From new apartments being approved to restaurants reopening and ready to serve, here's your weekly look at what's happening with businesses in your neighborhood.
ATIYEH WAREHOUSES: 1492 Van Buren Road, Palmer Township
The township's board of supervisors denied a conditional use for two warehouses proposed by developer Abe Atiyeh. The two buildings would have covered 267,600 square feet combined on a 36-acre lot.
The potential for a negative impact on the community was cited, along with concerns about drainage and traffic. Get the full story.
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B. BRAUN MEDICAL: 824 12th Ave., Bethlehem
Earlier this month, B. Braun showed off a new building. Then this week, it bought a line of devices that secure catheters.
The maker of medical products did not disclose the price for Starboard Medical's Clif-FIX line.
B. Braun makes devices for intravenous therapy, drug delivery and infusion, among others. Starboard's catheter devices add another product line. Read more.
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CORE5 INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS: 7503 Kernsville Road, Lowhill Township
The Lowhill Township Planning Commission denied a plan for a warehouse on Monday. The building would have covered 100,750 square feet on a 21.6-acre lot. That was after the proposal was cut back from 190,960 square feet earlier.
Residents objected, saying the plan would change the character of the rural township.
Another larger warehouse has already been approved for land nearby, while a third was denied.
The land is in a planned industrial/commercial zone, where warehouses are a "conditional use," which allows for the township to impose certain conditions before approving development. Get all the details.
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JUST A DREAM FROZEN YOGURT: 289 Town Center Blvd., Forks Township
The family-owned yogurt shop closed last Sunday after 10 years. Kurt and Gina Stocker, along with Karen Hickey, decided to retire from the business. Kurt had already retired once after 25 years with the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Fans on social media wished them well and regretted the closing. Read more.
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KHANISA’S PUDDING BAR: 27 N. Seventh St., Allentown
Khanisa's dessert cafe is holding a grand opening at its new Downtown Allentown Market location today. The store moved from Northampton Street in Easton, where the owners said building problems hurt their business. The Pudding Bar will sell $10 Sundaes all day today. Get more info.
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MUSSEL POLYMERS INC.: Ben Franklin Technology Center, 116 Research Dr., Bethlehem
The two-year-old company says its glue for bonding carbon and synthetic fibers is a big step toward creating lighter and stronger fiber-reinforced materials. That could apply to anything from golf clubs to dental work to aircraft, according to Mussel Polymers.
Binding fibers is difficult because they are smooth and chemically inert, but Mussel Polymers has mimicked how the shellfish mussel can attach itself to slick surfaces.
The company said in a press release that it is in discussions to develop new composite materials with its poly (catechol) styrene, or PCS, adhesive. Read the full story.
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POKE BAR 25 & BUBBLE TEA: 2910 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township
The Asian café in the Shops at Bethlehem (the Giant shopping center on Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township, on the border with the City of Bethlehem) will open in late November or early December.
Owner Matt Li will serve bubble tea, a Taiwanese drink often prepared with balls of tapioca, and poke bowls. The bowls will contain rice, noodles, lettuce, and choices of vegetables and spicy tuna or salmon, cooked and uncooked, along with cooked chicken or crab meat. Read more.
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ROSA’S CORNER: 2-4 E. Broad St., Bethlehem
The former Rosanna's Restaurant, which closed in February, will reopen as a deli and bar. The downtown Bethlehem landmark will serve specialty lox, bagels, sandwiches, salads and more. Rosanna Crisci and Cara Paredes are running the new venture.
No opening date was available on the Facebook page of the new Rosa's Corner. Find out more.
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VICTAULIC: 4901 Kessersville Road, Forks Township
The 103-year-old maker of pipe couplings and valves has expanded in Tennessee with the acquisition of Tennessee Metal Fabricating, price not disclosed. TMF as the business is known increases Victaulic's capacity for large-diameter piping.
The acquired company specializes in water, wastewater and infrastructure projects.
TMF has about 30 employees and is in Rock Island, Tennessee, roughly between Nashville and Knoxville. Read the full story.
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WRENCHTEC: 3315 Sullivan Trail, Forks Township
The old Forks Diner will be serving auto-repair customers by early spring of 2023. Dave Fiore and Sherief Elsamra, partners in the Wrenchtec business in Nazareth, have bought the former restaurant and are converting it into a six-bay garage.
Fiore said their original location is doing so well, they decided to expand to Forks. Read more.
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BETTER ON THE BONE BUTCHER AND DELI: 434 E. High St., Pottstown
After a tough start, the new business opened this week. Owners Mark and Dottie Spillane, who were once homeless, put in the time to renovate the storefront, but as they prepared to open, a dispute with their payment company got in the way.
Shift4 Payments, a Lehigh County-based payment processor, stepped in.
Chief Commercial Officer Michael Isaacman and his brother, founder Jared Isaacman, heard of the problem and provided a point-of-sale system and more. Shift4 processes payments at major league stadiums, college venues and now handles deli sales on East High Street.
That made the difference, and the shop is open.
"It's very emotional,” Dottie Spillane said. "I almost cried at the ribbon-cutting." Read the full story.
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MID PENN BANK: 480 Norristown Road, Blue Bell
A new banking center has opened to take the place of Mid Penn's 300 Sentry Parkway East branch. That office closed after 12 years in favor of the larger 480 Norristown Road branch.
The new location has a traditional office for customers along with an ATM and drive-thru. All accounts from the former branch will be transferred to Norristown Road.
What is now Mid Penn Bancorp was founded in Dauphin County in 1858 as Millersburg Trust Company. It now has 36 retail locations and about $3 billion in assets. Get more info.
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BALLOON JUNCTION: 1903 W. Market St., Pottsville
The new "balloon bar" held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting Tuesday with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce.
Balloon Junction makes custom balloon creations for private or corporate events.
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RENTSCHLER’S ICE CREAM: 33 W. Main St., Ringtown
The local store and lottery vendor has reopened, just a few doors down from its former location. Rentschler's earlier location was destroyed by a fire in February.
Rentschler's also sells tobacco and candy, and according to its Facebook page, will be making food again once everything it settled at the new place. Check social media for details. Rentschler's will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, closed Sunday. Read more.
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MILL STREET AESTHETICS: 313 Mill St., Belvidere
The day spa and skincare boutique will hold a grand opening today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting at 11:30 a.m.
Esthetician Jodi Gross provides "customized skincare treatments in a relaxing spa setting to anyone in need of self-care, pampering and skincare improvement."
Services include facials, facial enhancements, brows and lashes, hair removal and more.
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PROVIDENT BANK: Branch at 190 Roseberry St., Phillipsburg
Provident Financial Services agreed to acquire Lakeland Bancorp in a stock deal valued at $1.3 billion, creating a bank that will hold 4% of the deposits in New Jersey.
Provident Financial is the parent company of Provident Bank, which has branches in Bucks County and the Lehigh Valley in addition to its home in the Garden State. Provident will be the surviving bank, and will keep the New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol PFS. Get the full story.
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