Here’s a look at business happenings around the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
Shake Shack at the Lehigh Valley Mall opened Wednesday, near the main entrance off of MacArthur Road. The hamburger chain started as a hot dog cart in New York’s Madison Square Park, according to Shake Shack’s website, which also boasts of the company’s support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The restaurants are intended to be a modern roadside burger stand, with a menu of burgers, hot dogs, fries, shakes, custard and beverages. The chain’s ‘Shroom burger is a meatless option, with a Portobello mushroom stuffed with gruyere and cheddar cheese.
Shake Shack has grown to about 220 domestic locations since the first opened in New York, with another 100 international Shacks. The company is traded as SHAK on the New York Stock Exchange and has a market capitalization (total value of shares outstanding) of about $3 billion. The market value of the much larger McDonald’s Corp. chain is close to $200 billion. Shake Shack shares have traded as high as $138.38 and as low as $66.26 in the last 52 weeks, with a 50-day moving average of about $76.
Recreational marijuana may be coming to Phillipsburg’s The Apothecarium at 55 S. Main St. The dispensary sells only to New Jersey medical marijuana patients now, but “adult use” — the state’s term for recreational marijuana — could be on the way. New Jersey may start licensing recreational sales to people 21 and up in March. Phillipsburg’s Town Council has endorsed the licensing of The Apothecarium for recreational sales. Beyond that, the council will have to set boundaries for where other marijuana businesses many open in Phillipsburg. The state Cannabis Regulatory Commission says it will not issue recreational sales licenses to businesses operating in violation of local ordinances.
The Apothecarium is just a short walk from the Free Bridge connecting Easton and Phillipsburg, but Pennsylvania still bars recreational sales and possession of cannabis.
The Grove Street Pub and Grill is open on Howertown Road in Catasauqua at the site of the former Blue Monkey sports bar. The menu includes the Grover Sampler, including boneless wings, onion straws, potato skins and pepper jack bites; nachos, house-made crispy mozzarella, several burgers, salads, sandwiches, with entrees ranging from $10 for macaroni and cheese, $15 for shrimp and andouille jambalaya, up to $22 for a full rack of ribs.
Hellertown will gain a Thai restaurant soon with the opening of La Kang Thai Noodle Bar at 620 Main St., an offshoot of La Kang Thai French on South Greenwood Avenue in Palmer Township. The Hellertown restaurant will be at the site of the former Sagra Bistro.
Sunnie’s Bake Shoppe is now serving the Stewartsville area of Warren County. The bakery at 450 County Road 519 was known as Buttercups, but recently changed its name. The staff and products remain, according to Sunnie’s Facebook posts.
Isabella’s Pizza, of East Allen Township, has left its Imperial Plaza restaurant…
Read more:Openings & Closings: What’s new in your neighborhood