CANTON, Ohio, Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rail, a local burger bar from restaurateur Mike Mariola, is under construction on its third location in Canton at Belden Village Mall. The opening comes just 3 months after a successful opening in the Cleveland neighborhood of North Olmsted.

"Canton is a great community," says Mariola. "And I think The Rail's combination of an upscale, independent bar, foodie-inspired burgers and focus on Ohio craft beers will add something to the scene that isn't currently there."

Specializing in ½-lb burgers from a custom grind of 100% Ohio-sourced beef, The Rail offers a selection of traditional and inventive toppings---most of which are also locally sourced. Add in the old-school, hand-dipped milkshakes and impressive selection of Ohio craft beers and spirits, and one can understand why The Rail has built a local following to accompany its local fare.

"The architecture of the space speaks to a time when people knew where their food came from," says Mariola. "And the design is intended to feel social; we want our guests to have fun and experience a sense of camaraderie with their friends, neighbors and, ultimately, local farmers."

Adding up to 60 local jobs, the upcoming Canton location will be 1,000 square-feet larger than its popular Summit Mall counterpart. With 125 seats and an additional 20 on the patio, The Rail at Belden Village will also be pouring twice as many beers---24 Ohio craft beers will rotate seasonally, including brews from Thirsty Dog, Hoppin' Frog, Ohio Brewing Co, JAFB Wooster Brewery, Buckeye Brewing, and The Brew Kettle. 

"We just want to celebrate beer with fellow beer lovers," says Mariola. "Turns out there are quite a few of us in this state."

The beer celebration goes one step further with The Rail's Beer Exploration Society, a monthly beer class featuring a craft brewer or certified beer geek who leads a small group of eager explorers through a tasting of local brews and Rail food.

The Rail at Belden Village is slated to open March 1^st, 2014 and will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. For more on The Rail, go to www.therailburger.com

Local chef-turned-restaurateur Mike Mariola's restaurant experience goes much farther back than the Akron and Cleveland locations of The Rail. In 2002, after working with renowned Chefs Parker Bosley in Cleveland, Michele Richard in D.C. and Christian Constant in Paris, Mariola opened South Market Bistro, a critically acclaimed neighborhood bistro that specialized in preparing the freshest organic and locally grown ingredients available each season. He sold the bistro in 2011, 3 years after launching The City Square Steakhouse, a traditional Chicago-style steakhouse in downtown Wooster. Mariola still owns and operates the steakhouse today.

To schedule interviews or for more information please contact Kathleen Haley at 440-655-8647 or khaley@idology.biz

For further information, please contact:

Krista Emerson, The Rail
krista@therailburger.com
720-810-3002

Mike Mariola, The Rail
mike@therailburger.com
330.466.5212

Kathleen Haley, i.d.ology
khaley@idology.biz
440-655-8647 cell/text

SOURCE The Rail