PENNSYLVANIA RYE COMPANY IN DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN TO OPEN ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, AT 3 P.M.
City Center Investment Corp., the real estate development company revitalizing downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania, today announced that a team of bar and restaurant veterans that leased space in downtown Allentown will open Pennsylvania Rye Company (PA Rye Co) on Thursday, August 11, at 3 p.m. Owners Dan Gonzalez and Jesse Haik plan to open a bottle shop next door in early fall of 2022.
PA Rye Co, located at 536-538 Hamilton St., is 6,200 square feet with a bar on the first floor and restaurant space on the second floor. Its retail wine store next door will have access from the bar. Both locations will have outdoor space for customers to eat and drink.
“We are thrilled that Dan and Jesse are opening this week,” said Jarrett Laubach, City Center’s Director of Leasing. “They have done a fabulous job getting the space ready and hiring a team in a short timeframe.”
The bar offers the most extensive collection of Rye whiskey in the Lehigh Valley, focusing on Pennsylvania producers, along with 16 rotating beer taps, an extensive seasonal cocktail list, and a boutique wine list. PA Rye Co will host happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. every day it is open.
“We are thrilled to be opening our doors for customers in downtown Allentown,” said Gonzalez. “Although Jesse and I have worked in, launched, and managed various locations nationwide, we both kept coming back to Allentown as the place we wanted to open our own bar.”
Haik added, “We are planning a strong cocktail program with featured PA Ryes, but we will be much more than just a Rye bar. We have an excellent chef coming from New Hope and have already been in conversation with whiskey and wine makers to host special exclusive cocktail events. Our plan is that PA Rye Co will be a place where everyone is welcome.”
The menu is simple but creative, diverse, and designed for busy residents and visitors. Small plates are priced between $10 and $18.
PA Rye Co will be open 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Private event space is also available for reservation by calling Jesse at 484-929-2729.
With more than 42 years combined in the hospitality industry, Gonzalez and Haik are both returning to a growing downtown Allentown restaurant and bar scene where they helped launch The Hamilton Kitchen & Bar and The Dime restaurant at the Renaissance Allentown hotel. Gonzalez, born and raised in Allentown, has more than 20 years of industry experience. He was a head bartender at The Hamilton Kitchen & Bar before moving on to be a corporate liquor sales representative for Breakthru Beverage. Haik, from New Orleans, started working in restaurants at age 15. He has opened and managed restaurants in five states and was the beverage manager for the Renaissance Allentown Hotel during its launch. Prior to launching PA Rye Co, he served as general manager of Liberty House in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Executive Chef Eduardo Aburto, hailing from Mexico City, is a 7-year Allentownian. He has more than 16 years of international kitchen experience, including stints in the Bahamas, Mexico, and multiple states. Opening the Renaissance Allentown Hotel as chef de cuisine, he worked for Greenwood Hospitality for five years. For the past year he served as chef at The Roof Restaurant in New Hope.