Rene and Grisellies Benique have opened Ezekiel 47 Cafe at 10 S. Fifth Ave., off Fifth and Penn avenues, in West Reading. The name is in honor of the 47th chapter of the Book of Ezekiel from the Old Testament. The couple serves coffee, tea, sandwiches and more at the cafe, which has an atmosphere of rustic and artistic ambience.
Current hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday. The menu lists paninis, soup, pastries and salads, and online ordering is available. Ezekiel 47 serves fresh-brewed coffee and loose-leaf tea. The cafe has been open for about a month, and held its grand opening Friday.
Alter Ego Salon and Day Spa in Emmaus is holding a grand opening Sunday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at noon. Alter Ego has hair stylists and provides manicures, pedicures and facial treatments.
The spa’s posted hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and it is closed on Sundays.
Olympus Corp. is adding a new facility in Bethlehem. The Japan-based optics and medical-device company’s subsidiary Evident will open in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII sometime this summer.
About 30 employees at the site off Route 412 will handle microscope repairs and distribution. Olympus and developer/land owner J.G. Petrucci Co. announced the new site Wednesday. The U.S. headquarters of Olympus is in Center Valley. The global company has more than 31,000 employees and operates in 40 countries.
Origen Latin Fusion has opened at the site of the former Tomcat Cafe in Sinking Spring, Berks County. The restaurant’s focus is Dominican food, with other Latin influences. Sisters/owners Jannette Marmolejos and Grace Diaz plan to serve Reading’s large Dominican community with Caribbean food.
The signature dish is mofongo, filled with a choice of pork belly, chicken or shrimp. The restaurant also serves breakfast. It is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, and closed Tuesday.
Sellersville Senior Residences will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 24. The Bucks County affordable-housing community for adults 55 and older has 50 apartments, with eight allocated for people with behavioral health needs. The residences were built to meet energy-efficiency standards set by the federal Department of Energy.
Grace Inspired Ministries put up the complex with development partner Leon N. Weiner & Associates. Grace also operates the Lutheran Community at Telford and The Community at Rockhill.
Sellersville Senior Residences received Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the state of Pennsylvania. Financing was made through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, S&T Bank, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh and Bucks County.
Lehigh Valley residents usually welcome a new Wawa but plans for a novel pick-up only store are on hold in Lower Macungie Township. The chain wants to put a 2,030-square-foot restaurant on one acre at the Trexler Business Center on Hamilton Boulevard, adjacent to the Movie Tavern and First Commonwealth Credit Union headquarters. Access to Wawa would only be from inside the Business Center, not directly off Hamilton Boulevard.
This Wawa would be for drive-thru service and curbside pickup of prepared food and drinks only. Lower Macungie has raised issues about parking and traffic flow. Wawa representatives said they will make landscaping changes and traffic-flow alterations to satisfy those concerns.
Near the proposed Wawa, Chick-fil-A wants to expand to two drive-thru lanes from one, along with other changes to the existing restaurant. Those plans are also subject to further township review.
The Bake House on Main in Phillipsburg is closing May 29, though perhaps not permanently. The 215 N. Main St. store bakes bagels, cakes, cupcakes and more will close for maternity leave. See the Bake House’s social media for more information. Gift cards should be used before the closing date, according to the bakery’s Facebook page.
Pedro’s Cafe at 318 Main St. in Emmaus closes Sunday for the last time. The owners of the coffee house and restaurant that focused on fair-trade coffee and sustainable practices are putting this chapter of their life “on hold,” according to their Facebook page. Pedro’s worked with other local small businesses and farms to promote the community.
Although Sunday is the final day of regular operations, the cafe’s social media indicates it may open for one more day before the end of May. Check Pedro’s Facebook page for information.
The Rink at Lehigh Valley in Whitehall Township has been sold, and that means skating is coming to an end. Joe Pennisi, who leases and operates the rink, has to tell the Lehigh Valley Scholastic League and other users that the rink will close as of May 31. The new ownership team will not continue operating the rink, Pennisi said. Their plans are not known yet.
A long-time eyesore in Wilson Borough may finally be getting a new use. The Dixie Cup plant off 25th Street has a new owner. New Jersey developer Nick Tsapatsaris said he is buying the building from Joseph Reibman, and he plans to use it for a “last-mile” logistics center, where products are distributed for final delivery.
The sale is not final yet. Several plans have been proposed for the old paper cup plant over the years, including apartments. Manufacturing ended at the plant in the 1980s.
Kyle Riggs, owner of Paradise by the Slice on East Penn Avenue in Wernersville, Berks County, is taking on two more: The Pike Cafe at Pike and Moss Streets in Reading, and Shirley’s Cafe & Tequila Bar at 1516 Duke St. in Laureldale. Transfers of the properties have not gone through yet, and no changes are planned at either of Riggs’ two new operations, according to a Facebook post.
The staff at The Pike Cafe and at Shirley’s will remain, and the menus will not change. Riggs bought Paradise by the Slice three years ago. The Pike has been open since 1985, while Shirley’s recently marked its eighth anniversary.
The Reading Dermatology Cosmetic Center is holding a grand re-opening Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at its 3317 Penn Ave. location. Reading Dermatology Associates will show off its new space, and there will be raffles, food, beverages, product demonstrations, and more. The dermatology practice provides surgical and cosmetic dermatological care for patients of all ages.
Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has relocated within Emmaus. The new site is 15 S. Second St., not far from the former Sixth Street location. The business makes signs, window films, business graphics, business cards, branded apparel, promotional items, yard signs and more.
The House and Barn in Emmaus has opened its Shed for business, with drinks and $10 cigars available in the 18th century structure, which is open to the outside. The House and Barn is at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus, on a historic homestead. The main restaurant, separate from the Shed, serves American fare and has live entertainment weekly.
The Bethlehem Volunteer Firefighters Association wants to expand their building at 6 Hillmond St. and add a deck, but neighbors are concerned. The association contends that the deck would be a non-smoking area with no music played outside, but neighbors said during a Bethlehem Zoning Hearing board meeting that they are concerned about noise. No decision has been made yet on the expansion request.
The former Iron Lakes Country Club in North Whitehall Township is now The Club at Twin Lakes, after the Jaindl family purchased the course. The club also has new management, KemperSports of Illinois.
Dorney Park reopened Friday for the season. The park’s Wildwater Kingdom is due to open Saturday, May 28. Check the South Whitehall Township park’s social media for specific opening times.
Operating dates and times are subject to change without notice, according to the park’s website.
First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening at its new headquarters in Trexlertown, 6126 Hamilton Blvd., on May 18, starting at 11:30 a.m., ribbon cutting at noon. The celebration ends at 12:30 p.m.
Il Gaetano Ristorante will hold a grand opening on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. The 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg, restaurant, is holding the event in conjunction with the Phillipsburg Chamber of Commerce.
Realtor Amanda Vachris and the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at Vachris’s new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St., Schuylkill Haven, at 4 p.m. on May 24. The event is free; the chamber asks guests to register at the Schuylkill Chamber website.
La Spa & Nail Bar will hold a grand opening from 11 a.m. to closing on Friday, May 20, with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. The 2765 Papermill Road (Broadcasting Square) spa in Wyomissing will have a DJ and prizes for its celebration.
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