Facelift for Ephrata Diner

What’s in store

Intelligencer Journal
Lancaster New Era

Nov 18, 2009 07:14 EST

Ephrata

By CHAD UMBLE, Correspondent

The Ephrata Diner, 3687 Rothsville Road, marked its grand re-opening last week after extensive renovations by its new owners, Maria and Chris Politsopoulos. The couple, who also own Leola Restaurant and Jennie's Diner, bought the Ephrata restaurant in January.

The interior renovations include new seating, including new booths, as well as new paint and stucco. Maria Politsopoulos put the cost of the renovations at $200,000. She added that renovations will continue in the spring with work on the building's exterior.

The restaurant has seating for about 250 people, including a banquet room that can accommodate about 80 people.

Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Bakery for New Holland

Arianna's Bakery is slated to open in January at 158 E. Jackson St. in New Holland. The bakery/coffee shop will be in a roughly 4,400-square-foot former garage at Jackson Street and Railroad Avenue. It is now being renovated.

Owners are Levi Stoltzfus and his wife, Arianna. The new retail bakery will be an offshoot of a wholesale bakery the couple have run out of their Gap home for the past 14 years.

Initially, the New Holland location will offer some dessert selections, including pumpkin, chocolate and red velvet rolls, in addition to coffee. Stoltzfus said he expects to expand the offerings once the coffee shop opens.

Lounge coming

The Pillar Lounge and Gourmet Coffee Shop is slated to open within a month at 317 N. Queen St., owner Ralph Kabakoff said.

The lounge will feature hookahs, which are water pipes used for smoking flavored tobaccos. In addition, Pillar Lounge will offer coffee, pastries and other snacks. Kabakoff operates a similar lounge in Reading.

Fig opening

Fig, a magazine focusing on downtown Lancaster, will open Fig Central Dec. 4 at 5 W. King St. The new showcase space will stock copies of the publication and sell photographs, holiday cards and other items.

The new space is being offered through a partnership with the Heritage Center Museum.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Phone repair opens

Cell Phone Repair opened Nov. 2 at 29 W. Main St., Leola, behind Dollar General.

The store, which repairs cell phones, iPods, gaming systems, GPS devices and computers, shares space with Susquehanna Battery. The owner is Larry Frey.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

cumble@lnpnews.com or 397-3674