Morning Journal/Morgan Ahart The Pondi’s Market celebrated their official opening with a ribbon cutting Ceremony Monday. Pictured from left are Center Township Trustee Rex Underwood, Partner Treg Steves, Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsey Smoot, Columbiana County Commissioner Roy Paparodis, Columbiana County Commissioner Mike Halleck, Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce President Linda Donnalley, Columbiana County Port Authority CEO Penny Traina, Ohio State Senator Michael Rulli, Lisbon Mayor Peter Wilson, Owner Matt Borza, Center Township Trustee Greg Shive, and Owner Jessica Borza.

LISBON–The Historic Pondi’s restaurant held a ribbon cutting for their new market expansion Monday.

The newly opened expansion is called Pondi’s Market and will serve as the new hub for all of Pondi’s carryout operations, and includes a secondary prep kitchen. In addition to carryout services the market will also offer restaurant-quality fresh-cut steaks, house-made sausage, soups, and other specialty items as well as a variety of prepared, semi-prepared, and retail items. The Market is part of a multi-phased 2,600 square foot expansion of the restaurant facility, which will also include the opening of a new dining room in two weeks.

It is fitting that the market will serve as the new carryout hub, as the shift to a carryout model, and subsequent rise in carryout orders caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“During Covid carryout was so popular and in such high demand we felt we were underserving our community, and the market was conceived to allow us to better serve them,” said Pondi’s partner Treg Steves.

Steves noted that the market also aimed to “give the feeling of an old town market,” and that there were big plans in the works for the market. Among these is a meal box program planned to begin in September or October. The program would provide customers with meal kits with instructions and necessary ingredients Monday through Friday to make at home. Pondi’s Market also plans to have “grill day” every Saturday. Featuring special deals on steak and other barbeque staples.