Indoor farmers market with fast-casual dining coming to Slatington area
WASHINGTON TWP., Pa. - The future looks bright for a former lamp factory near Slatington, Lehigh County.
It'll be called the Slatington Farmers Market.
The public market concept has been popping up all over our area.
"People are looking for fun activities that you could spend three or four hours with your family and with your friends,” said Chris White, co-owner of the market.
05/10/2021
WASHINGTON TWP., Pa. - The future looks bright for a former lamp factory near Slatington, Lehigh County.
It'll be called the Slatington Farmers Market.
The public market concept has been popping up all over our area.
"People are looking for fun activities that you could spend three or four hours with your family and with your friends,” said Chris White, co-owner of the market.
He and longtime friend Joshua Karoly are the owners. The market shares the building with the Slatington Marketplace — an indoor antique market with 200 vendors.
“Slatington is in a great town. The antique mall, just for instance, has tens of thousands of people coming through it every year,” Karoly said.
The site is the former home of the Keystone Lamp Factory, located in the 8000 block of Route 873. Now, 25,000 square feet will be home to 50 vendors in cubbies, and they're hoping to have it open this summer.
"We are going to have fast-casual mini-restaurants, but we're looking for farmers to sell produce, butchers, cheese purveyors, olive oil, crafters with unique items,” said Natalia Stezenko, the leasing agent.
She points out the 19-acre property backs up to the D&L Trail and is down the road from the Lehigh Gap Nature Center.
"We'll see folks from Jim Thorpe, New Jersey, down in the Lehigh Valley coming. It's really a destination to spend a couple hours. Walk through the 200 vendors in the existing marketplace,” Stezenko said.
"We're trying to make this a destination for people to spend shopping around for their antiques and then either grab a bite to eat or something for when they get home,” Karoly said
Expect an opening by summer, possibly as early as Mother's Day.
"We're hoping to be a hotspot for everybody," White said.
Credit: Justin Backover Business & Policy Reporter (Apr 19, 2021 Updated Apr 19, 2021) www.wfmz.com
