BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Customers and staff are reuniting at a Lehigh Valley pub after a fire forced it to close three months ago.
Pints and Pies in Bethlehem reopened its doors just in time for March Madness and Saint Partick’s Day weekend.
“It’s absolutely incredible they’re back up and running and it is almost like nothing happened,” said customer Chris Grim.
It has been just over three months since fire crews were dispatched to the pub on East Elizabeth Avenue in Bethlehem for a two-alarm fire. The blaze closing the business that was celebrating its two-year anniversary that weekend.
“It was pretty shocking how fast they got it together. From the outside I think a lot of people didn’t understand what goes in to recovering after such a disaster like they had here. It’s just absolutely incredible they’re back up and running,” said Grim.
Since then, its been all hands on deck getting the doors reopened.
“We were told we were going to be closed for 6 to 8 months. We got right to work. We would not take that as an answer it was not acceptable to us. The city of Bethlehem and community has rallied behind us so we wanted to make sure we got open as quickly as possible,” said owner Jose Pinargote and John Kehn.
The reopening like a reunion for community members who say that this place is special and it is about more than drinks and pizza.
“You cant describe it unless you come out and enjoy it,” said Stacy Grim.
Behind the bar are all familiar faces.
“I think it is what makes our place special. They stuck through it with us and knew we were working as hard as we could, as quickly as we could, and they are all back and excited,” said Pinargote.
The owners are now looking forward while also remembering the community that made it all possible.
“People show up they don’t know each other. They start as complete strangers and build this great bond some amazing friendships,” said Pinargote.
“It doesn’t take much to know that it is home,” said Stacy Grim.