The owners of a Chevron gas station in Knappa are starting Knappa Pizza & Bar across U.S. Highway 30.

KNAPPA — A pizza parlor and sports bar is planned along U.S. Highway 30 in Knappa where Dollar General wanted to build a new store.

Sundeep “Sabi” Sandhu, on behalf of Sandhu & Brar LLC, applied with Clatsop County for a conditional use permit to open Knappa Pizza & Bar.

Sandhu runs the Knappa Market, a Chevron gas station and convenience store on the north side of Highway 30.

He compared the pizza parlor and sports bar to Fultano’s Pizza. He recently popped up a minimalist sign next to the red-and-white restaurant on the south side of Highway 30, complete with dual slices of pizza and the restaurant’s name.

“The public didn’t want a Dollar General,” Sandhu said. “They wanted a restaurant.”

Sandhu, who has been in the area since 2011, had been concerned about being undercut by Dollar General.

Another of his companies, Sundeep & Govrdan, purchased the property from Rod Zweber after a failed bid by Cross Development to construct a new 9,100-square-foot Dollar General, more than twice the size of the usual allowed buildings.

In its denial, the county argued Dollar General would not support existing businesses, such as the nearby Country Market grocery store, or contribute to the character of the area.

Pending county approval, Sandhu hopes to open in the next three weeks. Knappa Pizza & Bar would offer 15 types of customizable pizzas, wraps, sandwiches and menu items from seafood chain Skippers.

“We have six TVs and a really high-end bar,” Sandhu said.

The building has struggled through multiple iterations as a restaurant, including Mexican restaurant El Cazador, Camp Nine Restaurant & Lounge and, most recently, the Hwy 30 Roadhouse.

Sandhu thinks his reputation from the Knappa Market will help make the pizza and sports bar a success.

“It’s all my local people,” he said. “They love me. They’re going to support me.”