NORTHAMPTON, Pa. – The last location of a once-prominent Lehigh Valley area restaurant chain – serving hot and cold subs, burgers and other freshly prepared eats – is set to end operations next month.
J’s Steaks & Subs, at 1830 Main St. in Northampton, will permanently close on May 30, according to an announcement on the business’ Facebook page.
A J’s Steaks & Subs restaurant operates at 1830 Main St. in Northampton.
Ryan Kneller
“This has not been an easy decision for me to make,” owner Candace Strain stated in the online post.
“It’s one that comes with a heavy heart to announce. As of May 30, 2026 J’s Northampton will be closing its doors permanently. I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of our amazing customers for your support, loyalty, and memories over the years. It has truly meant everything to us.”
For roughly 40 years, operations at J’s Steaks & Subs in Northampton were previously headed by Strain’s late husband, Dan Strain, who passed away in March 2025, according to manager Brandon Clawson, who is Candace’s son-in-law.
Dan started his first job as a counter server at the former J’s location at 15th and Turner streets in Allentown in 1972 before eventually moving up to management and becoming a franchise owner in 1980.
Prior to opening the Northampton restaurant, he also operated a location in Catasauqua.
The Northampton eatery, which is the last location of J’s Steaks & Subs, has seen unsteady business in recent years, Clawson said.
“It’s been up and down, and recently, it’s been more on the decline,” Clawson said of the business’ foot traffic and sales. “So, we all just thought it’s best if we branch out and do other careers at this point.”
The Northampton eatery will continue to operate as normal through May 30, Clawson said.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the best community, friends, and customers any local family owned business could ask for,” Candace’s online announcement continues. “I wish you all the same kindness in return that you all have showed our family.”
J’s originated as “J’s Atlantic City Giant Submarines” in 1968 with a single location at 15th and Turner streets in Allentown by butchers Jerald Yanowitz and Joe Williams.
Over the ensuing decades, the brand grew to dozens of locations in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding region, including former J’s eateries in Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Hellertown and Telford.
The most recent former J’s location closed in 2024 at 2140 Stefko Blvd. in Bethlehem.
A former J’s location closed in 2024 on Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem.
Ryan Kneller
Other former Bethlehem locations include those that operated at the Westgate Mall on Schoenersville Road, at North New Street and Elizabeth Avenue, and on Fourth Street on the city’s south side.
At its peak in the mid-1980s, J’s had around 50 total locations spanning multiple counties.
The late Harold G. Fulmer III, a prominent Lehigh Valley businessman, purchased a controlling interest in J’s in 1985 with hopes to eventually grow the chain nationally.
J’s footprint, however, was greatly diminished in the late 1990s and 2000s, eventually being reduced to a handful of restaurants before Palmer Township’s Ed Lozano purchased J’s in 2015.
Lozano hoped to revive the brand, opening several Lehigh Valley J’s restaurants over the ensuing years, but all of these locations have since closed.
Former J’s eateries in Bath, Easton, Forks Township, Palmer Township, Lower Nazareth Township, and downtown Allentown are among the locations that have closed in recent years.
Clawson encourages community members to visit the Northampton eatery over the next month to enjoy one last taste of J’s.
“This will be their last opportunity because the J’s franchise is just not out there anymore,” Clawson said. “This is the last standing store.”
In Northampton, customers can enjoy beef and chicken steak sandwiches and cheesesteaks in four sizes: 4-, 6-, 10-, and 14-inch.
Other menu highlights include hot subs such as BLT and meatball parmesan, hot sandwiches such as a gyro and fish sandwich, burgers and hot dogs such as a California cheeseburger and foot-long chili cheese dog; and side orders such as cheese fries, pierogies and mozzarella sticks.
Customers also can choose from an array of cold subs, available in 7- and 14-inch sizes, such as tuna, turkey, roast beef, Italian and “J’s Special” (provolone cheese, ham, pepper ham, capicola and hard salami).
“Our most popular cold sub is definitely the J’s Special, and our top-selling hot item is the cheeseburger sub,” Clawson said.
The Northampton restaurant, with indoor seating and an outdoor picnic table, also features meal deals such as the “Belly Filler” (10-inch cheesesteak with large fries and a large soda) and “Deli-Delight” (choice of a 7-inch cold sub with small fries and a small soda); and 3- and 6-foot subs for party trays. Info: 610-262-8353.