U. MOUNT BETHEL TWP., Pa. – Taking inspiration from her late mother, a local woman is opening a new tasty establishment – filled with fresh baked goods, ice cream, drinks and more – in Northampton County.
Latte Lounge & Bake Shoppe, offering freshly prepared baked goods, specialty beverages and more, will host its grand opening weekend on May 2 and 3 at 690 Allegheny Road in Upper Mount Bethel Township.
Latte Lounge & Bake Shoppe is coming soon to Apple Blossom Village on Allegheny Road in Upper Mount Bethel Township.
Ryan Kneller
The new bake shop and cafe will operate near Allegheny Creek Brewing at Apple Blossom Village.
Owner Seana Sapunarich of Bangor established Latte Lounge & Bake Shoppe in 2024 as a mobile operation, selling her baked goods at local festivals, holiday celebrations and other community events while also accepting custom orders for cakes, cupcakes, cookies and other treats.
She credits her passion for baking to her late mother, who baked alongside her for many years, passing down several long-held family recipes along the way.
“I baked with my mom ever since I was little,” Sapunarich said.
Latte Lounge & Bake Shoppe
“It was something that she loved doing, and she always wanted to open a bake shop of her own, but she sadly passed away from cancer. So, I decided that I was going to make it kind of a side hustle, and that eventually became an everyday operation.”
In Upper Mount Bethel, Sapunarich plans to offer a wide array of baked goods, including cakes, cupcakes, cookies and brownies. Gluten-free options also will be available.
With advance notice, she also will continue accepting custom orders for birthday, baby shower and other special occasion cakes.
Individuals can choose from various flavors, fillings and icing selections, and Sapunarich also can prepare custom cookies, cupcakes and other treats.
Latte Lounge & Bake Shoppe will feature seating for around 20 guests at a mix of dining tables and lounge furniture, giving guests plenty of room to hang out, work on their laptop or just relax with friends and family, Sapunarich said.
Latte Lounge & Bake Shoppe
There also will be seasonal outdoor seating.
Drip coffee will be available along with specialty coffee drinks such as cappuccino, lattes and macchiato.
Other beverages will include hot and iced teas and seasonal drinks such as a berry sangria refresher, strawberry iced matcha, blueberry pancake macchiato and lavender vanilla spring latte.
“One of our May specialties will be a blue razzberry cotton candy lemonade,” Sapunarich said. “It’ll have a blue raspberry flavor, and on the top of the cup, there will be blue raspberry cotton candy.”
Guests also will be able to enjoy around six flavors of New Jersey-based Das’ Creamery ice cream, available in cups or cones, along with other chilled treats such as sundaes and milkshakes, Sapunarich said.
Latte Lounge & Bake Shoppe
Latte Lounge & Bake Shoppe is tentatively set to operate Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays), and exact hours will be announced soon on the business’ Facebook and Instagram pages.
Sapunarich is excited to join the Slate Belt business scene and meet new friends in the community.
She also has plans to host cake decorating classes and other events.
The grand opening weekend will kick off 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 2 with festivities including food samples, raffles and free face painting for kids (noon to 2 p.m.). A children’s playground also is available (weather permitting).
“We’re very excited,” Sapunarich said.
“It’s a great spot, with Allegheny Creek Brewing Company having a restaurant right next door. So, we’re hoping that we can share a customer base with them. We also want to be really involved in the community. So, if anybody wants to do a dine-and-donate event or wants us to help raise money for a sports team or program, let me know because I’m very interested in doing that.”
More foodie findsLehigh Valley restaurant and cigar bar to hold grand reopening with new food menu
FORKS TWP., Pa. – A wide array of appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and more are returning to a longstanding establishment in Northampton County.
Leaf Restaurant & Cigar Bar, offering a premium selection of cigars, craft beverages and freshly prepared food, will hold its grand reopening with a new food menu on Sunday, April 26, at 90 Mort Drive in Forks Township, Leaf manager Emily Stenger told 69 News.
Leaf is affiliated with and operates at the same site as Famous Smoke Shop, featuring a refined cigar lounge and more than 2,000-square-foot humidor housing thousands of premium cigars.
Leaf’s grand reopening will mark a return to form for the Easton area dining establishment.
Leaf opened in 2011 and previously featured its own, in-house kitchen staff preparing an expansive selection of dishes for lunch and dinner until 2020, according to Sean Brown, Famous Smoke Shop’s retail and lounge operations manager.
For the past few years, the restaurant’s food service was handled by You Got Pork’D, a business specializing in smoked barbecue dishes and homemade sides, which recently moved operations to Dewey Fire Company in Hellertown. Full story here.
