Bass & Bennett Trading Co., a longtime furniture and home goods retailer on Penn Avenue, is preparing to close, offering significant discounts on remaining inventory as shoppers flock to the store for final sales. While one business prepares to leave, another iconic Pittsburgh name is getting ready to make its return just a few storefronts away.
Isaly’s, the century-old brand known for its chipped chopped ham, deli counters and towering Skyscraper ice cream cones, is working to open a new 3,500-square-foot location at 2111 Penn Ave. in the Strip District. The shop was originally expected to open during summer 2026, but the opening has been delayed. Company officials have not announced a revised opening date.
The new location will include a deli,
breakfast and lunch offerings, ice cream and seating for between 50 and 70 guests. The Conroy family, which purchased the Isaly’s brand in 2015, has said the goal is to recreate the experience that made the iconic chain a staple across Western Pennsylvania for decades.
The transition highlights the constant evolution of the Strip District, one of Pittsburgh’s most visited neighborhoods. Once dominated by wholesalers and produce markets, the area has increasingly become a destination for restaurants, specialty retailers and entertainment while still maintaining connections to its historic roots.
For many Pittsburghers, Isaly’s return carries a sense of nostalgia. The new store will be the first new Isaly’s location to open in Pittsburgh in a generation, bringing one of the region’s most recognizable food brands back to the neighborhood at a time when another longtime Strip District business is preparing to close its doors.
This article by Gabby Sartori was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Strip District says goodbye to one business as Isaly's prepares return
