There's a bar in Allentown that is perched right where Wadsworth bends around and becomes Allen Street. The bar is nameless as of yet, because its owner, Jay Shepard, is still tossing a few different ideas about. Basically, as the bar takes on an identity of its own, the name will one day reflect its character (or location). "At this point I am more concerned with getting the establishment operational," Jay told me. "When I bought the building the place was a mess. We found broken coolers, graffiti, holes in the floor, broken down bathrooms... and it stunk."
The yet-to-be-named pub is not Jay's first attempt at bar ownership. He owned the Class Act on Hertel for three years, and all the time he kept his eyes pealed for an operation/building that he could purchase. When he saw the former Frank's on Allen he knew he wanted it right away. "I always loved Allentown... the historic aspect, the mixture of life and culture... anything goes here. You see the people with piercings and tattoos, and you see the business people in their suits - those are the people I want to come into my establishment. I want to see a mix of customers. That's why I am looking into a few nice bottles of wine, and for those that want a Guinness we'll have that too. Plus I plan on talking to Flying Bison Brewery about getting some of their beer over here. We currently have eight beers on tap and we serve pitchers. Like I said, we want to make sure that there's something for everyone... even Pellegrino and Red Bull."
When Jay first walked into the vacant bar he looked right through the mess and envisioned what the business could be. He kept the 26' wood bar and lit it up with pendant lighting. He's also lighting up the bottles behind the bar, which will play off of the two flat-screen TVs. "Consider the bar as sports-friendly, but not a sports bar. We have a pool table and electronic darts... it's casual. That wall [pointing] is where I plan on having a large mural painted... and for those people that might wonder about the front of the building, you can tell them that it's been too cold to paint. As soon as we see some consistent warm weather we'll be out painting and fixing up the exterior (new windows). Up until now the bathrooms have been a priority."
The music at Jay's pub will be... I guess... different depending on the night. Each bartender has his or her favorites - Shannon was playing garage music (Little Steven's underground radio station) last night. Hey, it's the day and age when the internet jukebox can override the satellite radio (at least at Jay's bar). Stop in and play some tunes and have a beer any day of the week at 256 Allen (at The Bend). The joint opens at 4pm (1pm when it gets warmer) and closes when the fun's over. 716-884-1030