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A landmark dining spot in North Whitehall Township has found new life thanks to a pair of brothers.
Johnny and Richard Schafer in July purchased the longstanding Hi-Way Family Restaurant at 5470 Route 145, and after several months of renovations, the duo opened a new eatery, Laurys Station American Grill, on March 13.
The duo added “new everything” in the kitchen — including new lighting, plumbing and tile flooring — and gave the dining room a “heavy refresh” with new wall paint, ceiling tiles and restored teal booths, Johnny said.
The dining room’s appearance mostly stayed the same, but the Schafers refurbished much of the existing features, including neon lights and stainless steel accents.
“We’re bringing this landmark back to its glory days,” Johnny said. “When we first took over, we were just going to redo the floors, but then I said to Richard, ‘Let’s do this right and make it beautiful for the next 40 years because it won’t be easy to tear apart this kitchen in the future.'”
The Hi-Way, at the corner of Route 145 and Rising Sun Road, closed last summer after more than 40 years of business under another pair of brothers, Nick and Mike Gentis.
“Although we are saddened to leave, we feel confident that the restaurant will continue to serve you all in the future with the same great service and food which we always strived to achieve for the past 42 years,” the Gentises wrote on the Hi-Way’s Facebook page last year.
Laurys Station American Grill, with seating for around 150 customers, features an expansive menu of appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and homemade desserts.
Customers will find menu mainstays from the Hi-Way, including omelettes, wraps and seafood platters, along with a host of new options, including pig wings (pork shanks fried and tossed in your choice of sauce), poutine-style fries (topped with breaded cheese curds and gravy) and a “hunter burger” (bison, boar, New Zealand elk and wagyu beef blend, grilled to your liking).
More than two dozen entrees, most under $17, include steaks such as an 8-ounce top sirloin and a 14-ounce, king-cut prime rib; pasta dishes such as chicken alfredo, lobster ravioli and veal Parmesan; seafood selections such as broiled scallops, crab imperial and flounder Florentine; and other options such as pot roast, liver and onions, boneless pork chops and honey-dipped fried chicken.
Breakfast favorites, including pancakes, French toast and eggs Benedict, are also offered.
Johnny, who lives in Lehighton, has operated other businesses in the past and most recently helped his son, Jason, open The Mason Jar Family Diner on Lizard Creek Road in the Andreas section of West Penn Township, Schuylkill County, in January 2021.
In North Whitehall, he and his brother also implemented exterior renovations, including giving the restaurant’s former beige facade a new gray coat of paint.
Countless people have stopped by to inquire about the restaurant’s progress over the past several months.
“We’re excited to finally be open, and we know the community feels the same,” Johnny said.
Laurys Station American Grill is open 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, but the restaurant may temporarily close on Mondays and Tuesdays due to staffing issues, Johnny said. Info: 610-261-1911.
Bethlehem news
Speaking of new life for landmarks, the revitalization of the Westgate Mall continues with the recent announcement that three quick-service restaurant chains, a bank and a retailer will occupy newly constructed buildings following the razing of a large portion of the Bethlehem shopping center’s interior.
Westgate Mall owner Onyx Equities’ third phase of redevelopment plans, which were approved by the Bethlehem Planning Commission on March 10, include the demolition of approximately 50,000 square feet of the current Schoenersville Road mall’s interior to allow for the construction of about 8,000 square feet of new building space.
Two new structures will include a freestanding bank with a drive-thru, next to the relocated Weis Markets grocery store, and an adjacent strip mall that will house Jersey Mike’s Subs, QDOBA Mexican Eats and Starbucks eateries, the latter of which will feature a drive-thru. The strip mall also will feature a yet-to-be-announced retailer.
The redevelopment of part of the mall’s infill section will open the site and allow for a connection between the front and back of the center, something that “it never had,” Ryan Whitmore, professional engineer with Landcore Engineering Consultants, said at the March 10 meeting. It also will allow for the creation of 55 parking spaces.
The latest announcement follows other stages of the mall’s overhaul, which included last year’s relocation of Weis Markets from its long-standing, 32,000-square-foot store near the center of the shopping center to a newly remodeled, 63,000-square-foot store within a 108,000 square-foot-building previously occupied by The Bon-Ton department store.
In the back of the former Bon-Ton building, Lehigh Valley Health Network in late December signed a lease to open a 27,000-square-foot medical equipment processing facility.
