SPRING TWP., Pa. - The Ranch House restaurant near West Lawn, a Berks County staple that closed in April, will reopen under new owners.
Massimo Caloiero, owner of The PourHouse American Grille in Fleetwood, made the announcement in a Facebook post Monday.
“Now that it’s official: Lilli’s Ranch House coming soon! Stay tuned for updated progress.”
The post includes a photo of The Ranch House, at 2738 Penn Ave.
Mario Caloiero, owner of Margherita Restaurant & Bar in Laureldale, reposted Massimo Caloiero’s post on his Facebook page, and added another post, saying, “Our newest addition to the family businesses, along with my nephew and the pizza boss (frank).”
That apparently refers to Frank Lapuma, owner of Juliana’s Pizza Bar in Reading, who also is tagged in the Facebook post.
Massimo Caloiero said in an interview that he was looking for another location and knew the Ranch House had closed.
"I figured it would come up for sale and it did," he said. "It's a good location and has a great history in Berks County."
He said the restaurant is so well known in Berks that he wanted to keep the name, so he simply added his daughter's name to it.
Caloiero said he also wants to keep the restaurant's western theme, but will update its menu to add Angus burgers, club sandwiches and more.
He said he will remodel the entire restaurant to modernize it and hopes to reopen in September.
Caloiero said in his Facebook post that “We’ll be hiring managers, cooks, servers, hosts & dishwashers.”
The restaurant, as Circle S Ranch House, was a staple in Berks County for nearly five decades, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.
In a March 30 Facebook post, then-owners Scott and Dennis Schell said in what they called “a letter to our community,” that “It is with heartfelt emotion that we have decided to close the doors of the Ranch House.
“It has been an incredible 49 years of serving you, our loyal customers, as we built friendships and shared countless family milestones with many of you.
“We are grateful for the continued support that you have shown us throughout the years. We never would have recovered from the fire of 1996 had it not been for the unwavering support of our loyal customers and dedicated employees.
“It is our intent moving forward that we will be able to spend more time with our families and have increased energy to keep up with our growing grandchildren in the years to come.”
They said they hoped to see customers at another business they own, Schell’s in Temple, a BBQ, burgers, hot dogs and ice cream restaurant and miniature golf business. It said then that Ranch House gift certificates would be honored there.
