Apr. 17—A plan to open the restaurant lease at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport for competitive proposals has drawn a social media backlash.
With county commissioners publicly urging the move this week, the Westmoreland County Airport Authority is preparing a request for proposals to lease the terminal space — once an agreement with the current occupant, DeNunzio's Italian Chophouse, expires next year.
Since the news developed Tuesday, customers and others supporting DeNunzio's have taken to the restaurant's Facebook page and to Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher's personal Facebook page to praise the eatery and criticize county officials for their stance. Some suggested the commissioners were intruding on a decision that should be left to the authority.
"We love DeNunzio's at the airport! So nice to grab a delicious meal prior to hopping a flight!" one post read.
"It's a shame that politics have to be dragged into every moment of our lives," said another.
Restaurant owner Ron DeNunzio took over the airport lease from the former occupant, Jimmie Monzo's Blue Angel, in 2004. He pays monthly fees of $2,000 for utilities and $2,000 to rent the 160-seat restaurant. He pays an additional $500 per quarter for use of a banquet room.
DeNunzio told the Tribune-Review that on March 22 he signed a new lease, including a 100% increase in his monthly payments to the authority. He expected the authority board would vote on it at Tuesday's meeting. But that's not what happened.
Commissioners instead called for the authority to seek bids for the new lease. They cited an April 1 letter to the authority in which Pittsburgh attorney Louis DePaul indicated a client is interested in taking over the space and believes the rent DeNunzio is paying is "significantly below market."
Thrasher and fellow Commissioner Doug Chew, who both attended the meeting, have indicated they don't know who that unnamed client is. DePaul has declined to identify the party.
Thrasher said Friday, "The commissioners' main objective is to have the taxpayers' best interest in mind by ensuring that the property lease goes for fair market value. Every local business, including the current lessee, deserves a fair opportunity to bid this public property lease.
"This is not private property, therefore, the highest bidder that meets the specifications should be given the public contract."
Because DeNunzio's lease doesn't expire until the spring of 2022, she argued, "There was no need for the authority to rush it at their last meeting.
"Any authority that gets taxpayers' dollars needs to be transparent and adhere to the same policies that the commissioners do in county business. Since 2016, I have made it clear that the airport authority needs to maximize their own revenue sources."
Chew has said he is "not motivated in any direction by the current lessee" while noting that he is a frequent customer of DeNunzio's restaurant in Jeannette.
Since the county provides nearly $3 million annually to the airport authority, he said, "I feel that my fiduciary responsibility is to tell the authority how I feel and ask them to try to cover their costs internally as much as we try in the courthouse."
Regarding the lease, he said, "Ultimately, it is the airport authority's decision."
DeNunzio said he has engaged an attorney "to investigate the facts of this situation and to take other legal action as deemed appropriate."
He indicated the monthly payments he makes to the authority don't provide the whole picture of his commitment to the airport. In addition to purchasing the lease from the previous restaurant operator, he noted he invested nearly $1 million in improvements to the space when he moved in.
"It was totally revamped, from the chandeliers to the walls to the equipment," he said. "I refinanced my house and took my lines of credit to the max."
Chew said he was unaware of DeNunzio's upfront investment when he attended the authority meeting and other obligations prevented him for investigating the matter this week.
DeNunzio took over the restaurant before Spirit Airlines began offering flights — increasing traffic to more than 309,000 passengers in 2019, before covid-19 pandemic restrictions took a toll on both the air travel and restaurant industries.
He said his restaurant has been an important part of the airport's growth. "We bring a lot to the table," he said. "We view ourselves as a community partner."
Gabe Monzo, airport authority executive director, acknowledged that DeNunzio "has made an investment not only with money, but with time and effort," and is part of an "airport family" — including other tenants, staff, Spirit Airlines and charter aviation firms — that has contributed to the development of the Arnold Palmer facility.
"I don't think anybody wants to be unfair," Monzo said of the lease situation.
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, [email protected] or via Twitter .
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