Steve's Pizza set to re-open in November

After a four-month delay, Steve's Pizza will reopen the first week of November, with Nov. 1 the targeted date for the Raley's shopping center parlor that has been closed since last summer.Lease negotiations and legal issues were among snags that stalled the store's reopening. "Everything takes longer than you expect," said Will Glennie, owner of parent company Steve's Franchise Corporation of Elk Grove.Sheru Singh is the franchisee who will operate the El Dorado Hills restaurant. He operates the Elk Grove Steve's as a franchisee and has rights to run another one. Singh, 38, also owns the Mother of India restaurant on the campus of California State University, Sacramento.The local Steve's is undergoing an interior refurbishing, including new furniture and removal of the store's carpet, to be replaced by stained cement.There will be two lounges with side chairs and a table. Also going in are three 42-inch flat-screen TV sets and seven with 50-inch screens."We're cleaning it up and making it a little livelier, with color and furniture to give it a fresh look," said Singh. "It's going to be a lot livelier than it was in the past."We're still a family restaurant but, like we did with the Elk Grove store, we'll try to brighten the vibe while pulling from the same customer base," he added. "We just want to get a little more modern."Singh promises the same menu as offered previously but with better quality control and consistency. He also will emphasize improved service. The salad bar — "one of the main draws of Steve's" — will return.Steve's has been in El Dorado Hills approaching 20 years "and in that time not much has been done, in terms of change," Singh said. He wants to recover the store's previous customer base while building a new one.Customers are invited to relax in the lounges and high school students to hang out, he said. Singh also welcomes the usual crowd of after-game soccer, Little League and kids' football teams.Singh describes himself as "an active owner" who expects to be in the restaurant every day. He has lived in Elk Grove since 1992. Singh was born in India and grew up in Turlock. He's a graduate of the University of California, Davis.* * *SHOP TALKWhat: Steve's PizzaWhere: 9341 Park Ave., Suite 100, El Dorado HillsPhone: (916) 230-4513