Center's Subway Opening 'First Week in June'

Early this week, Chris Cho was leaning against what remains of the counter where once frozen yogurt was served at the former TCBY store at 59A Leonard St.

Since late last year when the long-time Belmont store closed, the store's front windows have been glazed over as the location's future was debated.

That inactivity will soon end as Waltham resident Cho and his co-owner, fellow Dartmouth grad Enrique Colbert, will begin directing the transformation of the store into Belmont Center's first "fast food" outlet with the introduction of a Subway's on Leonard Street.

Cho, who owns with Colbert five other Subway franchises in the area, was going over blueprints after the town's review of their January application got Belmont's stamp of approval earlier in the month.

The pair's request for a special permit at the Zoning Board of Appeals was approved on March 5 allowing them to begin remaking the 3,000 square foot, two level storefront into one of the 35,000 Subway restaurants. 

Cho said he and Colbert are ready to move after a 20-day appeals period ends this week.

"We should begin our build out next week and then take six weeks or a little longer until its done," said Cho.

"So we are hoping to open in the first week in June," he said.

Cho and Colbert will be managers of the limited liability company and sublease the space from Albert J. Locatelli Realty Trust for 10 years.

The Subway’s proposed hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.

The store will operate on both levels with seating for 20 customers upstairs and 20 downstairs. 

The seating will be limited to 42 seats and the décor will be an “upscale Tuscany design” with a variety of tables, chairs, booths and sofas.

In its application to the town, Cho and Colbert said the franchise will provide healthy and relatively inexpensive food that is an alternative to the sit-down restaurants on the street, it will employ 15-20 workers, contribute about 40 percent of sales back into the local community that could equal about $200,000, and honor a “good neighbor” policy that limits direct competition with other local businesses which means not selling pizza, ice cream, frozen yogurt or alcohol that could “adversely impact” Stone Hearth Pizza, Comella’s and Gregory’s House of Pizza.