An Ossian restaurant legacy to open in downtown Bluffton
By JONATHAN SNYDER
Matthew Musco, the owner of the soon-to-open Pitties Dog House in Bluffton, aspires to continue a legacy established in 2013 in Ossian by his father.
Musco’s dad, Victor, owned Vic’s in the Dog House, a hot dog restaurant in Ossian famous for its unique creations. The restaurant closed down due to Victor’s health issues, but Musco wants to revitalize that legacy and take inspiration from the old business.
“When he (Victor) passed away in 2021, I knew I wanted to do something, I just didn’t know what,” Musco said. “I thought it was very creative when he did it in Ossian … the food was affordable. He didn’t go through any type of Sysco reps or anything like that. He would go to Sam’s Club, and he was making that drive at that time, I want to say at about 68 or 69-years old.”
Musco’s restaurant, located at 211 West Market St., will have a section in the front for hot dogs and a small bar in the back for adults. Musco wants to make the restaurant an “experience” for the people walking in, with the front also having table, board and hopefully arcade games available.
“I didn’t want just a plain old bar, and I didn’t just want a plain old restaurant,” Musco said. “I’m not really about turning tables. I’m more about saying, ‘Hey, come in. Let’s have a good time. Let’s experience something new.’ For a child, it could be a new experience and a nostalgic experience for an adult.”
Musco, who has three kids of his own, wants the restaurant to be a good place for families, with a mixture of a bar and game areas.
“This would give an opportunity for those families to actually go out again and not break the bank by buying their food,” Musco said. “They could eat some hot dogs and have nachos, some simple sandwiches, soft drinks and of course the adult beverages. They can socialize again, instead of just being around just the children, without other adults. I’ve been doing it for a year, you need that.”
Musco’s choice to set up in Bluffton over Ossian came down to the revitalization and collaboration opportunities downtown.
“I do like the community of Bluffton, how they (downtown businesses) all just kind of get together and just help each other, that’s awesome,” Musco said. “We’re not talking trash to another business, we’re actually hyping them up. (We’re) saying, ‘Hey, you know what? We don’t have this, but they do. And that’s pretty cool. Now you just check them out.’ I’m always going to hype them up, because I want them to succeed, just like I hope they want me to succeed.”
Pitties has had to delay their opening date, but Musco hopes to be open yet in 2024.
“Something like this, you can become a little bit more interpersonal and create that community, like a Pitties community,” Musco said. “Kids that would come in here and get older, they might still keep coming in here, and then they bring their kids in. They know what they’re getting. You know, it’s not high class dining. It’s just something to fill your stomach and it isn’t going to make you sick. It’s gonna fill your belly and you’re gonna have a great time.”
jonathan@news-banner.com
