Restaurant proposed for Allentown's Schoen's building gets OK for liquor license

A proposed restaurant in Allentown's historic Schoen's building is one step closer to opening with the approval of a liquor license transfer Wednesday.

The restaurant, which was described as an upscale American bistro with European inspiration, would occupy the first floor of the former furniture store in the 600 block of Hamilton Street which is being redeveloped within Allentown's Neighborhood Improvement Zone.

Allentown City Council heard about the proposed plans Wednesday before voting 6-0 to approve the transfer of a liquor license from Beef House, Inc. on Catasauqua Road in Bethlehem. The license will now be held by the Brown Brothers Restaurant Group, a partnership of W. Jeffrey Brown and his father W. Douglas Brown, who are also majority owners of the building.

As proposed, the 6,500 square foot restaurant would have 225 booth and table seats inside the bistro and outdoor seating for an additional 40 people, said attorney Ted Zeller who represented the Browns during the meeting. A 14-seat bar would be available in the front of the restaurant and private dining space in the back.

The restaurant will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. That schedule could be adjusted depending upon what kind of draw the city's new downtown hockey arena proves to be, Zeller said. There would be no live entertainment.

Plans call for the restaurant to be upscale, Zeller said, but not as polished as Melt, an upscale Italian-inspired grill located at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.

"It's going to be the type of place where a suit like me will be comfortable, or a guy in a Phantoms jersey is going to be comfortable," Zeller said.

W. Jeffrey Brown said no name has been picked for the restaurant. He and his father have been courting a operating partner to work with, but they will remain involved with the operation regardless of that decision, he said.

A tentative opening date for the restaurant has been set for Sept. 1, but that could be pushed back until spring to take advantage of warm weather, Brown said.

Construction at the Schoen's building is ongoing, and developers hope to receive occupancy permits by Aug. 1. Closed since 1990, the 103-year-old building will be largely used as office that will be leased by Trifecta Technologies and Shane Patrick Construction.

Read more from the original source:
Restaurant proposed for Allentown's Schoen's building gets OK for liquor license