At over 200 years old, a historic property will come back to life with an upcoming cafe in the Lehigh Valley.
Circle Cafe on Main will open the week of April 20 in the first floor of 2 N. Main St. in Nazareth, cafe and property owner Jennifer O’Neill-Lai said.
The menu will offer coffee from Golden Valley Coffee Roasters, iced tea, lemonade, quiches, soups, meatloaf, deviled eggs, pastries, pasta salad and focaccia.
Carpenter Andrew G. Kern built his home in 1820 at the property, which his family owned until the 1920s. The Nazareth Area School District used the property for office space after they purchased it in the 1970s, and most recently Mainstream Salon & Co. operated there.
For O’Neill-Lai, the whole endeavor is based around the building. To be in that borough hub and building, she said, makes her feel like she’s in a Hallmark movie.
“Every time I would walk by it … it’s gorgeous,” she said. “You just really admire the architecture and the structure, the quality. I mean, you can’t even build … you should see my insurance, you can’t even build something like this again. The walls are like a foot-and-a-half thick. It’s beautiful, so when I saw the building listed, I had to go look and then it was just … I don’t know, it’s perfect. The sunlight all day long from front to back. The circle, the parade … literally when I closed, I’m cleaning the windows and the Halloween parade is going right in front of my windows as I’m cleaning the windows. It’s just a great place to be.”
O’Neill-Lai, a Bushkill Township resident originally from New Jersey, previously worked in corporate software sales. She succeeded in her career and is grateful for it, but the work eventually became “soul-sucking.” It didn’t help that working remotely meant a hectic schedule and a lot of alone time.
“Call it a mid-life crisis if you want,” she said.
She continued, “I wanted something for myself and something that is part of a community. Something to make me feel alive if that makes any sense.”
The shift also became more feasible once her teenage children Brandon and Julian Lai became older.
“I think it’s so cool that, whether my kids think this way or not, I just think it’s awesome that they get to see me doing something like this,” O’Neill-Lai said. “Something out of the ordinary. Something that I was told, ‘You’re crazy. What are you thinking? No, no no.’ And then to see it come all this way, I think it’s a really good lesson.”
O’Neill-Lai said that while her operating hours are subject to change, she plans them to be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The original plan was to open by Christmas of last year, but she said factors like reordering equipment that could fit in the building, reapplying for permits and snow caused the delay.
Circle Cafe on Main owner Jennifer O’Neill-Lai stands next to menu items including classic deviled eggs and a For the Love of Chicken salad Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at the new restaurant in Nazareth. Circle Cafe on Main will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A look inside Circle Cafe on Main on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Nazareth. The new restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A For the Love of Chicken salad is on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Classic deviled eggs are on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Mediterranean quinoa salad is on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
An espresso is on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A For the Love of Chicken salad, Classic deviled eggs, Mediterranean quinoa salad, Antipasto pasta salad, a latte, an espresso are on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A look inside Circle Cafe on Main on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Nazareth. The new restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Classic deviled eggs are on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A latte is on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A rotating variety of fresh brewed iced teas are on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A look inside Circle Cafe on Main on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Nazareth. The new restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Circle Cafe on Main owner Jennifer O’Neill-Lai holds a dish of For the Love of Chicken salad Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at the new restaurant in Nazareth. Circle Cafe on Main will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A look inside Circle Cafe on Main on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Nazareth. The new restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A look inside Circle Cafe on Main on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Nazareth. The new restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
A rotating variety of fresh brewed iced teas are on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Antipasto pasta salad is on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Classic deviled eggs are on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Circle Cafe on Main owner Jennifer O’Neill-Lai holds a dish of For the Love of Chicken salad Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at the new restaurant in Nazareth. Circle Cafe on Main will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Mediterranean quinoa salad is on the menu Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Circle Cafe on Main in Nazareth. The restaurant will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
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Circle Cafe on Main owner Jennifer O’Neill-Lai stands next to menu items including classic deviled eggs and a For the Love of Chicken salad Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at the new restaurant in Nazareth. Circle Cafe on Main will open in April in the historic Kern House, where it will serve coffee, iced tea, quiches, soups, salads, deviled eggs and flatbreads. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
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Lehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in brief
Volpe’s Sports Bar: The bar closed April 5 at 501 Broad St. in Emmaus. The other Volpe’s location will continue to operate at 19th and Tilghman streets in Allentown.
Grocery Outlet: The Richland Township grocery store reopened April 3 at 70 N. West End Blvd. in Richland Township, Bucks County, following aMarch 28 fire that started in a freezer box forced the store to temporarily close.
Mavis Tires & Brakes: The chain announced a grand opening event for 10 a.m. Saturday at 178 W. Main St. in Macungie.
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at retailwatch@mcall.com.