road trip down Interstate 81 and check out another homage to the show It's hard to believe that the show began 20 years ago What's the big deal? We have one in Vestal, and there is another Chili's in Big Flats, NY. Well, this one is a bit 'The Office' themed.\nRead More Remember the first episode of Season 2 in 2005, which was set in a fictional Chili's in Scranton for the annual Dundie Awards? That was a great episode According to the Associated Press What's the big deal? We have one in Vestal, and there is another Chili's in Big Flats, NY. Well, this one is a bit 'The Office' themed. The AP notes that this Chili's Restaurant will have a sort of mid-2000s and Dunder Mifflin feel Donald Trump's political supporters visited Northeast PA to mobilize Pennsylvanians to encourage unlikely voters to cast ballots for the former president on Nov Reach out…We have 9,000 voting stations in Pennsylvania…If we can get two to three to four more at every poll station a five-day campaign blitz across Pennsylvania The tour began Monday outside Philadelphia and hit Lackawanna and Luzerne counties on Tuesday Officials first stopped at Kriger Pipeline in Dickson City and then at Post Family Limited Partnership in Luzerne County before heading to Acacia Fraternity in State College Meuser (R-Dallas) spoke outside the Wilkes-Barre Township warehouse to a small group of dedicated Trump supporters. He applauded Luzerne County’s flip to a Republican registered majority. The longtime Democratic stronghold shifted red in September for the first time during a presidential election since 1968. He warned that Republicans’ work isn’t done Meuser wants his party to further cement its control in Pennsylvania by motivating low propensity voters — voters who are registered but do not vote in every election — to turn out to the polls on Nov 5 Meuser is running for reelection against Democrat Amanda Waldman Lackawanna CountyMeuser was not the only Republican candidate for office who traveled with the Trump campaign on Tuesday Rob Bresnahan is running to unseat incumbent U.S He told natural gas industry workers at the Krieger Pipeline in Dickson City that Vice President Kamala Harris “vilifies our natural resources” and the fracking industry “We have an opportunity of a lifetime to change the trajectory of this country and it's going to start right here in Pennsylvania's eighth congressional district,” said Bresnahan The 8th Congressional District covers all of Lackawanna Pike and Wayne counties and portions of Luzerne and Monroe counties Bresnahan and Cartwright face-off in a moderated debate at 7 p.m Prominent politicians from outside the state spoke alongside Meuser and Bresnahan and highlighted how Pennsylvania could decide the election Former Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Long Island) called Pennsylvania “an absolute must win” for both major political parties He also encouraged Trump supporters to draw out unlikely voters to the polls "This is a moment where everyone needs to do our part..not only is it important that these low propensity voters vote but they vote now so that then the Trump campaign can spend all of their resources In both Dickson City and Wilkes-Barre Township Republican Kash Patel doubled down on the need to get registered He was the former Chief of Staff to the Acting U.S Secretary of Defense during Trump’s first term Patel pushed supporters to reach out to people outside of their communities People they know well are already likely to vote He alleged the Harris campaign assumes it has the votes of people of color and does not reach out to them “Go out and talk to the people that haven't been spoken to during this political season go out and talk to the people that Kamala Harris has said ‘I'm going to buy your vote because you're black I'm going to buy your vote because you're Brown’ … Trump is the one recruiting every single American under the America First movement,” said Patel America First Action is a super PAC dedicated to supporting federal candidates who back Trump's policy agenda argued that illegal immigration “has ravaged our communities.” He says it’s “not racist” to vote for an America First candidate Patel’s parents legally immigrated to America to flee a dictatorship “That's the American Dream that our children should have and I'm an Indian American telling you I want lawful immigration There is nothing wrong with that,” said Patel Monday was the last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania Dickson City Hyundai hosted a giveaway where participants could enter for a chance to win a three-year lease on a car The only requirement was to enter in person at the dealership The winner was announced to be Francis Ascencio and she will receive a three-year lease on a 2025 Hyundai Elantra “It’s been a tough year for a lot of people and we wanted to give back to the community so we felt there was no better way as a car dealership than to give away a car,” said Carlos Rodan Rodan hopes the giveaway will show the area that they don’t just sell cars but support the community as well (WOLF) — Chili’s and “The Office” first collided in the first episode of Season 2 Employees at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company were invited to a celebration of their achievements by their boss the Scranton area and the Chili’s franchise are colliding with a restaurant bearing many similarities to the one in the show “It feels really immersive like you’re an extra in the show,” said Danielle Fetty dedicated their day off from work to experiencing the themed restaurant traveling over an hour in each direction for their lunch plans the airplane is over there from when they did the paper airplane episode pretzel day is over where we sat and they have a shirt from the rabies run,” said the couple The “Scranton Branch” also offers unique menu items including the discontinued “Awesome Blossom,” which Office character Michael Scott famously ordered with “extra awesome.” “I wanted to come see how the atmosphere was I’ve been to a Chili’s before and I like it so I wanted to see how they would do at this location,” said Eric Garcia Garcia frequently traveled to Wilkes-Barre when he wanted Chili’s but some people travel from across the world just to see the Scranton building over here so I know people will come here here just for the theme of the place,” Garcia said The restaurant had many nods to the sitcom including a roped off dinner booth “They were going to go somewhere else to do their business deal but Michael said good business deals are made at Chili’s This is supposed to be a setup of their business meeting