BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GREATER EASTON DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP The BUSINESS BUGLER
WINTER 2021 YOUR SOURCE FOR DOWNTOWN EASTON BUSINESS NEWS
MEET THE AMBASSADORS
They’re among our most essential workers and are Joaquin Jeffrey the first smiling faces greeting visitors and neighbors How long have you been an Ambassador? How long have you been an Ambassador? throughout the city. Throughout the year they can Since 2013 Since 2017 be seen cleaning the streets, filling and watering planters and emptying cigarette receptacles. Since the What do you love about Easton? What do you love about Easton? Its many pandemic started they’ve been disinfecting elevators The rivers attractions and parking meters, and helping to maintain social Favorite spot in Easton? Along Favorite spot in Easton? Centre Square distancing at Easton Farmers’ Market. Join us in the river and confluence, our most beautiful, thanking these tireless men and women who make Favorite team? Minnesota Vikings, Phillipsburg important natural resource, and the bridge Stateliners our city shine. connecting two towns, creating one. Sandra (Operations Manager) Joan Favorite team? Stateliners - P’burg! How long have you been an Easton How long have you been an Ambassador? Dan Ambassador? Since 2019 Since 2008 How long have you been an Ambassador? What do you love about Easton? Food What do you love about Easton? The Since 2019 Favorite spot in Easton? Mesa Modern people — they are very social and come Mexican together as a community by their ingenuity What do you love about Easton? and willingness to support each other. Restaurants, diversity, bars, bike trail Favorite Team? Pittsburgh Steelers Favorite spot in Easton? Centre Square, Favorite spot in Easton? Ocean, Scott Park and Hugh Moore Park Karl Stirner Arts Trail, Scott Main photo from left to right: Jeff, Joan, Dan, Park at the falls! Favorite team? New York Giants and the Joaquin, and Kevin driving the vehicle. Favorite team? Rovers! Barcelona Yankees FC, KC Royals Dan Kevin How long have you been an Ambassador? (Reminder: Ambassadors assist the city Since 2017 How long have you been an Ambassador? in shoveling crosswalks, fire hydrants and Since 2013 What do you love about Easton? The in front of mailboxes after a snowstorm. What do you love about Easton? The hospitable business owners Property owners are responsible for people and the vibe of the city downtown. Favorite spot in Easton? Separatist Bar + shoveling and salting their own sidewalks per city guidelines.) Favorite spot in Easton? Centre Square Bottle and the Easton Farmers’ Market on a Favorite team? New York Giants sun-drenched Saturday along the river. Favorite team? New York Mets and the New York Giants
BUSINESS OPENINGS/ CLOSING/MOVES Openings: The following businesses have recently opened or are in the process of opening in the Main Street District. We’d like to welcome them to the Downtown Easton business community and wish them much success! Inner Shift Fitness 524 Pine St., fitness studio DeLeon Professional Services 106 S. Third St., staffing agency Sonny Daze 126 N. Fourth St., gift shop Freeland Contractors LLC. 400 Northampton St., contractor Surge Staffing 145 Northampton St., staffing agency SUPPORTING RESTAURANTS THROUGH El Encanto de Mexico 466 Northampton St.,authentic THE COLDER MONTHS Mexican home goods and gift shop Easton Main Street Initiative launched the campaign and it’s been picked up by Downtown Easton gift cards. Each Inkie Brow Studio 42A S. Third St. Ste. 202, two food campaigns in January, aimed Lehighvalleylive.com and The Morning receipt entered equals an entry. This permanent makeup studio at supporting Easton restaurants Call. To promote the campaign, our promotion will run January-April. through the colder months of the nonprofit created a video and graphics As part of the marketing campaign, Townley House Boutique Hotel pandemic. We ask for your help in to share on social media. We’re happy GEDP has developed a logo, webpage 130 N. Third St., boutique hotel sharing these on social media and to share those with you. Email Kelly@ for entries and will be printing 100+ accommodations encouraging your staff and customers eastonpartnership.org if you’d like posters that we’ll deliver to all of New Digs: to participate! those files, or share them directly from Easton’s restaurants. Our GEDP the EMSI Facebook page. programs will also be looking to True Hue Creations is moving #TheNewWeekend highlight menu items at restaurants from 15 S. Second St. to 247 This campaign focuses on shifting Feastin’ in Easton Northampton St. dining patterns (dine-in or takeout) to This campaign aims to get people to in the city on our social media pages Monday-Thursday. The beauty of it is try restaurants they may not have throughout this campaign. Please help Just Around The Corner, us promote this campaign by sharing 5 N. Bank St. has transitioned two-fold — mid-week dining provides tried before throughout all of Easton’s customers on nights that are typically neighborhoods. Every time you dine the posts from Easton Out Loud and to an online store. Find it at using #FeastininEaston on your posts, justaroundthecornerpa.com. slower for restaurants, and it spaces in or order curbside pick-up from an out customers on weekends when Easton restaurant, upload a photo of along with #TheNewWeekend and Closings: restaurants are limited by capacity and your receipt at supporteaston.com/ #SupportEaston. If you haven’t received The businesses listed below have how many orders they can fulfill in that feastin. On the fourth Friday of each a poster yet, please email recently closed their Downtown short amount of time. We’ve shared a month, during Easton Out Loud, we’ll [email protected]. Easton operations. We are sad to news release with local media about select two participants to win $50 see them go, but wish them all the best in their future endeavors. Metro PCS 247 Northampton St. 42 N. Second St. Salon 42 N. Second St. Ahlum Gallery 104 N. Fourth St. Sydlexstyles 353 Ferry St. Northampton Community DOWNTOWN EASTON UPDATE College From City of Easton Department of pandemic. Next month, the City of Governor Wolf Building, it will feature 25 S. Third St. Community & Economic Development Easton plans to put out a request for two 21,740-square foot, 4-story The Hearst Publishing building bids for the construction of the new buildings with 75 apartments each. construction on South Fourth Street Fourth Street Parking Deck. A new Read this Lehigh Valley Live article for is largely completed and staff have residential housing complex called the an overview of the project: started to move into the space. Watermark has begun the review and https://tinyurl.com/y3xjdqfo. They are operating out of it on a approval process with the city. Located at 45 Larry Holmes Dr. behind the limited basis at this time due to the
The Business Bugler | Winter 2021 2020 ANNIVERSARIES: Congratulations to the following businesses who have celebrated milestone anniversaries in 2020! 5 year Anniversaries The Loving Piece Jiva Fitness Polliwogs & Petunias 2nd Base Vintage 10 year Anniversaries The Sigal Museum Nurture Nature Center EPS/ Metabank Grand Eastonian Hotel & Suites 30 year Anniversary Marvin Boyer, right, Political Action Chair - NAACP Easton Branch, presents Dean Young, executive director-Boys & Girls Club of Easton, with The Strand the first community grant from AACE. NUMBERS TO KNOW WELCOMING THE AFRICAN Here are the best contact numbers AMERICAN COALITION OF EASTON for our city’s police officers: Patrolman Vince Bruneo In the final days of 2020, the African the grants, we’re looking to support connectivity with the black community Cell: 484-634-0449 or American Coalition of Easton (AACE) start-up businesses, efforts to eradicate of Easton to provide an effective [email protected] formed, aimed at uplifting and sharing COVID-19, and efforts to support tool to spread the word to the black information about black-owned families in need and of disadvantaged community of Easton through website Sgt. Dan Bonham businesses. According to its mission circumstances -- there’s a wide range of content about resources available about Office: 610-250-6752 statement, “The African American opportunities.” health, safety, housing, economy and Cell: 610-597-4527 or [email protected] Coalition of Easton serves as a The group will help to connect business education. This includes a community collaborative clearinghouse providing owners and nonprofits, as well as calendar, opportunity for businesses Non-emergency number access to support, promotion, and decide on recipients and distribute to advertise and small funding available 610-759-2200 advocacy of initiatives that address through a grant application accessible grants of up to $5,000 from the United NEW DIGITS! racial equity in the African American Way. on the website.” Can we text you? GEDP has a texting community of Easton.” Learn about the grants and how to “Word of mouth isn’t always the most platform to share updates on events “(This group) is about connections,” apply at blackconnectionsofeaston.com. effective means of outreach especially and reminders for business owners. said Dean Young, executive director during this period of