Still stylin’
Despite canceled and postponed events, formalwear mainstay keeps stylish tradition alive at new Whitehall spot
When the pandemic forced many facets of society to press pause last spring, countless businesses — from restaurants and hotels to movie theaters and gyms — began a long period of suffering.
The early months of the crisis proved how powerful the ripple effect could be. For example, if weddings, proms and other special occasions are being canceled or postponed, related businesses such as florists, bridal shops, catering companies and private event venues are likely taking a hit as well.
In Whitehall Township, landmark men’s formalwear business Top Hat Tuxedo by Sarno experienced just this after moving from its nearly 50-year-old spot at 1809 MacArthur Road to its new home about a mile north at 2556 MacArthur Road in the MacArthur Towne Center.
“We opened in our new spot on March 10 and closed on March 16 because of COVID,” owner Ron Kahan said. “We stayed closed for about three months after that.”
Kahan, along with his brother and sister, grew up in the family business that his father, Edward Kahan, established in 1948 in a now-demolished storefront at Sixth and Linden streets in downtown Allentown.
Edward, a decorated WWII veteran, moved the business to Whitehall in 1973 and eventually handed over the reins to Ron in the early 1990s.
Today, the shop offers a wide array of tuxedos and suits from top designers like Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Perry Ellis to rent or purchase, thanks to its inclusion in a network of stores, Tuxedo by Sarno, featuring more than 70 showrooms throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Ron labels his brother, Barry, a “key component” of Top Hat throughout the 90s, and his cousin, Don Margolis, his “current right-hand man.”
“We’re still very much a family-owned and -operated business that will go the extra mile for the customer,” Ron said. “The pandemic’s been horrible, but nothing really surprises me anymore. I also don’t believe there’s anything I can’t solve. I’ll drive a suit to a customer if they can’t get here.”
While Top Hat saw a more than 50% drop in total sales last year amid the pandemic, Ron remains optimistic for Top Hat’s future as business starts to pick up again and a majority of 2020’s postponed events approach their rescheduled dates in the second half of this year.
“We’re still unsure about prom season, which we lost last year,” Ron said. “Do I hope there are proms? Yes, but the number one priority has to be safety.”
At Top Hat, Ron and his team are implementing a variety of COVID-19 safety precautions, including sanitizing dressing rooms and other high-touch areas after a customer leaves. Additionally, any clothing that a customer tries on is thoroughly disinfected and unable to be worn by another customer for hours.
“Overall, we’re in a much better place than we were nearly a year ago,” Ron said. “The move has been very beneficial as we have more parking and are more easily accessible from both directions of MacArthur Road.
Also, we’re just a few doors down from David’s Bridal, which is leading to more foot traffic.”
Top Hat Tuxedo by Sarno is operating at reduced hours due to the pandemic: noon to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Info: 610-821-9525.
More in Whitehall
So, what’s happening at Top Hat’s former location? Well, Harvest of Whitehall, a medical marijuana dispensary, is expected open in the coming months at 1809 MacArthur Road, according to Christine Hersey, Harvest’s director of investor relations.
Harvest Health & Recreation, based in Tempe, Arizona, has more than 35 medical marijuana dispensaries open or coming soon in five states: Arizona, California, Florida, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The business features a variety of cannabis brands, including Modern Flower, offering “quality, approachable products to fit contemporary medical marijuana lifestyles,” according to the company’s website. Info: harvesthoc.com.
Not far from the future dispensary, the Lehigh Valley Mall recently lost a few more tenants, including footwear retailer Clarks, candle company Yankee Candle, jewelry chain Littman Jewelers, and clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch.
“We don’t comment on behalf of our retailers,” Stephanie Gorab, public relations manager for New York’s Lividini & Co., Lehigh Valley Mall’s public relations firm, said in a written statement when asked for a response.
The closures of Clarks, which opened at the mall in 2013, and Abercrombie, which became a teen fashion mecca in the 1990s, have left both brands without a brick-and-mortar presence in the Lehigh Valley.
“We always put our customers at the center of everything we do, which includes constantly evaluating our stores to ensure we are meeting our
customers’ needs,” an Abercrombie & Fitch spokesperson said in a written statement. “This sometimes involves relocating or closing a specific store, as we continue to create the more intimate, omni-enabled experiences that our customers have told us they are looking for.”
Yankee Candle, which closed its 13-year-old location at the mall’s lifestyle center within the past couple of weeks, continues to operate a store at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, while Littman Jewelers, which closed its decades-old mall location within the past week, continues to operate a location at the Palmer Park Mall.
