WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — The site of a popular Italian restaurant that closed five years ago will become an international market and kitchen with a Mediterranean focus, a real estate group said Friday.
A "team of experienced food entrepreneurs" purchased the former Buca di Beppo restaurant at 714 Grape St. for $1.15 million, Sultan Property Group LLC, which completed the acquisition, said in a release.
The sale was completed Wednesday, the release said.
“There’s a void in this market for what we offer — halal butchery, Mediterranean and international foods and a gourmet shopping experience. We’ve vetted this area for over 10 years.”Timor Bulag, one of the principals of Sulton Property Group
The group said it will fully renovate the 1.7-acre standalone property, "leveraging its existing commercial kitchen, ample parking and expansion potential to establish the first concept of its kind in the Lehigh Valley."
It also said it hopes to add 3,000 square feet to the building "and maybe even a second floor.”
“Our core business is food importing, and we’ve had our eye on the Allentown corridor for a long time,” Timor Bulag, one of the principals of Sulton Property Group, said.
“There’s a void in this market for what we offer — halal butchery, Mediterranean and international foods and a gourmet shopping experience. We’ve vetted this area for over 10 years.”
The team said it aims to open by Thanksgiving, pending township approvals.
“We’re targeting a soft opening followed by a grand opening with the local community and possibly the mayor,” Bulag said.
The business is expected to create 20 to 25 new jobs.
Buca di Beppo, a national chain, opened the location — its only one in the Lehigh Valley — in 2000.
'Experience and passion'
The vision for the new business includes an international supermarket featuring Mediterranean specialties, ethnic groceries, and a restaurant-style kitchen.
The release said the location "will offer gourmet groceries and fresh prepared foods, including custom cuts of halal meats, fresh dairy, olives, imported chocolates, and more than 20 varieties of kebabs."
The owners said they also plan to add a four-season dining deck and possibly expand the building footprint.
“We're foodies. We want to offer something different to the neighborhood — quality products in a beautiful setting, not a discount look. Our model is built on experience and passion.”Timor Bulag, one of the principals of Sulton Property Group
“We're foodies,” Bulag said. “We want to offer something different to the neighborhood — quality products in a beautiful setting, not a discount look.
"Our model is built on experience and passion.”
The renovation plans are extensive.
“We’re gutting the interior, installing automated glass doors, upgrading the kitchen and adding refrigeration, an olive bar, juice bar, and more,” Bulag said.
The group said it had not finalized a name for the venture.
Sultan Property Group LLC is a partnership formed by Bulag, Cengiz Yalim, Tuncay Yalim, and Mohammad Khan.
The release said the team brings more than 20 years of combined retail and wholesale food industry experience "and sees this project as a launchpad for broader expansion across the East Coast."
“We want to grow organically, and this is just the beginning,” Bulag said. “From here to Miami—there are existing stores we want to take over and rebrand.”
Lehigh Financial Group’s Antonia Trigiani arranged the financing for the deal.