COVID,” said Want to get involved or learn more Didn’t sign up yet, but want text - Boys & Girls Club of Easton and a Judith Dickerson, an AACE board about how to support the coalition? alerts? Text one of the following member of the AACE board. “Through member. “The focus of AACE is Contact [email protected]. codes (or all three) to 56525 to get timely reminders: DECOR CONTEST WINNERS Text ‘eastonevents’ to 56525 to get info on our upcoming festivals Downtown Easton visitors from near 2021-2022 Discover Downtown Easton to the Peoples’ Choice Winner - and events. and far were warmly greeted with the Map & Guide and a trophy that will BalloonWorks! Mayor Panto also Text ‘Downtownbiz’ to 56525 for beautiful window displays created by be passed around to winners over the selected his favorites - a three-way reminders specific to business our businesses as well as the Hallmark- next several years. Special shout out to tie to Quadrant Book Mart & Coffee owners. Think gift card deadlines, esque scenes of the Winter Village. the runners up, Mercantile Home. House, smARTivities and Easton Map & Guide reminders, etc. We The EMSI Events Committee led a Likewise, the EMSI Design Committee Outdoor Company! They each received will be judicious with this list and Most Festive Window Display contest helped facilitate The Most Festive Downtown Easton Gift Cards and only send messages that pertain to among our brick-and-mortar spaces. Winter Hut contest. Winter Village Peace Candle ornaments. Thank you to business owners. Congratulations to the winners, Cake all of the participants for bringing the visitors could vote on their favorite Text ‘baconfest’ to 56525 for alerts & Corolla, who received a Downtown hut via a Google poll. Congratulations holiday spirit to our city! Easton Gift Card, a free listing in the that only go out surrounding the festival. Message and data rates may apply. You EASTON OUT LOUD KEEPS UP WITH VIRTUAL FUN can also opt out at any time by replying ‘Stop’ to 56525. Easton Out Loud will remain virtual virtual tours, promotion of downtown include any photos/videos you want through April. Live music will resume businesses, as well as videos of included in all posts. We ask for your Please encourage your managers in Centre Square in May as well as businesses promoting other businesses help in sharing this content through and staff to sign up for these as well. monthly themes. Until then we will at Facebook.com/EastonOutLoud. your social pages. Submissions may be Participants can enroll in the texting continue to offer virtual content in the Please continue to submit promotions sent to [email protected]. program at any time. form of live and pre-recorded videos of and anything you would like highlighted food/cocktail demos, story time, crafts, throughout the month. Be sure to also
The Business Bugler | Winter 2021 GIVING BACK This past fall, the Highmark Farmstand recognized the Lehigh Valley’s front line workers by distributing over 5,000 pounds of locally-grown apples to healthcare workers, social service agencies, and our own Easton Ambassadors. The eight-week GREEN VIDA CO. DOWNTOWN campaign was done in partnership TO JOIN EASTON PUBLIC MARKET with Highmark and Scholl Orchards. Thank you to all our shopkeepers, Green Vida Co. Downtown is set Toast, breakfast sandwiches made and they are continually searching for food service employees and other to join the Easton Public Market on with local pastured eggs; vegan and more locally-made ingredients. small businesses in the City of Easton Feb. 17. It’s the second location for gluten-free items; and have a kids’ When it opens, Green Vida Co. for supporting our community husband and wife team Jackie and menu. There will also be a juice club, Downtown will offer online ordering throughout the pandemic. You are Wilson Rueda, of Bangor. The duo juice cleanses and immunity shots through greenvidacompany.com, awesome to the core! own Green Vida Co., the flagship that for purchase. Grab-and-go foods curbside pick-up and outdoor opened in 2018 in Bangor, and then and juices will be on the menu as dining. Hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. moved in 2019 to Forks Township. well. Rueda says they utilize local Wednesday-Sunday. Help us welcome The Ruedas announced plans to join purveyors whenever possible for them to the Downtown Easton the market in the fall. their menu items, including; Cabbage business community by stopping by Their menu features fresh, organic Throw Farm and Pocono Organics to say hello and following their social cold-pressed juices and nut milks; produce, bread from The Modern media channels. smoothies and smoothie bowls; Crumb, Roseto Bakery, and The and salads. They’ll also make their Flour Shop; eggs from Hens on a Hill; signature toasts, such as The Avocado peanut butter from Nutty Novelties,