Onyx Equities, the New Jersey real estate investment and property services firm that acquired Westgate in 2018, this winter also announced that Harbor Freight Tools planned to open a 16,000-square-foot location in mid- to late 2022 at the former Weis site, and an additional 10,000 square feet of space at the south end of the shopping center — which previously housed Rite Aid — had been leased to Oak Street Health primary care medical facility. Facade upgrades are planned.
Other plans for Westgate include an international quick-service hamburger chain, which has signed a lease to build a free-standing, 4,500-square-foot retail pad at the northern corner of the center, in front of the Weis, and a financial institution, which has signed a lease to develop a free-standing, 3,500-square-foot building on the former Dempsey’s restaurant pad.
Both projects are pending site plan approval by the city, and Onyx hopes to commence development on them near the end of the year.
Also in Bethlehem, work is moving forward at Bonn Place Brewing’s expansion project — a new taproom at the former Bavarian Tavern, 702 Broadway, according to a post on the business’ Facebook page.
The South Side venue will feature a bronze and oak bar top, marble tile flooring and a sliding door made of reclaimed wood from the site.
“Not done, but progress and getting there!” the post reads. “Can’t wait to have you over for a pint.”
The brewery opened in 2016 at 310 Taylor St., about a mile east of its forthcoming venue. When asked for further information regarding the project this week, co-owner Sam Masotto had no comment. Info: facebook.com/bonnbrewing.
A final bit of Bethlehem news: Rosanna’s Restaurant and Catering, at 2 E. Broad St., has been temporarily closed since Feb. 26 to allow for various upgrades, including a “new look, and many new surprises,” according to the business’ Facebook page.
The eatery, which has operated at Broad and New streets for more than 20 years, is expected to reopen in the spring with the “same dedication” to its friends and community. Info: facebook.com/RosannasRest.
Odds and ends
A popular destination for grilled and frozen treats is for sale in Williams Township.
The Canalside Cup, a longstanding walk-up restaurant at 1610 S. Delaware Drive, is in transition as current ownership looks to sell the business, according to a message posted Wednesday on the eatery’s Facebook page.
The roadside food stand, operating spring through fall with shaded picnic tables along the Delaware Canal, is known for its more than 50 varieties of soft-serve ice cream, including noteworthy flavors such as black raspberry, creme de menthe, maplenut and teaberry, which are mixed on-site.
Other menu highlights include other frozen treats such as hard ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes and water ice, along with savory selections such as burgers, cheesesteaks, gyros and fries.
Owner Deb Kozik has been operating the business for 17 years on South Delaware Drive, also known as Route 611, which was damaged by Hurricane Ida last summer.
A portion of the roadway, between Browns Drive south and Raubsville Road, reopened in early March after six months of being closed and negatively impacting businesses along the normally well-traveled stretch. The Canalside Cup was situated near the northern end of the closure.
“As I sit here with tears rolling down my cheeks and a lump in my throat, it’s time for the next page to turn, in the next chapter in my family’s life and my own,” Kozik writes in the Facebook message. “I had full intentions of opening The Canalside Cup on schedule this year, but after many obstacles that have surfaced, it’s time for me to hand over the reins to a new owner.” Info: facebook.com/TheCanalsideCup.
I’ll finish with a couple of Allentown developments:
First, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, offering a New Orleans-style menu of spicy chicken, fried shrimp and other regional selections, is set to open a newly constructed restaurant in the first quarter of 2023 at 1935 S. Fourth St., according to Popeyes media relations team.
The 2,145-square-foot eatery will be less than a half mile south of a former Popeyes location, which abruptly closed in 2014 at 1756 S. Fourth St.
The 1935 S. Fourth St. site was previously home to a Checkers fast-food restaurant, which Allentown Health Bureau shut down in 2018 due to health violations. Crews moved the modular Checkers structure to another site this week.
Second, Miller-Keystone Blood Center’s new Allentown Donor Center opened Monday at 740 Hamilton St., Suite 120, on the ground floor of the Five City Center office building. This new location is open Monday through Thursday, with morning, afternoon and evening appointments available for the convenience of blood donors in the area. To schedule an appointment at this, or any MKBC location, visit GIVEaPINT.org.
Retail Watch, appearing every weekend, keeps track of retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Contact Ryan Kneller at 610-820-6597 or [email protected].
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