Category:Betzs Restaurant

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The Betz Restaurant was one of the many restraunts along Hamilton Street for decades.

The building opened originally as the Young and George Saloon at 726 Hamilton Street about 1890. It was owned by the Neuweiller Brewery as an outlet for its beers and ales. In 1890 the saloon part of the buisness moved and the property was renamed the Arcade Cafe, adding various food items to the menu, although still serving beer. The buisness however was forced to close in 1919 due to Prohibition and the Volstead Act.

In 1924 Chester Betz purchased the property from Neuweiler. It became known for its Pennsylvania Dutch cooking and Sunday dinners. Betz remodeled the property and reopened it as Betz's Arcade Cafe and Restaurant. Then in November 1928 Betz added a soda fountain and sandwich shop. The end of Prohibition in 1933 brought a return of Neuweiler products to the restaurant, along with a wide selection of spirits, which were offered for sale by the bottle.

In 1944, Chester Betz passed away and in July, the business was sold to Rollin Amusements, who operated a jukebox business and an arcade at Dorney Park. The property was immediately leased back to Neuweiler Brewery. The business operated unchanged, although the name was changed to Betz Restaurant.

In September 1957, the business was closed suddenly and padlocked due to non-payment of bills. Over the next few months, much of the equipment and furnishings were sold off at auction to satisfy the creditors of the business. In May 1958 the property was sold to Donald Litzenberger who owned and operated a restaurant at 1080 North Seventh Street.

The property re-opened in July 1958 as the Kopper Kettle Restaurant, which closed in August 1967 due to the passing of its owner. It was later a Radio Shack in 1969 after the massive fire at 7th and Hamilton streets destroyed the Lafyette electronics store, forcing the buisness to move. In 1977 Radio Shack vacated the property due to its move to Lehigh Valley Mall. Over the years, the property has passed through other hands.

The property today is the Rainbow Shops, an apparel chain offering fashionable clothing for juniors & plus-size women, plus accessories.

Camera location40° 36′ 06″ N, 75° 28′ 22″ W Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMapinfo

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