EASTON CHEFS CAN SAVE AT HIGHMARK FARMSTAND FOCUS ON YOUR Easton is a collaborative, supportive farmstand. Just mention the Chef it for you! Add a case to your order HEALTH AT THE community that loves fresh food. Discount at the register. If ordering and we’ll work out a special rate. WINTER MARKET That’s why the Highmark Farmstand online and picking up curbside, write Contact [email protected] at Easton Public Market offers a chef Chef Discount in the notes. to make a request and get pricing. Due to the increased demand for discount. Pro tip: Looking for more local, fresh food and open-air shopping, Chefs at Easton restaurants receive seasonal, and specialty produce for the Easton Farmers’ Market Winter 10 percent off their purchase at the your menu? The farmstand will find Market will operate every Saturday from 10 a.m. - noon through the month of April. You’ll find the small but mighty market on Church Street EASTON MAIN STREET INITIATIVE WINS behind the Easton Public Market, where farmers and makers will TWO TOWNIE AWARDS FROM STATE offer fresh produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, artisan cheese, bread, We’ve got some fun news to share: EMSI won for Organizational The second award honored efforts prepared foods and more. See more Easton Main Street Initiative won two Excellence in Organization from the team and volunteers for and find online ordering details at Townie Awards from the Pennsylvania Development: Easton’s Community Promotions & Marketing - Retail eastonfarmersmarket.com Downtown Center (PDC) this Communications, which recognized Promotions: Creative Holiday. This year! The annual awards recognize our team for efforts to keep business award recognized EMSI’s coordinated STOP THE SPREAD implementation of projects, programs owners informed through quarterly holiday decorating program (now The Pennsylvania Department of and events that support PDC’s roundtables and this very Business in its second year!), a social media Health has graphics, posters and community revitalization mission. In Bugler, maintaining community campaign featuring holiday ‘Staff printables offering reminders on mask 2020, only 12 winners were chosen partnerships and communicating with Picks’, Cash Mobs, Cookie Crawl, use, social distancing guidelines and from nearly 200 organizations across neighbors and visitors through our and a multi-faceted holiday marketing more. Free graphics and signage are the state for work completed in weekly e-updates, 7 Things to Do campaign. available in English and Spanish. Please 2019. This Week, direct mail pieces and our use them, share them and spread the texting program. word: health.pa.gov/topics/disease/ coronavirus/Pages/Social-Media.aspx The Business Bugler | Winter 2021 GIFT CARD STATS While 2020 was certainly a different year, the Downtown Easton Gift IT WASN’T ALWAYS LIKE THIS? Card program remained strong. Through regular sales, the Beauty of By: Alice Ziegler, volunteer and former But that wasn’t all that was happening in one of the top five bacon festivals Easton program and Share the Joy GEDP staff member the circle on Saturday mornings. Special in America and one of the top 300 promotion, 1,460 cards were sold events and live local music every week festivals in the world. But the change We weren’t always in a pandemic, we totaling $80,090. From Nov. 1 - Dec. were bringing people to downtown to wasn’t just about storefronts and weren’t always wearing masks and 31 alone, 814 cards were funded visit the market and forming a sense festivals, the West Ward Community social distancing, the Easton Farmers’ with $46,890. Current participating of community that had been lost along Initiative, along with its Easton Garden Market* wasn’t always at Scott Park, businesses should have received their the way in the 80’s and 90’s. Downtown Works, Summer Park, and Lights and Downtown Easton didn’t always individual redemption reports in the Easton was starting to be where people On programs, brought revitalization have an ice-skating rink. Things do mail. If you have not, please reach out wanted to be again. With the farmers’ outside of the downtown and engaged change and we can all attest to that to [email protected]. living through Covid-19, but I would market growth, new businesses were residents in the well-being of their beginning to bring new life to old community. never have imagined in 2006 when MAP & GUIDE I started volunteering at the Easton storefronts. The Easton Main