ORWIGSBURG -- Madeline's restaurant in Orwigsburg has been vacant for more than six months. An accidental fire last summer wrecked the place. Now comes word that it will not be rebuilt.
The manager of the operation said it would not be good business sense to reopen the facility at this location. There were a number of factors including a lack of room for expansion and some sewer and water issues.
"Several weeks ago, I was on the phone with a contractor that was talking to them about rebuilding so it's apparently something they were thinking about but the decision was made relatively quickly," said Mike Lonergan, Orwigsburg borough manager.
Lori Koury works in a real estate office. She was a faithful customer of Madeline's.
"I was very disappointed. I enjoyed going there as did a lot of people in the area and it was a little heartbreaking because it was one of the nicer restaurants to go to in the area if you wanted to get dressed up on a Saturday and go out to dinner with friends," Koury said.
Walter Meck said he was devastated when he heard about the fire and is disappointed that the popular restaurant will not be rebuilt.
"Madeline's was a special place. It's like 'Cheers' where everyone knows your name. There was a magic to Madeline's. We have a lot of restaurants in the area but Madeline's was a little bit special," Meck said.
The manager of Madeline's restaurant says although it won't reopen in Orwigsburg, a new Madeline's will be built in Fogelsville, Lehigh County this year.