Pizza Hut’s return to Culpeper

The Pizza Hut on North Main Street is slated to reopen in mid-May after a fire shut it down last summer, according to company officials.

The unveiling will bring about a completely renovated interior and an updated, modern exterior. Wings Street, a Buffalo wings-style brand, will also be introduced.

“We are planning a grand opening for the community and are excited about getting back into the Culpeper area,” said John Shepherd, regional director for Pizza Hut.

The rehab project, in various forms and under various owners, has been long in the making, dating to at least 2001 when the Town Planning Commission approved the first of several design concepts.

Though the most recent proposed an entirely new building, the current owners are retaining the existing building. When finished, however, it’s going to look entirely different.

“The whole store is getting renovated,” Shepherd said.

And so is the menu. He said many new food items would be available, declining to elaborate until final decisions are made.

“A top priority for us is, we really want it to be one of or the best restaurant in Culpeper,” Shepherd said. “It will be a beautiful restaurant.”

He was on site Friday interviewing the potential new manager. The reopening will create 25 to 30 jobs, Shepherd said, encouraging folks to check out snagajob.com for listings. All new management will be put in place, officials said.

The Pizza Hut is already creating construction jobs. Vito Construction of Lothian, Md., is handling the renovation, and four guys were on the job Tuesday working, including job superintendent Sean Mitchell of Gainesville.

He said the fire caused a lot of smoke damage inside, requiring a 100-percent replacement, which they’ve been at for a few months.

The building’s exterior materials are being 90-percent replaced, including a retrofitted roof, Mitchell said.

Vito Construction will also raze the vacant, boarded-up house directly next door, which town officials consider “an eyesore” and graffiti magnet.

Razing the house was part of the original rezoning plan, said Town Zoning Administrator Maxie Brown, and though not required, it was something the new owners agreed to do. Overall, she said, the town is happy to see the Pizza Hut renovation.

“We would be even more pleased if they were going to completely expand and redesign the site to bring it in with the rezoning that had been approved,” Brown said. “But we are still very happy with the building being remodeled and reused, because we understand it is not a good economy.”