New beginnings for some businesses
Happy new year, readers! The Lehigh Valley retail scene has kicked 2024 off with a bang, so let’s get to it.
Leading the news this week is Dave & Buster’s, the arcade-eatery in Whitehall Township that helms the Lehigh Valley Mall entrance at 1491 MacArthur
Road. To celebrate its grand reopening after being closed since October for renovations, the store is hosting an all-day celebration beginning at 10:30 a.m. Friday with a ribbon cutting. The first 200 customers who enter when it opens at 11 a.m. will win unlimited video game play for one year at the location. There will also be celebratory activities in the evening, as well as “someone from the IronPigs,” General Manager Jeff Hartwyk said.
I had a chance to check out the renovations at Dave & Buster’s a few days ago and was struck by how bright it was compared to my memories of it being dark. That was part of the plan, Hartwyk said, noting that the business is one that attracts groups and families, and creating a well-lit gathering space was key. The branch is only the second location in the country to be undergoing the renovation, which includes new interactive social bays where parties can play digital games and tune into whatever they want to watch on TV in a reserved space of their own, as well as kiosks to streamline the booking and ordering process.
One of last week’s top stories in retail was about the Bookstore Speakeasy, the Prohibition-style cocktail lounge at 336 Adams
St. in Bethlehem that suddenly closed at some point late last year. A sign at the door said the spot was recently closed for repairs, but some customer complaints on social media and reader photos suggested that the closure had been longer, dating back to at least October.
Turns out the Bookstore Speakeasy’s story isn’t over yet. On New Year’s Eve, just minutes before the clock struck 12, the bar posted a surprise announcement on its Facebook and Instagram pages announcing that it will reopen in February. In what form remains to be seen: According to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, the address does not have a liquor license.
Two Nazareth-area food spots are up for sale: Dat’S, the 1950s-inspired ice cream shop at 5684 Sullivan Trail, Plainfield Township, and Naz-ONut, the locally beloved donut shop at 64 E. Lawn St., Upper Nazareth Township. Interestingly, both shops announced that they were looking to not close but to continue their businesses on. This is something I’ve been seeing since I started reporting on this beat: think Bar-Don in Easton or Willy Joe’s in Allentown, whose previous owners selected buyers based on a commitment to continue the business.
Dat’S posted on Facebook that the decision to end was not financial but more for family. “We are looking for someone to take over DT’S, ‘Not Change It’, and we are willing to stay on as long as wanted and needed to help make sure our business and legacy continue to succeed and operate as it has been.”
That sentiment spoke to Naz-O-Nut’s owner Helena Lazzarini. “I don’t get to see my kids much because I’m tied down, and it’s hard for me to break away [from the shop],” she said.
Lazzarini called the shop “my baby” repeatedly and said it was of utmost importance that the new owners be interested in continuing its legacy. “That’s absolutely key,” she said. She’s offered to come and train free of charge at any point.
So far, Lazzarini has had “lots of interest,” but said she’s taking time to make sure she picks the right successor to Naz-O-Nut. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so popular!” she said. “But I’m in no rush. It has to be the right person.”
Another person taking the time to create a unique shopping experience is Denise Martinez. The owner of the upcoming Caring Hearts Thrift Boutique plans to open her shop in Salisbury Township’s South Mall in the next month. “This winter storm might delay me a bit,” she said. “But we’ll be open soon.”
A quick aside: I’m interested in experimental retail models throughout the Lehigh Valley. How do shops work with their communities? I wrote about one such experiment last week, with Essentials Cafe in Bethlehem using a pay-what-you-can model that allows customers to (as the name suggests) pay what they can — if anything at all — for what they order.
In a similar vein, Martinez has been working in Allentown and Slatington under the Caring Hearts banner, hosting booths at local markets and clothing drives where she takes clothing and offers them for free to those who need them most.
The upcoming boutique at the South Mall is more traditional — customers will have to pay for the goods they take — but Martinez hopes she can funnel some of the profits back into helping houseless folks. “Anybody who loves thrifting will love this place,” Martinez said. The stock will include unique “high-end designer stuff and tchotchkes.”
Some briefs to close out the week:
La Kang Thai Eatery in the Downtown Allentown Market has introduced new items on its menu. Street food options are priced at $15 each and include braised pork belly, shrimp or chicken over garlic rice; kao soy kai (egg noodles, yellow curry, chicken thighs, and mixed greens); and vegetable noodle soup. New appetizers include crispy dumplings and sticky wings. The restaurant is also holding what it calls a Thai’d By Fire challenge, where “brave individuals” can try out “the spiciest wings around.” Good luck to those of you who participate!
Just in time for those health resolutions, W.O.L.F. Fitness Gym has opened a gym in the Pennsburg Square Shopping Center at 476 Pottstown Ave. The franchise, based in New Jersey, has begun to open locations in Pennsylvania. The newest member of the brand boasts a 14,000-square-foot facility with a modern sound system, the latest gym equipment, and group and solo classes.
And on Saturday, a new coffee shop opened in Nazareth. Bella Bean Bara Boom Coffee held its grand opening and ribbon cutting at 6 N. Broad St. The shop is owned by Morsy and Cyndee Soliman of Easton, who previously manned the NuVGN Soaps & Body Works spot at the Nazareth Farmers Market. For the past year, the Solimans have been experimenting with coffee and are now opening their first brick and mortar store.
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Tanya Basu at retailwatch@mcall.com.