HANOVER TWP., Pa. – Changes are underway at a prominent shopping center in the Lehigh Valley.
A location of On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, serving Tex-Mex cuisine at more than 120 restaurants across the United States and internationally, permanently closed on Friday, March 13, at 909 Airport Center Drive in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
The restaurant – On The Border’s only Lehigh Valley location – had operated at the Airport Shopping Center since 2009.
“Thank you for your support over the years,” reads a message posted on the restaurant’s door. “… It has truly been our pleasure to serve this community.”
The circumstances surrounding the restaurant’s shuttering are unclear.
A manager was unable to comment on the closure, and a representative from Pappas Restaurants, which owns On The Border, did not return multiple requests for more information over the past week.
On The Border was established in 1982, according to a profile on the restaurant’s website.
“For over 40 years, we’ve been serving up the bold flavors of Texas and Mexico,” the online description reads. “From sizzling fajitas seasoned with our signature marinades to hand-crafted margaritas, chips, salsa, guacamole, and fresh tortillas made daily, we take pride in serving authentic Border-Style Tex-Mex cuisine.”
There are more than 120 On The Border restaurants operating in the United States and internationally.
Another Pennsylvania restaurant operates in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, and a handful of other nearby locations operate more than an hour away from the Lehigh Valley in New Jersey.
While the Airport Shopping Center has lost one tenant, it’s readying to welcome another.
A new location of Hobby Lobby, a national retail chain known for its wide selection of arts and crafts and home decor products, is expected to open in the fall at the Airport Shopping Center, a company spokesperson confirmed to 69 News on Wednesday.
A Christmas Tree Shops store closed in 2023 at the Airport Shopping Center in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
The new store, at 916 Airport Center Drive, will occupy an updated space that previously housed a Christmas Tree Shops location, which closed in 2023.
Information related to hiring will be available at careers.hobbylobby.com/current-openings/retail-hourly closer to the new store’s hiring, the spokesperson said.
Hobby Lobby, headquartered in Oklahoma City, has more than 1,000 stores across the country, with each store offering over 80,000 crafting and home decor products including floral, fabric, needle art, custom framing, baskets, home accents, kitchen and bath items, wearable art, jewelry making pieces, arts and crafts, scrapbooking and paper crafting supplies, hobby supplies, wedding supplies, party supplies and seasonal merchandise, according to a company profile.
Regular store hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Other nearby Hobby Lobby locations operate on Hamilton Boulevard in Trexletown, Lehigh County; Easton Nazareth Highway in Lower Nazareth Township, Northampton County; and Route 22 in Pohatcong Township, Warren County.
A Hobby Lobby store operates on Hamilton Boulevard in the Trexlertown section of Upper Macungie Township.
Hobby Lobby was established more than 50 years ago.
“In 1970, David and Barbara Green took out a $600 loan to begin making miniature picture frames out of their home,” reads a historical account on the business’ website.
“Two years later, the fledgling enterprise opened a 300-square-foot store in Oklahoma City, and Hobby Lobby was born.”
According to Hobby Lobby’s website, the company is committed to “honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.”
It’s also committed to offering customers “exceptional selection and value”; serving employees and their families through a work environment and company policies that “build character, strengthen individuals, and nurture families”; and “providing a return on the family’s investment, sharing the Lord’s blessings with our employees, and investing in our community.”