Leaf Restaurant and Cigar Bar operates at 90 Mort Drive in Forks Township.
Ryan Kneller
‘Feel at home’: New Lehigh Valley cafe brings fresh eats and drinks to 1820s building
NAZARETH, Pa. – A cozy, new spot for homemade quiches, soups, sandwiches, pastries, specialty drinks and more is welcoming customers at a historic property in Northampton County.
Circle Cafe on Main, a cafe inspired by European cafes and the owner’s desire to create a “community-centered gathering space,” opened Monday, April 20, at 2 N. Main St. in Nazareth.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Monday.
On the business’ first day, the turnout and feedback from the community was very positive, owner Jennifer O’Neill told 69 News.
Several items, including the focaccia, deviled eggs (classic and bacon chive), Main Street Meatloaf Melt (on ciabatta with cheddar) and chicken salad (on brioche or to-go), proved especially popular, O’Neill said.
O’Neill, a longtime Nazareth resident, last year purchased the historic North Main Street property – dating to the early 19th century – and spent the next several months extensively renovating the building, which was most recently home to a salon. Read more here.
Circle Cafe on Main
Easton area newsLehigh Valley’s new bar and lounge serving up elevated drinks, eats, atmosphere
EASTON, Pa. – Individuals seeking craft cocktails and fun times with friends have a new chic spot to check out in Northampton County.
Zen Bar, a new bar and lounge concept focusing on “intentional, high-quality cocktails, elevated hospitality, and an atmosphere designed for connection and community,” held a grand opening on Thursday, April 23, on the ground floor of The Marquis, a seven-story apartment complex at 27 S. Third St. in downtown Easton.
“We are super excited,” Zen co-owner Antonio Santiago told 69 News.
“It’s our first bar and lounge that we’ve opened, and it all came together really well – from a simple concrete shell to a cool and inviting space. We can’t wait to welcome the community.”
Santiago is operating Zen with friends Angel Ramirez, Frank DeFelice and Kevin Rodriguez.
Santiago, Ramirez and Rodriguez also operate Amigos Mexican Grill, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with a location next door to Zen as well as another location on Hamilton Street in downtown Allentown. Read more.
Zen Bar
Former Palmer Twp. furniture store sold, will become auto repair shop
PALMER TWP., Pa. – A former furniture store in Palmer Township has been sold and will be converted into an auto repair shop.
According to Northampton County property records, an LLC connected to the commercial real estate firm Oldacre McDonald purchased the site at 2499 Northampton Street for $1.85 million. The sale was recorded on April 13.
Oldacre McDonald is based in Tennessee and, according to its website, has developed more than 570 projects in 28 states, specializing in shopping centers, build-to-suit retail, restaurants and residential.
The property on Northampton Street, which is south of the 25th Street Shopping Center and adjacent to an existing AutoZone, most recently was a Just Furniture store. Full story here.
WFMZ-TV | Amy Unger
A decade of dining: Easton Public Market celebrates 10-year anniversary
EASTON, Pa. – From cutting the ribbon with a meat cleaver on opening day in 2016, to pizzas flying out of the brick oven and loyal customers who keep coming back – Easton’s Public Market is celebrating 10 years of success.
“It took a couple of years to get some resources together,” said Jared Mast, executive director of the Greater Easton Development Partnership.
The nonprofit owns and operates the Easton Public Market.
“We’ve been going for 10 years and trying to stay relevant as a community gathering place, a center of food, complimentary of all the other stuff going on in town,” said Mast.
The market made it through the COVID pandemic doing curbside takeout. Mast said outdoor dining is a silver lining that came out of it. Read more here.
Easton Public Market is located at 325 Northampton St. in downtown Easton.
Ryan Kneller
Lehigh County newsNew 30,000-square-foot, indoor children’s playground coming soon to South Mall
SALISBURY TWP., Pa. – A new expansive, multi-level facility designed for children to let loose is coming soon to Lehigh County.
Star Park Indoor Playground & Party, a multi-level indoor playground for children, is coming soon to the South Mall on Lehigh Street in Salisbury Township.
The new facility is expected to open in late summer in a 30,000-square-foot space near the center of the mall, according to Benjamin Diaz, a commercial realtor with The James Balliet Property Group, which handles leasing at the South Mall.
The soon-to-be-updated space previously housed a Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley ReStore location and seasonal Spirit Halloween store. Read more.
The South Mall is located at 3300 Lehigh St. in Salisbury Township.
