The New Kid On The Block

Calios is also known as the Calzone King.

“The customer is always right.” is the slogan that the Calio’s workers stand for. What was once an ice cream shop now transformed to the home of Bloomsburg’s newest Italian restaurant. Calio’s happens to be the new kid on the block and competing with well-known establishments such as Tri-pi and Frank’s. Since there are three pizza shops on one block you would think the new business would struggle to bring in customers but that is far from the truth. With the new business only being open for a few weeks the company has had a lot of opening success. More people are walking in the front doors curious and leaving with satisfaction. The business specifically known for their calzones also has an assortment of pastries. The great customer service and lightning quick food delivery can be one of the many reasons they continuously steal customers away from Tri-pi and Frank’s.

Calio's  being the new kid on the block had brought up a lot of questions.  Customers wanted to know what were the times that Calio's opened and closed? Where were the located?  "We are located on 102 East Main Street, and we are open everyday from 4pm to 4am" the manager stated.

Up close picture of a calzone.

Walking through the front doors' customers can hear the latest music hits such as Tekashi 6ix9ine “FEFE” ft. Nicki Minaj. The sweet smell of cinnamon sugar hits everyone as soon as they walk through the threshold. Take one glance up and see college football being played on the big screens. Observe the room and see the building covered with red and black paint. The chairs are spread throughout the store and each one has a soft cushion on them. Stroll to the counter and gaze at the marble counters and look through the see-through glass and watch as the masterpiece is being created. Lastly scan the digital menu and tell the cashier the order. Customers wait to get their order number then they sit down.

While waiting for the food one can start to wonder what is the most popular dish in the restaurant? Also how well in the restaurant doing? The manager was ecstatic to talk about the store.  "The most popular dish right now has to be our Philly Cheesesteak style calzone, but my personal favorite is the Bacon Burger" the manager exclaimed.  "We are very new to the area so we are just trying to attract more customers.  During the week days we get a decent amount of customers, but the weekend are usually when we make the majority of our money" he explained.

The wait happens to be a little long but worth it. As people wait for their food conversations can be heard throughout the restaurant. Music continues to play in the background and the atmosphere is vibrant and electric. Then the cashier yells out “number 41”, time to eat. First comes the cinnamon sugar covered dough balls, next comes the main entrée. Stomachs are hungry and mouth’s start to salivate as the box is waiting to be opened. The anticipation is finally over; the customer flings the box open and the smell of bacon chicken and ranch smack the customer all at once. The customer wastes no time and dives in for the first bite of the calzone. Ranch drips out of the calzone and a piece of crispy bacon sits on the customer’s face. The customer continues chewing the delicious calzone, then grabs a drink of sprite to wash it all down. Everyone at the table waits for the reaction, “Well how was it?” one friend remarks. There a pause for a second and the friend exclamates “It’s the best food in town!”. They all share the cinnamon dough balls and devour the pastry in one swallow after the dessert was drowned in creamy white glaze. The customers got up and left with smiles on their fac but before they could leave the worker shouted out “I hope you guys enjoyed the food” from behind the counter, and in unison they all yelled back “We DID”.

This is the Cookies and Cream style dessert Calio's offers.

With all the new success is hard to determine if Calio’s can keep up the hype. From the looks of things, it seems that in due time the restaurant will be the powerhouse pizza shop on the block. For now, the business will only focus on what they can control; making good food and delivering great surface. The business open at mid day and closes at early in the morning. Leaving them enough time to satisfy more customers all day. Calio’s may be the new restaurant in town but one thing that is for sure is that they are not going anywhere anytime soon.