NEW BETHLEHEM \u2013 For customers, students and workers who have counted on it for years, the Subway restaurant in New Bethlehem will remain open for at least another year.<\/p>\n
Assistant manager Linda Dinger said the restaurant had been facing the possibility of closing, but the building\u2019s owner and current franchise owner Chris Goldran reached an agreement that gives the longtime local business more time to continue serving the community.<\/p>\n
Dinger said the uncertainty had weighed on those connected to the restaurant, especially as other nearby Subway locations closed. The new agreement keeps the New Bethlehem location open for at least one year, provided the franchise owner continues meeting financial obligations.<\/p>\n
The building remains for sale, but Dinger said the Subway operation is expected to continue as long as the current franchise agreement remains in place. She said the restaurant\u2019s ownership has changed over time and is separate from ownership of the building itself.<\/p>\n
The New Bethlehem Subway is now the only operating Subway in Clarion County, Dinger said. Two Clarion-area Subway restaurants have closed, along with a location in Kittanning tied to the same broader franchise group, making the survival of the New Bethlehem store more meaningful for customers who still want a nearby option.<\/p>\n
Dinger said the restaurant\u2019s location near the school has helped make it part of local routines. Students, families and community members often stop in during the school year, after-school activities, football season and other events.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say probably the school,\u201d Dinger said when asked what helps the New Bethlehem location remain viable. \u201cIt\u2019s a big plus for this one to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n
The restaurant has operated in the community for decades. Dinger said former owner Tim Murray had the location for about 25 years and still owns the building, though not the franchise. Murray negotiated a one-year extension of the franchise agreement, helping give employees, customers and the community some breathing room while the building remains for sale. Over the years, the business side of the Subway location has shifted through different franchise ownership arrangements, while the property ownership has remained a separate matter.<\/p>\n
Although other local businesses also sell subs, Dinger said Subway remains a familiar and convenient option for many customers in the area. With school and sports activities expected to pick up again, the restaurant is preparing for busier months and another chance to remain part of those daily routines.<\/p>\n
The New Bethlehem location\u2019s future had been uncertain after several nearby Subway locations closed and multiple restaurant buildings were listed for sale. For now, Dinger said, the local Subway will continue serving customers for at least another year \u2014 welcome news for a community that could have lost another familiar stop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW BETHLEHEM \u2013 For customers, students and workers who have counted on it for years, the Subway restaurant…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":239260,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154,9192,58971,102891,9628,28,976,244,102890],"class_list":["post-239259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-food-companies","tag-food-service-companies","tag-franchising","tag-new-bethlehem","tag-pennsylvania","tag-restaurant","tag-restaurants","tag-subway-restaurant"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239259\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}