LEHIGHTON, Pa. — The open sign is dark at the Boulevard Drive-In and Family Restaurant in Lehighton. The owners announced on Facebook that after many years at this location on Route 443, the restaurant is now closed.
"I'm surprised; it's sad it's an end to the whole thing. They had the ice cream stand BBQs, that kind of stuff. It's an end of an era, I guess you could say," said Yvonne Reeser.
The boulevard drive-in has been around since the 1950's. The current owners have served Lehighton for the last 18 years.
"I feel sorry about the owners; they had to make that decision," said Bill Singh.
Right next door to the restaurant is the Mahoning Inn. Bill Singh has been the general manager here for more than 20 years. He tells Newswatch 16, staff would often recommend the Boulevard Drive-In to guests.
"Hotel business and restaurant business goes together. The customers are sleeping at the hotel then they can get dinner and breakfast so its so sad," said Singh.
In the closure announcement the owners of the boulevard drive-in restaurant say they were hit hard by both the Covid 19 pandemic and the route 443 construction.
PennDOT has worked for the last several years on Route 443 to widen the road and replace nearby bridges.
Many businesses, including the Boulevard Drive-In, had a front row seat to all the construction. Just down the road at the Flower Patch and Gift Shop, owner Yvonne Reeser says all of the nearby business have felt the impact.
"They definitely got hit hard too with all of that but the road closure was bad for all of us it was a headache, if you are a local you knew how to get around, so you went around, you stayed off the highway and avoided the mess," said Reeser.