WCBC

April 3rd, 2019 by WCBC Radio

One of our Cumberland traditions, JJ’s & Sons Pizzeria, had a monumental day on April 1st. The local restaurant, known for its Buffalo-style chicken wings, celebrated its 38th anniversary and began work on its new location on Baltimore Ave. 

John Lyon opened the first JJ’s restaurant at 5 National Highway in The Narrows on April 1, 1981, introducing his hometown Buffalo-style pizza and chicken wings to the Cumberland area. John’s sons, Kris and Tim, daughter-in-law, Melanie, and their long-term friend and Director of Operations, Todd Mechem, own the local restaurant which is committed to investing and growing in Cumberland.

When Kris retired in 2016, he and his wife, Melanie, decided to invest in JJ’s to both help John “semi” – retire and as a way to give back to the business and town that gave Kris his start. Kris and Melanie then purchased the 491 Baltimore Ave property with plans of removing the existing structure and constructing a new building for JJ’s. 

Located at the corner of Baltimore Ave and Marion St, the property was the former site of Bullwinkle’s and the Fisher-Robinette Tavern. Demolition of the existing structure started on April 1st and plans are underway for the construction of the new JJ’s building.

Over the years, JJ’s has had locations in LaVale, Ridgeley, Frostburg, and Cumberland, some with dine-in and others without. The current restaurant at 158 N. Centre St in Cumberland has offered take-out and delivery since 1990. One of the goals of building and relocating to Baltimore Ave is offering dine-in service to customers again.

The owners are near the end of the design phase of the new building and have selected EADS Group for the architectural and mechanical design. In addition to advice and support from the City of Cumberland, the team has solicited the help of local professionals including Kevin Beachy for existing site engineering, Mike Coughenour for surveying, and Kiddy’s Contracting for demolition. Construction is expected to begin this summer and end in early 2020. The business will operate out of the Centre Street location until the opening of the new store.

According to Kris Lyon, “Our family is very excited about the growth of JJ’s and breaking ground on our new location. Our customers and the City of Cumberland have been very supportive of our decision to move and we look forward to relocating in 2020 as we enter our 40th year of serving the Cumberland area”.

The new store will seat 45 inside and another 20 in its covered outdoor patio. The current menu of pizza, wings, subs, salads and sides will be enhanced with the sale of beer and wine, a first for JJ’s. The owners encourage anyone interested in keeping up-to-date on the progress of the new building to sign up for the mailing list on their website