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.

Dominic Germano is selling a 50% stake in Telfair Inc., which owns MainGate Night Club and two other properties at the corner of 17th and Liberty streets in Allentown.

Conditional-use approval is being requested for a 116-unit, age-restricted special care residential community on Rural Road in Whitehall Township. The 55-and-over community would consist of single-family attached and detached dwellings.

Northampton County officials said the survey results, shared at a county council committee meeting Thursday night, will help guide hands-on plans to improve internet access.

The City Center Investment Corp.-led "Northridge" development, situated on 195 acres of land between River Drive and Hanover Ave in Allentown is proposed to include a variety of different housing builds as well as separate healthcare, educational and retail buildings.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Lower Macungie Township in a busy meeting granted approval to the Raising Cane's fast food restaurant, a mixed use apartment and office complex, and additional street lights in addition to the massive Lehigh Valley Town Center project.

The former Dixie Cup plant in Wilson Borough is on track to become a new mixed-use development, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said Thursday. The county may help fund the project.

The 58.8-acre Lehigh Valley Town Center project was granted unanimous approval by Lower Macungie Township commissioners, with developers saying they expect construction to begin on the TopGolf portion in 2024.

Via of the Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem's nonprofit, has been awarded $157,750 in tax credit funds from 14 local businesses through the EITC program.

With a proposed start of construction in summer 2024, some felt the project to level and rebuild the Walnut Street Garage could affect the city's run at World Heritage status. Nearby residents were concerned by potential effects on their homes.

The group will spend parts of five days in the U.S. territory looking to build stronger cultural and economic ties between the island and the Lehigh Valley. About 77,000 Puerto Ricans live in the region's congressional district, with more than 35,000 in Allentown.

On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced that more than $1.6 million in state funds will be invested into LVIA.