’57 years of enjoyable and nice reminiscences’: Landmark Allentown restaurant altering palms this week | Eat, Sip, Store

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A beloved, family-run spot for beers, burgers and banter amongst associates within the Lehigh Valley will quickly have new possession.

The sale of Stahley’s Family Restaurant & Sports Bar, a well-liked, decades-old restaurant and bar at 1826 Hanover Ave. in Allentown, will quickly be finalized with closing set to happen on Tuesday, Oct. 28, co-owner Darryl Stahley instructed 69 News this week.

The restaurant is briefly closed on Monday, Oct. 27, for stock updates and cleansing, Stahley mentioned.

It will reopen below new proprietor Zonia Sibri-Quinde at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, Stahley mentioned.

“We’re definitely appreciative of the community’s support all of these years,” Stahley mentioned.

“I don’t know what else to say besides, ‘Thank you very much, everyone.’ We’re proud to have served the Allentown East Side community.”

Sibri-Quinde, who resides in Bethlehem, is a longtime Lehigh Valley restaurateur, who additionally operates Sibri’s Restaurant on East Broad Street in Bethlehem and Hellertown Diner on Main Street in Hellertown.

“[Sibri-Quinde] is already a very successful restaurant operator with a great reputation, strong work ethic and top-notch team that she surrounds herself with,” Stahley mentioned.

Sibri-Quinde was drawn to the Allentown enterprise alternative as she’s been a Stahley’s buyer for a number of years and needs to see it proceed to thrive.

She’s an enormous fan of Stahley’s meals, particularly the clams.

“I’m very excited,” Sibri-Quinde told 69 News earlier this fall.

“It appears everybody is worked up. So many individuals are asking about it at Sibri’s and on the Hellertown Diner. They’re excited to go [to Stahley’s] and revel in a few beers with their meals.”

Following the sale, Sibri-Quinde plans to proceed Stahley’s operations with the identical meals menu, plus some additions, she mentioned.

She plans to finally introduce breakfast and likewise increase lunch and dinner choices to incorporate extra appetizers, sandwiches and entrees resembling extra steak and seafood platters.

Customers ought to anticipate breakfast picks resembling specialty omelettes, French toast and breakfast sandwiches and platters, amongst different objects, Sibri-Quinde mentioned.

“We’ll have items like pulled pork Benedict, crab Benedict, cannoli waffles – all of the good stuff that people love,” Sibri-Quinde said. “For lunch and dinner, we’ll also have a lot of sauteed dishes and Italians specialties.”

Sibri-Quande mentioned she would additionally keep the enterprise’ decor, with solely minor beauty touches resembling recent wall paint.

“We’re not planning to change the look much at all,” Sibri-Quinde mentioned.

Stahley’s father, Don Stahley Sr., established the Allentown restaurant and bar – initially often called Stahley’s Cellarette – in 1968 within the constructing’s basement.

The enterprise’ speedy recognition led the household to increase operations to the construction’s first ground within the Seventies.

Today, the lower-level house is primarily used for personal occasions, whereas the upstairs house is house to Stahley’s principal bar and eating room, that includes seating for greater than 200 friends.

There’s additionally an leisure space with two pool tables, a shuffleboard desk and jukebox, together with a stage within the reverse nook of the restaurant that hosts native bands and different musical acts.

Since its inception, the restaurant remained a household operation with Don Stahley Sr.’s different youngsters, John Stahley, Judy Master, Don Stahley Jr., Janice Fedor and Jody Stahley, serving to to maintain the enterprise working easily over the many years.

In latest years, Darryl and John have overseen Stahley’s day-to-day operations, and the pair is “looking to slow down,” Darryl mentioned.

John, 58, and Darryl, 57, grew up within the enterprise and have held varied roles – each within the kitchen and entrance of home – since they have been children.

Darryl lives in Bethlehem, whereas John commutes roughly an hour and a half to Stahley’s from his house in Lake Ariel, Wayne County.

“Running a restaurant is a lot of work, and it doesn’t get any easier as you get older each year,” Darryl mentioned.

“We’ve held every position in this restaurant, and we’re still doing a little bit of everything,” John added. “I just turned 58, and I’ve been bartending for 40 years.”

Stahley’s, which options off-street parking heaps, provides a wide range of freshly ready dishes together with starters and sides resembling corn nuggets, fried pickles, pierogies and potato pancakes; sandwiches resembling crab cake, meatball, sausage and veal parmesan; and platters resembling 12-ounce ribeye, chopped sirloin, jerk rooster, Buffalo rooster fingers, fried haddock and rooster parmesan with spaghetti.

Top sellers embody a wide range of cheesesteaks, rooster cheesesteaks, wraps, burgers, tacos, pizzas, wings and clams, Darryl mentioned.

The Stahley household is displaying its appreciation to the neighborhood by a message on the restaurant’s roadside signal.

“Thank you for 57 years of fun and great memories,” the message reads.

Other potential consumers have expressed curiosity within the east Allentown landmark lately, however Sibri-Quinde proved to be the “right fit,” Darryl mentioned.

The household was impressed by her intensive restaurant expertise and robust work ethic.

“We’re glad [Sibri-Quande] is local and passionate about the business,” John mentioned. “We wouldn’t sell the business to just anyone.”

The Stahleys plan to help Sibri-Quande in the course of the transition.

“We’d definitely help out in the beginning,” Darryl mentioned. “I don’t know if she’d need it, but we’d be there to help her settle in, for sure.”