The owner of the Hellertown Diner has bought a landmark restaurant in Allentown.
Zonia Sibri’s purchase of Stahley’s family restaurant and bar at 1826 Hanover Avenue was finalized Oct. 28, according to a news release from Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, who arranged financing for the sale.
A restaurateur, entrepreneur and real estate investor, Sibri also owns Sibris Restaurant on E. Broad Street in Bethlehem.
At Stahley’s, she said she plans to keep much of its well-known menu intact.
“I want to keep the same items they have now: the clams, cheesesteaks, cheeseburgers, Black Diamond steak, the soups, but I’m also bringing back breakfast,” Sibri said. She added that she plans to introduce new seafood dishes, expand salad options and offer soup or fries with sandwiches.
According to the news release, Sibri came to the U.S. from Ecuador in 1995 and began her restaurant career as a waitress in a diner.
She first became acquainted with Stahley’s as a customer who frequented the restaurant for its clams.
“My brother-in-law said the clams were the best, so we went,” she recalled. “I’d never had clams before. I came from poverty, but the food was great, the service was great, the atmosphere was great. It felt like family. I always kept that memory with me.”
The release said that in addition to expanding the menu, Sibri plans to hire additional staff and commence with some minor renovations, including exterior painting and updating tables and booths.
In the future, she said she hopes to advertise the restaurant’s banquet room for private parties and events, as well as possibly install a new sign outside.
“I’ve been working hard,” Sibri said. “That’s why I came to this country. I left all my family behind to do my best here. And now I want to make something great for the community.”
An Allentown landmark since 1968, Stahley’s bar and restaurant has been sold by the family that has long owned it to Zonia Sibri, a restaurateur who owns and operates the Hellertown Diner and Sibris Restaurant in Bethlehem. (Contributed photo)