Street And then March 2020 happened Initiative was working tirelessly to The 2021/2022 Discover Downtown Farmers’ Market that so many changes and the downtown went quiet, but Easton Map & Guide will follow the would happen over the last 14 years to showcase what it could be if shops and not for long as the Greater Easton restaurants returned to the downtown, same tablet format as 2020/2021. the market and to downtown. Development Partnership went into We will be doing a printing in May and the Easton Ambassadors were action and reshaped its programs to fit In 2006, even then, we were social keeping sidewalks clean and extending and another in November to carry distancing at the farmers’ market – not the ‘new normal.’ The farmers’ market us through to next year. The cost much-needed hospitality as visitors moved to Scott Park so protocols by choice, but because there were just returned to Easton to see what was will be $150 to be included in both not enough vendors to fill the circle. could be put in place to keep shoppers versions. Restaurants and retail happening. In 2016 the Easton Public and vendors safe. The public market Shopping at the market with only 10 Market opened, the first curated public businesses should have received vendors on a good day, I had to walk found ways to keep the market going, applications and renewal invoices in market in the Lehigh Valley with crowds including curbside pickup and outdoor a distance to go from one vendor to of local and out-of-towners shopping the mail. If you have any questions or another and wondering if more vendors dining. And GEDP reached out to need paperwork, please reach out to and dining in a market that could only businesses and residents providing would come. It wasn’t long, however, be found far from the Lehigh Valley in [email protected]. and I could see things changing as I them much-needed resources to help larger metropolitan areas like New York navigate through the pandemic through EASTON HELPING shopped in the circle. I had joined the City and Philadelphia. market’s advisory council in 2007 and I their Support Easton campaign. EASTON TECHNICAL Historic buildings and spaces above could see that our work and that of the And, as we know, it won’t always be ASSISTANCE GRANTS City of Easton was making a difference. storefronts were now being renovated like this. The pandemic will end and GEDP launched a fundraiser early I remember in 2011 driving on South into apartments and new residents we will see new and better things, but started to arrive. Not only were in the pandemic to raise money for Third Street toward the market and as we continue to traverse the many the Support Easton Small Business seeing so many white tents in the circle retail businesses opening to serve the challenges and heartbreaks brought Emergency Relief Fund. Money from that tears came to my eyes. No more growing population, but corporate on by Covid-19, Downtown Easton that fund went to assist business social distancing in the circle – it was offices were also landing in newly remains vibrant and welcoming. owners by providing $500 grants filled with local farmers, bakers and renovated buildings that offered much Thank you to all of our volunteers to businesses to offset professional specialty product makers selling their desired office space in the downtown. whose support is so vital to the success services that enabled them to develop wares. Now I didn’t have to walk far And Easton’s reputation as a great of these programs. websites, online sales portals as well to go from one vendor to another as place to live, work and visit resulted in as enhance their digital marketing more than 25 vendors were making the national and international acclaim as tactics. market come to life. home to PA Bacon Fest -- named
18 recipients ADOPT A PLANTER — FOR THREE YEARS! 6 online stores launched The planters in Downtown Easton and other locations along the streets and placed on the planter as a are always loaded with artfully eye- in Downtown Easton. For just $300 tribute to your generosity. 4 websites launched catching seasonal flowers and greenery. dollars, you can sponsor a planter for Contact Terri Freeman at Nurtured by the team of dedicated three years — if you’re doing the math, [email protected] for $9,000 granted Easton Ambassadors, and filled by that’s just 27 cents a day! Your business more information about available volunteers as the seasons change, name, your family name or that of a planters for sponsorship. 8 local marketing these planters brighten Centre Square loved one will be engraved on a plaque professionals/firms engaged The Business Bugler | Winter 2021