FORKS TWP., Pa. \u2013 A one-time hot spot for burgers, ice cream and other tasty treats is finding new life in Northampton County.<\/p>\n
Zekraft, a locally owned and operated cafe concept that \u201cmakes and curates well-crafted food and kitchen items\u201d using ingredients from the Lehigh Valley and surrounding region, has leased the former Richard\u2019s Drive-In property at 1550 Sullivan Trail in Forks Township for use as the business\u2019 central kitchen and an additional cafe location.<\/p>\n
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A new Zekraft cafe location is expected to open in mid-May at 1550 Sullivan Trail in Forks Township.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n
The Forks cafe, with interior seating for a dozen guests and seasonal outdoor seating for an additional 20 guests, is expected to open in mid-May, co-owner Elaine Zelker told 69 News.<\/p>\n
It will occupy an updated space that was previously home to a Richard’s Drive-In location, which closed a couple years ago after nearly two decades of business.<\/p>\n
Since January, the new central kitchen has been up and running for Zekraft\u2019s catering, farmers market appearances and home meal delivery services.<\/p>\n
It also helps to supply food and drinks for Zekraft\u2019s two existing cafe locations inside Capital Blue at Promenade Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township and Lehigh Valley International Airport\u2019s Wilfred M. “Wiley” Post Concourse, beyond the TSA Checkpoint, in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.<\/p>\n
In Forks, Zekraft is operating on a busy stretch of Sullivan Trail, between Mediterranean Deli and Wanderlust Beer Garden.<\/p>\n
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Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t wait to welcome the community inside,\u201d Zelker said in regard to the forthcoming Forks cafe.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like this could turn out to be our busiest location. We\u2019ve already been having a lot of people stop in to see if we\u2019re open.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Zekraft team was previously utilizing kitchen space at The Factory on Columbia Street in south Bethlehem, but that property was recently sold to Bethlehem Area School District<\/a> for expansion of Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School.<\/p>\n In Forks, Zekraft occupies a renovated space featuring new kitchen equipment, wall paint, furniture and more.<\/p>\n The team is currently in the process of having the illuminated building signage and roadside signage installed.<\/p>\n The soon-to-open cafe is still hiring for cafe manager, barista and kitchen roles, and individuals interested in applying for a position should send an e-mail to info@zekraft.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Zekraft co-owner Zeke Zelker poses outside the business’ new location at 1550 Sullivan Trail in Forks Township. The new location serves as Zekraft’s central kitchen, and it soon will also be home to another Zekraft cafe.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n Zelker and her husband, Zeke Zelker, started Zekraft in summer 2020. At the time, they were utilizing a commercial kitchen to offer weekly delivery of \u201cconsciously prepared restaurant quality meals\u201d to Lehigh Valley residents.<\/p>\n The business continues to offer home meal delivery, along with cafe operations, catering, special events and sales at local farmers markets, including the Easton Farmers\u2019 Market on Saturdays and the Emmaus Farmers\u2019 Market on Sundays.<\/p>\n At Zekraft\u2019s cafes, customers can enjoy a variety of freshly prepared eats, including soups, salads and breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Specialty coffee drinks, teas, smoothies and desserts are also featured.<\/p>\n The business sources ingredients from local farms and producers, including Patriot Farms, The Flour Shop, Apple Ridge Farm, Raspberry Ridge Creamery and Nello\u2019s Specialty Meats, among others.<\/p>\n Husband and wife Zeke and Elaine Zelker started Zekraft in summer 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n Zekraft<\/p>\n \u201cCommunity minded, we\u2019re inspired by the bountiful farms and artisanal creators that make our area unique,\u201d Zekraft\u2019s mission statement reads. \u201cWe select consciously sourced items, cognizant of offering a more healthful option, realizing that we all need to indulge from time to time.\u201d<\/p>\n Zekraft aims to incorporate fresh, seasonal ingredients from local businesses as much as possible, with other partnering farms and producers including Scholl\u2019s Orchards and Salvatera\u2019s Gardens, Elaine added.<\/p>\n Home delivery options regularly rotate, but popular recurring picks include Thai peanut chicken salad, meat loaf, banana pudding and a variety of fresh pastries.<\/p>\n \u201cOur biggest push this year is that we want people to know that eating well shouldn\u2019t be hard,\u201d Elaine said.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything we offer at Zekraft is sourced locally, homemade and fresh. Nothing\u2019s frozen. Even our coffee, sauces and syrups are homemade. We make our own caramel sauce, lavender syrup, etc. It\u2019s all from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n In Forks, customers can expect a wide array of made-to-order and grab-and-go options, including artisan soups, salads and breakfast and lunch sandwiches.<\/p>\n Hours are still being finalized, but the Forks cafe will likely be open for breakfast and lunch service daily, Zeke said.<\/p>\n Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have a semi-open kitchen, and so people will really feel like they\u2019re part of the action,\u201d Elaine added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re also going to be pastry-heavy, with items like cookies, muffins, cakes and scones. Of course, we\u2019ll also have our entire line of coffees, teas, homemade chai, matcha drinks and desserts like banana pudding and chocolate pot de cr\u00e8me. We\u2019ll also have some ready-to-go meals, all made from scratch on-site.\u201d<\/p>\n Zekraft previously operated cafe locations on South New Street in south Bethlehem, at the Simon Silk Mill in Easton and on South Cedar Crest Boulevard in Salisbury Township, and the Zelkers are excited to debut their newest cafe location at a prominent former restaurant site situated on a busy stretch of roadway.<\/p>\n The Zelkers, who live about four miles away from the cafe in Forks, have fond memories of frequenting Richard\u2019s Drive-In with their children in the mid-2000s.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pretty iconic,\u201d Elaine said. \u201cMy family and I still call it Richard\u2019s. It\u2019s going to be hard to call it Zekraft now.\u201d<\/p>\n Zekraft\u2019s focus on fresh food made with local, seasonal ingredients helps it stand out in the Lehigh Valley cafe scene, and the Zelkers are excited to serve healthful and tasty options to even more people at the Forks location.<\/p>\n Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n The business also proves a stark contrast to nearby locations of various coffee shop chains, Elaine said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not opening [in Forks] to be competition,\u201d she added. \u201cPeople who know, like and trust Zekraft know the difference between fresh, homemade and locally sourced food compared to stuff coming from a frozen box.\u201d<\/p>\n For the latest Zekraft updates, including an official opening announcement for the Forks cafe, follow the business\u2019 pages on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>. Info: zekraft.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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