At just 8 years old, Michael Leifer was already a familiar presence at his family’s restaurant in downtown Reading: bussing tables, washing dishes and sweeping up the peanut shells that gave Jimmie Kramer’s The Peanut Bar its name.
Nearly six decades later, Leifer is preparing to leave the business that has occupied most of his life.
The third-generation owner of the landmark restaurant and tavern at 332 Penn St. has put the business and property up for sale for $950,000, bringing an approaching end to more than a century of ownership by the same family.
Leifer, who turns 66 this month, said the decision was difficult but necessary.
A health scare over the past year prompted him to reconsider his priorities, including the demands of operating a restaurant as its sole owner.
“It’s tough being a sole business owner,” he said, reflecting on the many hours spent on location and off-hours behind the scenes.
Michael Leifer, owner of the Peanut Bar in the 300 block of Penn Street, is retiring and selling the popular downtown restaurant. (BILL UHRICH/READINGEAGLE)
He wants more time for travel and his longtime involvement in professional theater.
But Leifer isn’t planning to disappear. He hopes to remain in the area and is willing to help a new owner through the transition.
More than anything, he hopes someone will preserve the character of a place that has been a gathering spot for generations of Berks County residents.
“We’re very much hoping that someone takes over with the passion that we’ve had all these years, and makes it their own,” he said.
Michael Leifer, owner of the Peanut Bar in the 300 block of Penn Street, is retiring and selling the popular downtown restaurant. (BILL UHRICH/READINGEAGLE)
The Peanut Bar’s history dates to 1924, when Leifer’s grandfather, Jimmie Kramer, entered the hospitality business during Prohibition.
Kramer initially purchased a hotel near Wernersville before establishing the Central Cafe at Reading’s Central House Hotel, 404 Penn St.
The cafe became a popular speakeasy, Leifer said, but federal Prohibition agents shut it down in 1927. Kramer moved his operation several times before settling at 332 Penn St. in 1933.
In 1935, he began offering customers free peanuts and inviting them to toss the shells on the floor. The tradition eventually inspired the establishment’s name.
Following Kramer’s death in 1951, his son-in-law, Harold Leifer, joined the business, initially intending to stay only six months. He remained for decades, helping expand the restaurant and establish its reputation for celebrations, hospitality and community gatherings.
Michael Leifer, owner of the Peanut Bar in the 300 block of Penn Street, is retiring and selling the popular downtown restaurant. (BILL UHRICH/READINGEAGLE)
Michael Leifer joined his father in the business full time in 1979.
Over the years, the Peanut Bar became a favorite haunt of politicians, attorneys, newspaper employees, community theater casts and crews, and area residents who came as much for the company as for the food.
The establishment also became closely associated with the Berks Jazz Fest and other cultural events.
“My dad used to say this very regularly,” Leifer recalled. “That, at least back in the day, when people would look at Reading, they would think of the Pagoda, the outlets, and the Peanut Bar.”
For longtime employee Rusty Brennan, the news of Leifer’s retirement brought mixed emotions.
Brennan began working at the Peanut Bar in 1989, left in 2001 and returned in 2016.
“Michael is absolutely the best boss I’ve ever had,” she said, praising his loyalty to employees.
When Leifer announced his decision at a staff meeting, she recalled, there were tears.
Brennan hopes to continue working under a new owner and would love to see the restaurant’s familiar atmosphere preserved.
“We have honestly so many return customers,” she said. “Kids that used to come in are coming and bringing their kids, and I love that. It’s just a full circle.”
Chrissy and Jonathan Murray of Reinholds, Lancaster County, met while working at the Peanut Bar and eventually married. Now they and their 17-year-old son, Logan, all work in the restaurant.
(MICHELLE LYNCH – READING EAGLE)
For employees Chrissy and Jonathan Murray, the Peanut Bar is more than a workplace. It’s where their relationship began.
Chrissy started working there as a server in 2003, followed by Jonathan, a kitchen expeditor, in 2004. They eventually married and had a son, Logan, who now works in the restaurant’s kitchen.
The 17-year-old Cocalico High School student is considering culinary school and hopes someday to become a chef or restaurant owner.
Chrissy said the family lives in Reinholds, Lancaster County, and makes the drive to Reading because of their affection for Leifer.
“We wouldn’t probably do it for anybody but Michael,” she said.
She described their relationship with him as being family without blood ties.
Musicians perform at the Peanut Bar. (Courtesy of the Peanut Bar)
For longtime patron Chris Urso, whose family has frequented the Peanut Bar for more than half a century, the restaurant has always been a place where customers are greeted by name.
Urso, who shares Leifer’s passion for theater, said he understands his friend’s decision.
“To watch one man do that and to keep a family legacy alive this long, I’m very happy that he’s taking the time to take care of himself and retire,” he said.
Berks County historian George M. Meiser IX believes the restaurant occupies a special place in Reading’s social fabric.
For Meiser and his wife, Gloria Jean, authors of the Passing Scene series, it’s the place to go for special occasions, such as birthdays or anniversaries, and informal friendly gatherings. It’s the one place downtown, he said, where a casual bite to eat can turn into an unexpected reunion or a half-hour conversation with an old friend or acquaintance.
“You go to the Peanut Bar, you’re bound to find somebody that you know,” he said.
Meiser said he hopes a buyer will maintain that welcoming atmosphere.
“It occupies a very singular place in the landscape of the city of Reading,” he said.
Meanwhile, Leifer intends to continue the restaurant’s popular celebrations, including its New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day festivities, jazz events and other seasonal gatherings, while awaiting a buyer.
His customers and employees have become an extended family, Leifer said.
“We appreciate everybody who’s allowed us to get to where we’re at,” he said.
Although the family ownership may be ending, Leifer said he hopes the Peanut Bar’s story is far from over.