Wert’s Cafe hopes the phone ‘rings nonstop’ after reopening for takeout only

• Wert’s Cafe, 515 N. 18th St., closed temporarily after a partial ceiling collapse Sept. 12
• The restaurant reopened Monday morning for takeout orders 
• Customers can call the restaurant to order food; it does not accept online orders

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A longtime eatery near Allentown Fairgrounds started serving its staples to go Monday after being forced to temporarily close earlier this month.

Wert’s Cafe, 515 N. 18th St., shut down for just under two weeks after part of its ceiling collapsed Sept. 12.

The restaurant fired up the grills again and reopened at 11 a.m. Monday for takeout orders, according to Manager Kathy Drake.

“We’re hoping for this phone to ring nonstop,” Drake told LehighValleyNews.com minutes before opening the phone lines. “But I mean, we have no idea … what to expect.”

Drake thanked regular customers and others for “all the support that the community has given us” in recent weeks.

“It means so much to our family, and we're very much looking forward to opening back up under normal circumstances,” she said.

Drake conceded it will be difficult to not serve customers inside Wert’s Cafe for a little while, but said she’s confident the restaurant, which first opened in 1968, will get through it.

“We've been through this during COVID,” Drake said. “So we’ve got this for a week, or however long it takes for us to get back open.”

A message posted Sept. 20 on the restaurant’s Facebook page says the Wert family aimed to “resume regular operations” at the restaurant on Sept. 27.

But repairs are running at least a day behind, Drake said Monday. She was hesitant to predict a firm reopening date.

Wert’s Cafe is expected to offer takeout until repairs are finished. But customers should be patient, as the restaurant only has one phone line and does not take online orders.

“Please keep trying!” Wert’s Cafe urged customers in a Facebook post Monday morning.