Rockne's to Open Late Summer, Early Fall

The new restaurant being constructed on Royalton Road in front of the Plaza at SouthPark will open in late summer or early fall.

Owner Scott Brown said much of the exterior and asphalt work is wrapping up and crews will now be able to concentrate on the interior.

"We're coming down to the end of it," said Brown, who also owns a  .

Rockne's calls itself a fun, casual restaurant with a large selection of menu items, including sandwiches, burgers, steaks, pasta and salads. 

Strongsville will be the 11th location for the northeast Ohio regional chain, which currently operates in Medina, Fairlawn, Brooklyn, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Streetsboro, North Canton, Akron, Kent and Massillon.

The newest restaurant will have seating for 200 plus an outdoor patio that will be heated from the floor up. In fact, all the sidewalks around the building will be heated to keep them clear of snow and ice. 

Brown said the interiors of Rockne's restaurants take a little longer to build than other eateries' because they aren't "cookie cutter" designs.

"The project's gone very well," he said. "It's just a big undertaking."

The company submitted building plans to Strongsville last year for the 6,649-square-foot restaurant, according to Assistant Building Commissioner Keith Foulkes.

A sign for a new Chick fil A has gone up on the parcel next to Rockne's, but construction is not ready to start on that building quite yet, officials said.

"They may not start this year," Economic Development Manager Brent Painter said.