Former Shanty owners plan Prohibition-influenced eatery in downtown Allentown

The owners of the next restaurant to open in Allentown want patrons to get the idea that walking through the doors will give you license to be just a little naughty.

Paying homage to Prohibition-era restaurants, Don and Diane Saylor, the longtime proprietors of The Shanty restaurant in Allentown's West End, have decided to call their new restaurant Roar Social House.

Set to open in early September, the upscale restaurant featuring American cuisine at 732 Hamilton St. will also have a speak-easy called Hush with a separate rear entrance.

"We love Allentown and are so excited to launch Roar and Hush amidst the new roar of PPL Center, the city's construction and the re-energized downtown," Don Saylor said. "We have had so much interest and support in this new venture from former customers and soon-to-be customers alike. We are proud to bring new vitality to this historic building."

Saylor named Chris Noonan as executive chef for Roar and Hush. Noonan was executive chef for the Big Burrito Restaurant Group in Pittsburgh, and was chosen to open and develop the restaurant and banquet programs at the Andy Warhol Museum and Pittsburgh's historic Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden.

"Being born in Arkansas and raised in Texas, Connecticut, Indiana and Pennsylvania gave me a love of American and regional ethnic food," Noonan said. "My philosophy for craft cooking is to bring delicious, simple and classic flavors to life and let the food speak for itself."

The three-story Civil War-era building is being restored by City Center Investment Corp, which is building several downtown office buildings, a hotel, an apartment complex, retail shops and several restaurants costing a total of more than $400 million.

Across the street from the $177 million PPL Center hockey arena due to open Sept. 12 in the city's 127-acre tax incentive district, the restaurant will be in the building that was last occupied by the House of Chen restaurant.

It will feature three-story ceilings, loft dining, brick walls and wood beams highlighted by two light features surrounding the mezzanine. Roar will seat about 100 people for lunch and dinner in a setting that pays homage to the 1920s-era style restaurants during the Prohibition era.

Hush will seat up to 30 people, with an additional entrance on Maple Street. An open kitchen will separate Roar and Hush, Saylor said.

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Former Shanty owners plan Prohibition-influenced eatery in downtown Allentown