“There’s not any other bread bakeries in the area so to have that going again is going to be a positive thing.” “We’re getting lots of community support,” she said. Las Vegas transplant Patricia Setlock is planning to open Bake Shop VI, an artisan bread bakery, at 22 N. While Logothetides business is up and running, another one is in the works. “I think businesses like this and some other great local businesses that are opening or have really stepped up their game recently are going to bring better businesses and people from outside of Pottsville in,” he said. I wouldn’t have put something like this right here if I didn’t believe in it.”Īlthough he sees signs of live in downtown, Logothetides there is still work to be done. “There’s four or five new businesses that have either just opened or they’re in the process of opening downtown right now. “In the last two years, I would say it’s starting to get better,” he said. Things were not so great when he moved back, but Logothetides said things began to turn around a couple years ago. After working in the Pittsburgh area for several years, he moved back in 2008 because, he said, he likes the simplicity of life in Pottsville. “People are saying that this restaurant is pretty progressive for Pottsville, given Pottsville’s current demographic situation, but we’re seeing all ages, all demographics come in here,” he said.Ī Pottsville native, Logothetides graduated from Pottsville High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Pittsburgh. The restaurant, which has more of a modern, big-city feel to it, has been well received so far, Logothetides said. “There’s a certain level of simplicity with the whole concept.” “Everyone loves grilled cheese,” Logothetides said. It is located in the space that was previously home to The Famous bar, which his family has owned since 1968. Logothetides recently opened Wheel, a gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich restaurant at 201 W. If DiCello and Bower represent the old guard of Pottsville’s business community, Savas Logothetides represents the new blood. “A lot of people left downtown, and there wasn’t as much going on downtown, but it’s really starting to come back now. “It’s had some roller coaster rides over the years,” he said. Bower took over the business in 1976, and it became Dunkin Donuts in 1991.īower admitted that Pottsville has had it’s ups and downs, but he thinks it’s starting to trend back up. His dad started the business, which was originally a Mister Donut. He is co-owner of three Dunkin Donuts in the area, including one at Route 61 and Mauch Chunk Street at the southern end of the downtown area. They were babies, and now they’re supporting my pharmacy, 55 years later.”Īnother member of Pottsville’s old guard is Jason Bower. In the pharmacy, we get to know the people’s families. “What do I like about Pottsville? People. “I had opportunities to move out of this area, but I just love Pottsville,” he said. For a while, he had a job in Harrisburg but continued to live in Pottsville and commute to the capital. He owns three pharmacies in the Pottsville area, including Towne Drugs on Centre Street, which he bought in 1961.Ī native of Pottsville, DiCello said he has had offers to leave for greener pastures but never took them.
“I’m getting phone calls from New Jersey and New York.”ĭiCello has been around long enough to remember Pottsville’s better days. “There’s a lot more interest in downtown than ever before,” he said. He said he often fields inquiries from people interested in moving into downtown DiCello believes the PBA’s reorganization has helped get more people interested in Pottsville. We felt it was best that we came back to just being a group of 100 percent volunteers with businesses – stakeholders in the community – to put together programs and services to benefit all of our businesses, grow our downtown and bring in new businesses.” “They didn’t have ownership of the organization anymore, and we had a paid manager. “We reorganized because the businesses weren’t actively involved,” Kenderdine said. Prior to the reorganization, the PBA was administered by the Pottsville Area Development Corp., an organization whose primary functions are to manage parking garages and rental properties in Pottsville. It reorganized about a year and a half ago in an effort to get businesses more involved in the organization, Kenderdine said. The PBA itself recently went through a renaissance of sorts.
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