Ernesto Rangel is no stranger to the restaurant business.
During a summer trip to Allentown in the 1990s, he stepped in to help his uncle, Jerry Rodriguez, owner of Pancho & Sonny’s at 2073 31st St. in Allentown, when another employee didn’t show up.
“One week, I was washing dishes,” Rangel said. “The next one, I was already on the line cooking because I liked it. And I went and finished high school, finished college, and I always had that idea of my own little place. With the years, I came to the United States, and I started working in restaurants all the way from the bottom.”
For the past 15 years, Rangel has worked at My Place Pizza, 270 E. Northampton St. in Bath. In April, he took over as owner.
Emanuel Mirabito founded My Place Pizza in 1988, and Rangel worked as a cook and manager there. Mirabito still owns the property itself, which Rangel hopes to eventually purchase.
“We’ve been working this out, for me to buy the place, for a while,” Rangel said. “The pandemic got in between, so it got a little difficult. And then [it] was finally time. The old owner retired and it was perfect timing for me to take over.”
My Place Pizza will hold a a ribbon cutting to celebrate Rangel’s ownership at 5 p.m. Nov. 10, offering guests free finger foods and entertainment from a mariachi singer.
The restaurant obviously offers pizza but also wings, breaded cauliflower, garlic knots, pierogi, onion rings, calzones, pasta, cannoli, salads, sandwiches, wraps and specials such as for burgers and burritos.
“I have a passion for food,” Rangel said. “I don’t even consider this a job. I see it like my hobby, like something I like [and] something I love. There’s things that make it a job or work, like dealing with certain things that are difficult. But other than that, the base of the business, which is food and the happiness of the people … that’s my motto. That’s what keeps me going.”
My Place Pizza is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Lehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in brief
The Gemeral Store will host a grand reopening at 10 a.m. Nov. 8 at 216 W. Broad St. in Bethlehem after a summer fire forced it to close.
Ye Olde Spring Valley Tavern will reopen as the Spring Valley Tavern in mid-November at 1355 Station Ave. in Upper Saucon Township.
Emily’s Ice Cream went up for sale at $224,900 for a three-year lease at 100 S. Main St. in Nazareth.
Circle Cafe on Main will open for a soft launch by Christmas at 2 N. Main St. in Nazareth, where customers can enjoy homemade quiches, soups, flatbreads, pastries, pasta, potato salad, iced tea, lemonade and Electric City Roasting Co. coffee.
Dino Sweets closed last week at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township after five years of operation.
The outdoor design company G Outdoor Living & Design held a grand opening for its new showroom Saturday at 1036 N. Irving St. in Allentown, it announced online.
After initially opening in September, Jimmy John’s held a grand opening on Saturday at the Schoenersville Centre at 3219-A Schoenersville Road in Bethlehem, franchisee Abe Stity said, where it offered discounted sandwiches and free merchandise.
The Bacon Strip will reopen in February at 18 N. Second St. in Coplay, according to Emily Alkhal, who opened it about a decade ago with her fiancé Ruben Santiago.
The reopening would be roughly one year after a fire forced it to close.
“We both had to find jobs just to keep our minds right,” Alkhal said earlier this month. “It’s hard. It was very … frustrating. We were depressed, upset, but this week, we got the best news ever. Permits came in, inspections are passing, and it’s smooth sailing from now.”
Property landlord Matt Morrow said online the restaurant would reopen with renovations to replace the electrical system, plumbing, framing, insulation and drywall.
Alkhal added that the menu will feature bacon-based dishes such as sandwiches and wraps as well as burgers, pancakes, soups, chili and a few surprises.
“We’re just eager to get back and be with our customers and please the community,” she said. “Because it’s like … customers weren’t only customers. They were like family to us. And the outpouring, the reaching out they did to all of us, I just … I’m so excited to see all of them.”
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at retailwatch@mcall.com.
