ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A beloved, family-run spot for beers, burgers and banter among friends in the Lehigh Valley will soon have new ownership.
The sale of Stahley’s Family Restaurant & Sports Bar, a popular, decades-old restaurant and bar at 1826 Hanover Ave. in Allentown, will soon be finalized with closing set to take place on Tuesday, Oct. 28, co-owner Darryl Stahley told 69 News this week.
The restaurant is temporarily closed on Monday, Oct. 27, for inventory updates and cleaning, Stahley said.
It will reopen under new owner Zonia Sibri-Quinde at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, Stahley said.
“We’re definitely appreciative of the community’s support all of these years,” Stahley said.
“I don’t know what else to say besides, ‘Thank you very much, everyone.’ We’re proud to have served the Allentown East Side community.”
Sibri-Quinde, who resides in Bethlehem, is an established Lehigh Valley restaurateur, who also operates Sibri’s Restaurant on East Broad Street in Bethlehem and Hellertown Diner on Main Street in Hellertown.
“[Sibri-Quinde] is already a very successful restaurant operator with a great reputation, strong work ethic and top-notch team that she surrounds herself with,” Stahley said.
Sibri-Quinde was attracted to the Allentown business opportunity as she’s been a Stahley’s customer for several years and wants to see it continue to thrive.
She’s a big fan of Stahley’s food, especially the clams.
“I’m very excited,” Sibri-Quinde told 69 News earlier this fall.
“It seems everyone is excited. So many people are asking about it at Sibri’s and at the Hellertown Diner. They’re excited to go [to Stahley’s] and enjoy a couple of beers with their food.”
Following the sale, Sibri-Quinde plans to continue Stahley’s operations with the same food menu, plus some additions, she said.
She plans to eventually introduce breakfast and also expand lunch and dinner options to include more appetizers, sandwiches and entrees such as additional steak and seafood platters.
Customers should anticipate breakfast selections such as specialty omelettes, French toast and breakfast sandwiches and platters, among other items, Sibri-Quinde said.
“We’ll have items like pulled pork Benedict, crab Benedict, cannoli waffles – all of the good stuff that people love,” Sibri-Quinde said. “For lunch and dinner, we’ll also have a lot of sauteed dishes and Italians specialties.”
Sibri-Quande said she would also maintain the business’ decor, with only minor cosmetic touches such as fresh wall paint.
“We’re not planning to change the look much at all,” Sibri-Quinde said.
Stahley’s father, Don Stahley Sr., established the Allentown restaurant and bar – originally known as Stahley’s Cellarette – in 1968 in the building’s basement.
The business’ rapid popularity led the family to expand operations to the structure’s first floor in the 1970s.
Today, the lower-level space is primarily used for private events, while the upstairs space is home to Stahley’s main bar and dining room, featuring seating for more than 200 guests.
There’s also an entertainment area with two pool tables, a shuffleboard table and jukebox, along with a stage in the opposite corner of the restaurant that hosts local bands and other musical acts.
Since its inception, the restaurant remained a family operation with Don Stahley Sr.’s other children, John Stahley, Judy Master, Don Stahley Jr., Janice Fedor and Jody Stahley, helping to keep the business running smoothly over the decades.
In recent years, Darryl and John have overseen Stahley’s day-to-day operations, and the pair is “looking to slow down,” Darryl said.
John, 58, and Darryl, 57, grew up in the business and have held various roles – both in the kitchen and front of house – since they were kids.
Darryl lives in Bethlehem, while John commutes roughly an hour and a half to Stahley’s from his home in Lake Ariel, Wayne County.
“Running a restaurant is a lot of work, and it doesn’t get any easier as you get older each year,” Darryl said.
“We’ve held every position in this restaurant, and we’re still doing a little bit of everything,” John added. “I just turned 58, and I’ve been bartending for 40 years.”
Stahley’s, which features off-street parking lots, offers a variety of freshly prepared dishes including starters and sides such as corn nuggets, fried pickles, pierogies and potato pancakes; sandwiches such as crab cake, meatball, sausage and veal parmesan; and platters such as 12-ounce ribeye, chopped sirloin, jerk chicken, Buffalo chicken fingers, fried haddock and chicken parmesan with spaghetti.
Top sellers include a variety of cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks, wraps, burgers, tacos, pizzas, wings and clams, Darryl said.
The Stahley family is showing its appreciation to the community through a message on the restaurant’s roadside sign.
“Thank you for 57 years of fun and great memories,” the message reads.
Other prospective buyers have expressed interest in the east Allentown landmark in recent years, but Sibri-Quinde proved to be the “right fit,” Darryl said.
The family was impressed by her extensive restaurant experience and strong work ethic.
“We’re glad [Sibri-Quande] is local and passionate about the business,” John said. “We wouldn’t sell the business to just anyone.”
The Stahleys plan to assist Sibri-Quande during the transition.
“We’d definitely help out in the beginning,” Darryl said. “I don’t know if she’d need it, but we’d be there to help her settle in, for sure.”