Coaches Burger Bar expects to open in new Calcutta location by March

Coaches Burger Bar's new location in Calcutta has been a dream in the making, especially for owner Patrick Howlett.

When he started the Coaches' brand back in 2015, his ultimate goal was to have a location in Calcutta; however, he wasn't able to accomplish that until just recently.

Work is about to begin on Coaches in the former Adrian's restaurant location soon with plans to open in March, now that its ballot issue to serve beer, liquor and wine all week at 15655 state Route 170 was approved in November.

"I think Calcutta will like what we are planning down there," he explained. "I always have been a big fan of Columbiana County, which is a big reason for our success. I would like to hope that our Calcutta location will be our best ever."

Coaches Burger Bar, which was founded by Howlett and his wife Stacy, has locations already in Salem, Lisbon, Poland, Boardman and Austintown. They are in the process of finishing up one in Belden Village (Canton), and next up with the ambitious plans for Calcutta.

They are best known for their variety of sandwiches, especially the half-pound burgers, and milkshakes of the Months, but they carry many other dietary options including salads, pizza and wings. Howlett said that Coaches will be enhancing the menu. "We also have more options on our catering side, such as pasta and Italian food," he added.

What are his go-to choices on the menu?

Howlett said that he is a fan of their bestselling Big Texan Burger, which includes Italian greens, bacon, American cheese, their barbecue sauce and piled high with onion tangler on their traditional bun. The Bleu Burger is another favorite with bleu cheese crumbles, onion tanglers and Southwest ranch dressing.

He also draws attention to the menu's vegetarian options and a customer's ability to request their burger be served on a gluten-free bun.

And when one mentions Coaches to a member of the public, the raves regarding their milkshakes – especially the Milkshakes of the Month quickly follow. Past Milkshakes of the Month include Pumpkin Pie and Caramel Apple.

Howlett points out that the former Adrian's space, which is located in Ogilvie Plaza behind McDonald's fits the typical footprint of their previous locations at 5,600 square feet. (The Belden Village location will be the largest at 10,000 square feet). He is excited about the plans, which allow for for the business to expand into the space next door in Calcutta.

"We will be doing our first complete buildout at the Calcutta location and completely gutting the interior," he explains recently before showing rough plans. "The setup will be similar to our Austintown store, and I am really pumped about our plans to add a party room that seats around a hundred people."

The Calcutta location has one side centered around a bar and the other with a variety of restaurant-style seating tabletops, catering to families who may not want their children around a bar.

The couple has three children of their own, so Howlett said that they wanted to create a local family-friendly sports bar atmosphere.

"We are a restaurant first, and a bar second," Howlett said, adding, "We have learned over the years what they want."

Wife Stacy, who handles all the marketing for the locations, has her hands plenty busy these days. She signed on July to oversee local delivery of Amazon products and quickly grew from needing five to 40 vans.

"I give her a lot of credit for the Coaches' look and vision," Howlett said. "We anticipate being open by March. When said and done, Calcutta should be our nicest location."

He urges all that is interested in the Calcutta location's progress to LIKE and FOLLOW the business' Facebook and Instagram pages. "We anticipate hiring around 50 people part-time and full-time, and people can also find updates on our hiring at coachesburgers.com," Howlett concluded.