Business News

Easton hair stylist Stephen Flowers only has one wish for his birthday: Providing a fresh haircut and a hot meal to homeless people in need.

Local restaurants in the Lehigh Valley are already embracing 2025 culinary trends from the National Restaurant Association's annual report. From sustainability efforts to emerging Southeast Asian flavors, businesses have already given customers a taste of what's in store for the new year.

It all started with a collaboration between a local bridal shop and Historic Hotel Bethlehem. Since then, all successive members of the owner's family have celebrated their nuptials there.

If you're looking to entertain guests with delectable beverages sans alcohol this New Year's Eve, there are more — and better — options than ever, including some locally-made drinks.

At least a half-dozen popular Lehigh Valley restaurants permanently closed their doors or released plans to shift operations in the final months of 2024.

Instead of becoming home to 240 apartments as once proposed, the former IQE property at 119 Technology Drive will house the U.S. headquarters for GfM Bremen, a German pharmaceutical company.

Easton Winter Village, the city's holiday market centered around Centre Square, opened Sunday for the last time in 2024. Business was slower this year than in years past, according to vendors.

The annual Trees of Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites exhibit is now on display through Jan. 12.

Big Lots announced going-out-of-business sales would start in coming days, as it no longer anticipates its purchase agreement with Nexus Capital Management to go through.

Easton residents came together at the community center Thursday night to question developers behind the Easton Commerce Park warehouse, with many speakers stating the community did not want the project due to environmental and traffic concerns.

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, PA-07, will headline a rally to help elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 10:30 a.m. in Allentown.

A proposal to build 73 apartments at the Fellowship Community senior living community received final approval from the Whitehall Township Planning Commission on Wednesday night.

An IV shortage due to hurricanes in the south has B.Braun ramping up production. The Allentown company is hiring more employees to produce more medical equipment amid the shortage.

Infinera, a semiconductor company with a facility in Upper Macungie Township, inked a preliminary deal with the federal government to expand its production locally and in California. The agreement is part of a bipartisan effort to boost domestic production of essential high-tech resources to protect the national supply chain and create high-paying tech jobs.

Following a month of community voting and judgement from a panel of professionals, ThreeBirds Coffee is officially the nation's second best independent coffee shop.

StartUp Lehigh Valley, a "Shark Tank"-esque contest where startup founders pitch their companies to a panel of judges, awarded more than $33,000 in all to a handful of winners Tuesday night.

"Monster Mini Golf" is set to come to the Lehigh Valley, with construction started according to an announcement by the company's Facebook page.

Previously aiming for a 2024 opening, a “final piece of the puzzle” for Bethlehem Co-Op Market includes purchasing equipment, such as refrigerators, freezers, shelving and more essentials to outfit the space at 250 E. Broad St.

A ballot question will allow Allentown residents to weigh in on whether city council should have the power to raise the deed transfer tax. The city's Home Rule Charter has locked the tax at its current rate for decades.

Project executive Joe Petrucci, of J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc., said a local business of prominence is “in need of about 200,000 square feet of cold storage space,” and is targeted to set up shop in the larger of the two facilities if the overall proposal later goes through.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Easton reporter Brian Myszkowski and environment and science reporter Molly Bilinski.

As of Friday, many airports had reopened and were resuming operations post-Milton, restarting flights from the Lehigh Valley to nonstop destinations in Florida. But at least one airport remained closed.