Lehigh Valley Business

Zoup! Brings Midwest Soup, Salad Flair to Lehigh Valley

Allentown, Pa. -- Zoup! Fresh Soup Co., known for more than 10 years in Michigan and Ohio, arrived in the Lehigh Valley on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009, with the opening of its newest franchise at the Airport Center in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
 
Zoup!, which also has franchises in New Jersey, Connecticut, Indiana and other parts of Pennsylvania, offers a unique selection of hundreds of different soups--including 12 always-rotating daily varieties--made from hundreds of proprietary, hand-crafted recipes.  Each soup is served with a hunk of fresh bread--sourdough, French, or multigrain. All soups are all natural, with fresh ingredients and stock made from triple-filtered water. In addition, ZOUP! never uses additives, preservatives, or MSG. Zoup! also offers made-to-order GreenZ! Salads; Try Two! Combos; grilled and rolled SandwichZ!; and an array of beverages and desserts.
 
 “Zoup! is unique in that all of our soups are made from fresh ingredients, and our soups are our main attraction--not an afterthought,” says Leo Mariani Jr. of Drums, Luzerne County, president and chief executive officer of TheSouperBowl and Zoup! developer for Northeastern Pennsylvania and Central/Northern New Jersey.
 
Mariani’s second franchise is set to open in Edison, N.J., in November, but he selected the Lehigh Valley for his first franchise because of growth demonstrated in the Valley in recent years.

“The economics, the population, and the attractiveness of the Lehigh Valley really made this the right location for a Zoup!,” said Mariani, a former Whitehall Township resident,  whose favorite soup is vegetarian split pea. “I have always liked this area and wanted to come back here to participate in the economic development of the region.”

The Lehigh Valley’s Zoup! restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. A grand opening is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. Airport Center is on Airport Road, just south of Route 22.

TC Salon-Spa Unveil Plans for West Allentown Location

Allentown, Pa. -- Nationally noted TC Salon-Spa has unveiled plans for its newest location, 613-623 N. 19th St., Allentown.

 

The project for a deluxe full-service salon and day spa, plus an adjoining restaurant at the 9,000-square-foot former Shanty Restaurant, was announced by TC Salon-Spa owner Frank Shipman and Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski. The facility will include a day spa designed for facials, manicures, pedicures, aesthetics, hair, and beauty. The restaurant will feature outdoor dining and 3,000 square feet of indoor space with a separate entrance.

 

The plans are in keeping with the streetscapes and architecture of 19th Street Theatre District rehabilitation recommendations, adds Shipman.

 

“This new location will triple our square footage within the city of Allentown and bring additional commerce, jobs, and partnerships to the marketplace,” says Shipman, who worked for more than a year to secure the site. The new location is slated to open in early spring 2010.

 

Project architect is Howard Kulp, noted for his architectural design of high-end restaurant MELT at Saucon Valley’s Promenade Shops and for the Allentown campus of St. Luke’s Hospital.

 

Other details of the TC Salon-Spa design will include a signature Hess’s crystal chandelier from the famous Allentown department store. A special architectural design by Kulp will allow the public to view the elegant crystal lighting from the street. 
 
TC Salon-Spa’s Bethlehem location has received numerous regional, national, and international awards, including that of the second day spa ever recognized as a world-class spa by the International Spa Association. TC Salon-Spa has also received accolades from Day Spa Magazine, Modern Salon, American Salon, LaunchPad, and many other professional and trade publications.

 

Iron Pigs’ General Manager to Lead Breakfast Forum on Lehigh Valley Economic Upturn

Center Valley, Pa. --The Forum for Ethics in the Workplace will host “A Winning Formula, Economic Upturn in the Lehigh Valley,” an ethics breakfast, at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Sept.17, 2009, in the White Pavilion at the DeSales University Center in Center Valley.

Kurt Landes, general manager of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, will speak about how and why the Lehigh Valley has recently experienced strong upturns through regional and national sports despite an economic downturn nationally. Following his initial remarks, Landes will lead area community and business leaders in an open discussion.

Landes is serving his second season as IronPigs’ general manager. He started his baseball career with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens in Ohio and has worked with the Aeros in Akron, Ohio; the Cubs in Daytona Beach, Fla.; and the Suns in Hagerstown, Md. Under his leadership, the IronPigs drew more than 602,000 fans in their first year of operation (averaging 8,334 per game), and this year have increased that to a rate exceeding 9,116 fans per game. With this success, the franchise was chosen to host the 2010 AAA All-Star Game. Later this year, the IronPigs will be honored by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce as 2009 “Business of the Year.”

Breakfast attendees will have an opportunity to interact with presenters and engage with others on the topic. Participants will enjoy a buffet breakfast and table discussions based on the keynote address. Registration and breakfast is $25 per person or $175 for a table of eight.

To register, make your check payable to the Forum for Ethics in the Workplace and mail it to Lore McFadden-Westwood, The Forum for Ethics in the Workplace, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, Pa., 18034. For more information, call the Salesian Center at 610-282-1100, extension 1244, or e-mail ethics.workplace@desales.edu.

The Forum for Ethics in the Workplace is a partnership institution of the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture at DeSales University. The Salesian Center for Faith and Culture was established in 2000 to promote the interaction of faith and culture, in a mutually beneficial engagement, through academic initiatives that focus on the authentic integration of social concerns and gospel values. By its collaboration with the forum, the Salesian Center is able to extend its mission of social engagement into the corporate world and is able to capitalize on the working relationships that the forum has already established in the business community. The Salesian Center supports intellectual activity in research studies, dialogue events, including public forums and lectures, and partnership programs. For more information about the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture and the Forum for Ethics in the Workplace, click on the Salesian Center icon on the DeSales University home page at www.desales.edu.