The owner of the Whitehall Township-based King Kone ice cream store has purchased and is ready to rebrand a tavern in Coplay.
Rick Safi has closed on the purchase of the 2nd Street Tavern located at 33 N. Second St., a Lehigh Financial Group news release announced, and “plans to revitalize the property and return it to its roots by rebranding the establishment as The Coplay Cabin.”
The Coplay Cabin is set to open the first week of July.
“I saw the opportunity and I wanted to buy it, improve it, and really clean up that side of the street,” Safi said in the release. “I used to go there when I was younger when it was the original Log Cabin, and I’ve always liked the quaint, small-town feel of Coplay.”
Changes will include new flooring, new paint, updated lighting, new countertops and an “elevated” menu.
“We’re moving away from basic bar fare,” Safi said. “It’s going to be a much higher quality of food. Think upscale bar fare, more like a flatbread than a regular bar pizza. We’ll also have an expanded draft system with more variety, including craft styles, seltzers, and iced teas.”
He also wants to convert building’s second floor into a cigar and spirits lounge within the next year.
The acquisition was backed by commercial financing arranged by Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, the news release said. Kevin Yarnell of Howard Hanna The Frederick Group represented Safi while Joseph Piperato III of Eastburn & Gray Law Offices in Bethlehem handled the closing and the liquor license transfer.
The property operated as the Log Cabin Tavern for roughly 30 years before being sold and becoming the 2nd Street Tavern in 2019, the news release said.