When Franco DiCarlo drove by the old ACL Automotive shop at 662 Front Street in Hellertown, he saw something that could be transformed into a hub where the community could gather. That’s why he’s renovated the space and turned it into a 65-seat casual-dining restaurant to open around the turn of the new year as The PA House.
“I love the idea of taking what was once an auto mechanics garage and making it a really great, stylish gathering place. Nothing gathers people together more than food,” DiCarlo told The Morning Call.
The automotive shop was cleaned, given a new paint job, and glass garage doors installed that can be raised in the warmer months. New light fixtures were added along with white oak tabletops, tiled walls, and lots of greenery to give it a cozier feel. The original floor was kept and polished over. The PA House will also have an outdoor coffee and food trailer run by Hello Joe out of a 1972 Airstream serving cold-brew coffee on tap, cappuccino, smoothies, and baked goods.
“This is really about having an open concept with an outside-inside blend as much as possible,” DiCarlo said, according to Saucon Source. “I think the Lehigh Valley is not only ready for it, I think they want something like this.”
The PA House will run full-service dining offering a mix of modern Italian and American dishes, as well as artisanal pizzas. Their 12″ pizzas will be made from dough fermented for 24 to 36 hours and flash-fired at 800 degrees in under two minutes. The PA House’s culinary team will work in an open kitchen where customers can watch them bake fresh bread that will be served with olive oil, herbs, and whipped feat. The menu will also include salads, hamburgers, hot and cold sandwiches, as well as shareable plates like hummus, roasted vegetables, gourmet cheese, and charcuterie boards. Their 10-seat bar will pour eight beers on tap and four wines to compliment their cocktail list.
“Craft cocktails will take the same approach as the food — made with premium ingredients and served in classic and simple ways,” DiCarlo said. “There will be classic drinks like a Manhattan, old-fashioned and negroni, perhaps the most classic of Italian cocktails.”
The DiCarlos, who also ran Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream & Treatery in Upper Saucon Township from 2006 to 2014, plan to incorporate occasional live music and seasonal outdoor seating.
“We really can’t wait to make new friends at this extension of our home,” Franco said. “We want it to be the town’s central hub, where we’ll have people coming for a bite to eat after exercising, walking their dogs, or exploring the rail trail with their family.”