The recent departures join a growing list of other former Lehigh Valley Mall tenants calling it quits over the past year. Others include Modell’s Sporting Goods, health store chain GNC, women’s fashion retailers New York & Company and Love Culture, candy and chocolate retailer Lolli & Pops, greeting card and stationery chain [b]Papyrus[/ b], Italian restaurant chain [b] Bravo! Cucina Italiana, casual dining chain Ruby Tuesday, and Frites, an eatery specializing in Belgian-style, twice-fried French fries.
Additionally, two other Lehigh Valley Mall tenants — jewelry chain Helzberg
Diamonds and footwear retailer Aldo — are nearing their final days with store-closing sales.
Helzberg, which has grown to more than 200 stores nationwide since its founding in 1915, is expected to close its location on the Lehigh Valley Mall’s second level on Feb. 21, according to a worker.
A tentative closing date for Aldo, located on the mall’s first level, has not yet been announced. However, a worker there said the store should remain open for at least a few more months.
It hasn’t been all bad news for the Lehigh Valley’s largest shopping center though.
L’amour, offering Introstem skincare products for men and women, opened a few months ago on the first level, across from Time After Time.
Additionally, Track 23, a fashion company offering contemporary men’s and women’s apparel and accessories, opened in November in the former Modell’s spot.
Other 2020 Lehigh Valley Mall additions include: arts and crafts chain Michaels; airsoft shooting gallery Battlestar; madeto-order doughnut and coffee business Dino Sweets; regional jeweler Murphy Jewelers; restaurant and entertainment chain Dave & Buster’s; Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, selling beauty and personal care products; and Hairitage Beauty Salon, offering hair services for men and women.
Also, The Beauty Institute, offering cosmetology and beauty programs that “develop top tier professionals fully prepared for success,” is coming soon to the first level space that previously housed New York & Company.
Bath & Body Works, which has stores on the mall’s first and second levels, plans to temporarily close its first-level location in about two weeks in advance of a store remodeling, an employee said.
Plans include merging the shop and a currently vacant neighboring space into one cohesive concept, featuring Bath & Body Works’ hand soaps, lotions and other products next to candles and other home fragrance items from the company’s sister brand,
The White Barn. The joint concept is expected to debut by mid-May, the employee said.
Closing notes
I’ll finish with a couple of closures in downtown Allentown.
First, J’s Steaks & Subs, the regional fast-casual chain known for its hot and cold subs, in December permanently closed its two-year-old location at 806 Hamilton St. The site previously housed Vince’s Cheesesteaks and Tony Luke’s.
“Given the pandemic situation, we had a choice of either renewing [the lease] and making a go of it or just calling it a day, and we chose the latter,” J’s owner Ed Lozano said. “It’s a great location, but with the pandemic and the uncertainty of it, the traffic in the downtown area has been soft. I think eventually, like is the case with the rest of the country and the world, there will be a comeback. But the uncertainty is whether that comeback’s going to be six months, a year, two years. So, we just opted not to take that risk at this time.”
J’s eateries continue to operate on Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem, 25th Street in Palmer Township and Main Street in Northampton.
Second, the downtown Allentown location of Hot Plate Southern Kitchen recently closed after less than a year of operation at 37 S. Ninth St.
In a video posted Jan. 30 on the business’ Facebook page, owner T.R. Burns attributed the closure to the pandemic, high overhead and issues with the restaurant’s landlord.
He also promised to reopen the Allentown restaurant at another yet-to-be-announced city spot “sometime around
May or June,” once the deal is finalized for the new space, which he’s looking to purchase.
Hot Plate, offering collard greens, Cajun shrimp, honeydipped fried chicken and other Southern fare, continues to operate locations in Phillipsburg and Gastonia, North Carolina.
The Burnses originally operated Hot Plate from December 2017 to August 2019 on East Third Street in south Bethlehem, and they also briefly ran a now-closed location in Montclair, New Jersey, in late 2019.
“The last year has been crazy for every restaurant, as you all know,” T.R. said in the video.
J’s and Hot Plate join a growing list of other recently closed downtown Allentown dining spots, including restaurants Bay Leaf, Macho’s Sports Bar and Nosh @ Nana’s.
Other restaurants, including The Dime, Chickie’s & Pete’s, Tim Hortons and Queen
City BBQ, remain temporarily closed amid the pandemic.
Retail Watch, appearing every weekend, keeps track of retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Contact Ryan Kneller at 610-820-6597 or retailwatch@mcall.com.