Category: Restaurant

  • Showbiz Pizza Place & Major Magic

    Showbiz Pizza Place incorporated in 1980 and entered the Berks County market in 1982. Its location was in Muhlenberg Plaza on the northern Belleview Avenue side. Showbiz Pizza featured an entertaining cast of animatronic characters including Billy Bob Brockali, Looney Bird, Fatz Geronimo and Mitzi Mozzarella. This main stage animatronic show was called “The Rock-afire…

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  • Mineral Springs Hotel

    The structure known as the Mineral Springs Hotel was built around 1815 as a “woolen factory” or a textile mill. That venture failed within the first three years. It was turned into a privately owned hotel, restaurant and resort in 1818 which it would remain for the better part of two centuries. The Reading Water…

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  • The Ranch House

    A staple on Penn Avenue in West Lawn for nearly a half century, the owners of the Circle S Ranch House announced on March 30th that they would be closing permanently on April 8th, 2022. The building was built in 1969 as a Schell’s. It replaced the location that was further east down Penn Avenue…

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  • On this Day – Dec 1st 1984

    A fire rips through the building at 527 Penn Street destroying a photography studio on the upper floors which caved into Ciao Restaurant, a pizza shop, on the main level.

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  • Sunset Diner – Route 422

    Sunset Diner (Now Family restaurant) is located on route 422 in Exeter. It has been in business since at least the late 1950s.According to the ad below they had the best Dutch Cooking. Quite a bold claim!

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  • Chef’s Inn – Sinking Spring | Monday Mystery

    UPDATE: This building sat on the lot that the now abandoned bank building sits on next to McDonalds. In the 40s/50s it changed names to the “Blue Lantern Inn” and finally the “Piccadilly Restaurant“. It was demolished to make way for the construction of the People’s Trust City Bank in 1961. Does anyone remember this…

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  • New Restaurant Debuts on Penn Square – On this Day

    On this day in 1969 Reading’s very own space needle restaurant debuts in the center of Penn Square. The restaurant’s tenure was short-lived however, as by April 2nd it disconnected completely and took off for outer space. In 1968 – Redevelopment of downtown Reading returns the city to its, uh, roots.

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  • Dixie Tavern West Lawn

    The Dixie Tavern was located at the corner of Dwight Street and Penn Avenue in West Lawn, where the Pizza Hut currently stands. Its grand opening was on July 16th, 1949. It remained a popular restaurant and bar in the area until it was replaced by a Pizza Hut in the mid-1970s. Information about this…

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  • Pensupreme

    Pensupreme was the trade name of Penn Dairy; which originated in Lancaster County. The dairy had restaurants referred to as “Pensupreme Shoppes” which served food and ice cream. They also branched into “Grocerettes” which were basically convenience stores in various places around eastern PA. The main milk processing plant was in York, PA. In Berks…

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  • Sammy’s Steaks

    Sammy’s Steaks was a pretty popular sandwich joint that was founded in 1946. The “Original” shop was at 12th and Buttonwood Sts. While under family ownership they sliced their own meats from fresh formed ribeyes and NEVER used anything but; unlike the emulsified meat that most others use today. They also made their own sauce…

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Berks Nostalgia