Roots Natural Kitchen is planting its next Pittsburgh-area flag in North Fayette, taking over the former Choolaah space in Lafayette Plaza. The storefront along Summit Park Drive near the Pointe at North Fayette retail corridor will mark the salad-and-grain-bowl chain's fourth Pittsburgh-area location since 2025.
Township Signs Off On Patio Plan At 227 Summit Park Drive
North Fayette Township records show the Board of Supervisors approved a conditional-use application that clears Roots to operate an outdoor dining area at 227 Summit Park Drive, with strings attached around fencing, accessibility, and operating hours. The resolution, adopted Oct. 21, 2025, calls for decorative barriers around the cafe, at least 100 feet of separation from residential zones, and full compliance with fire and ADA requirements, according to North Fayette Township.
Roots Website Teases North Fayette Location
Roots Natural Kitchen's website now lists North Fayette among its upcoming locations and highlights signature bowls such as the El Jefe and Pesto Caesar. The company, which launched in Charlottesville in 2015, promotes a fast-casual lineup of salads and grain bowls that has powered its recent growth across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, per Roots Natural Kitchen.
Business Times: Roots Moving Into Former Choolaah Space
The Pittsburgh Business Times reports that Roots is slated to open in the former Choolaah unit in the Summit Park Drive strip and that the chain now operates more than 20 locations across multiple states, according to Pittsburgh Business Times. Before shutting down, Choolaah had listed 227 Summit Park Drive on delivery platforms, and its North Fayette restaurant was marked closed on Uber Eats as of May 2025, per Uber Eats.
Busy Retail Cluster Gets Another Fast-Casual Option
The new Roots will slide into a packed retail and restaurant corridor, adding one more quick-casual option for airport workers, nearby office employees and shoppers shuttling through the Pointe and surrounding plazas. The storefront is part of the Summit Park Drive strip and Lafayette Plaza at North Fayette, which features a mix of restaurants and services at the same address, according to MapQuest.
North Fayette Stop Continues Roots' Pittsburgh Push
The North Fayette move extends Roots' recent sprint across the region. The chain opened a South Fayette location earlier this year and has been adding Pittsburgh-area sites since 2025, according to Patch. With township officials already on board for an outdoor seating layout, the North Fayette restaurant is expected to bring patio service along with its bowl-heavy menu when it opens.