Ryan Kneller
‘Difficult decision’: Lehigh County restaurant to close, but owners plan to reopen at new spot
FOUNTAIN HILL, Pa. – A popular family-run Italian restaurant will end operations this weekend, but its owners plan to “find the right new home and begin again.”
Tinto Tapas & Pasta, a full-service restaurant offering authentic Italian cuisine, will hold its last day of business on Saturday at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill, according to an announcement on the business’ Facebook page.
Husband and wife Giacomo and Victoria Sgroi opened Tinto in March 2025.
Previously, the Sgrois operated the former Nonna Sulina’s Sicilian Kitchen & Grill on Bath Pike in Hanover Township, Northampton County, with Giacomo’s father, Phillip Sgroi, for four years prior to a destructive fire at the Bath Pike property in July 2024. Full story here.
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
French bakery bringing artisanal pastries, other tasty treats to larger Lehigh Valley location
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A popular bakery, specializing in made-from-scratch French treats like tarts, croissants and macarons, is making moves in Lehigh County.
Sophistiqué – French Bakery, offering artisanal French pastries and other baked goods, will move this summer from 924 W. Walnut St. in downtown Allentown to a larger location a couple of blocks away at 960 Hamilton St. in downtown Allentown, owner and French pastry chef Sophie Vandecasteele told 69 News this week.
The plan is for Sophistiqué to continue operating at its original West Walnut Street location through late June before reopening at its new Hamilton Street spot in either late June or early July, Vandecasteele said.
The bakery’s forthcoming location will operate near 10th and Hamilton streets, across from the Moxy Allentown Downtown Hotel. Read more here.
Sophistiqué – French Bakery
‘Something for everyone!’: Lehigh County market welcoming new vendors, hosting PickleFest
WASHINGTON TWP., Pa. – A popular Lehigh Valley shopping and dining destination continues to blossom with tasty events and fresh vendors offering baked goods, coffee, ice cream, custom wood furniture and more.
Slatington Farmers Market, at 8281 Route 873 in Washington Township, has welcomed several new small vendors in recent months and is also gearing up for its second annual PickleFest, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 25.
For PickleFest, the market will welcome approximately 40 vendors, all offering something pickle-themed.
Guests will be able to browse and taste handmade pickles from various tri-state area pickle makers and many other handmade pickle creations such as pickle lemonade and pickle-flavored popcorn. The event also will feature pickle-themed T-shirts, jewelry and other merchandise. Read more.
Kitchen designer, retailer closes all locations in US, including store in Lehigh Valley
HANOVER TWP., Pa. – A United Kingdom-based kitchen designer, manufacturer and retailer is closing its locations in the U.S., including a store at the Airport Shopping Center in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
The Wren Kitchens location at 926 Airport Road is closed.
A recorded phone message that greets callers at the Hanover Township location says: “We regret to inform you that our showrooms and studios are now closed.” The phone message offers options for customers and employees who need help.
Wren U.S. Holdings, Inc. has the same message on its website. The site provides a link for those who require assistance. Full story here.
Wren Kitchens
Bethlehem buzz‘Next chapter’: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers to no longer manage Moravian Book Shop
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A new chapter will soon begin for the historic Moravian Book Shop in downtown Bethlehem.
On Friday, Moravian University announced that it will conclude its management contract with Barnes & Noble College Booksellers for the Moravian Book Shop at 428 Main St. in downtown Bethlehem.
Once the transition is complete, which is expected to be on or before July 30, Moravian will work with ANC Consulting to assist in the oversight of the operations and strategic direction of the world’s oldest continuously operating bookstore.
Since 2018, Barnes & Noble College has managed the landmark Main Street location, integrating the university’s student bookstore needs with the shop’s traditional retail offerings.
As the university looks toward the nearly 300-year-old institution’s next chapter, the move to ANC Consulting “represents a shift toward a model more aligned with the institution’s goals,” a news release states. Read more here.
Ryan Kneller
Bargain hunters gear up for Bethlehem book fair that helps raise scholarship money for local women
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A beloved book fair is making its return to Bethlehem with thousands of items up for grabs and bargain hunters ready to explore.
69 News Reporter Sydney Kay has more on how this helps raise money for scholarships to help local women.
It’s not skates and sticks filling the Bethlehem Ice Rink Thursday, it’s books and lots of them.
“Mysteries, fiction, paranormal, science fiction,” said Rita Bergstrom with the Bethlehem Chapter of the American Association of University Women.
That’s just a few categories with more than 60,000 books, vinyl, games, and more up for sale. It’s all part of the American Association of University Women’s 64th Annual Used Book Fair. Read more.