BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Amanda and Bruce Wieszala hosted a soft opening for their new Allentown restaurant over the weekend, welcoming people in to try a taste of the welcoming atmosphere inside Beacon Grille.
It is inside 185 Allen, which before a year ago, was vacant for 25 years.
"Now we are giving back to the Allentown community, and becoming the curators and caretakers of this amazing space," said Amanda.
With an open-air grill and pizza stove, the Wieszala's are hoping to make their restaurant a place everyone can go.
"To have people in the space and bring it back to life, it really made it all worthwhile, the struggle and the hard work," said Bruce.
The restaurant offers a fun flare of modern and historic mood with Edison bulbs and patina copper decorating the walls.
The couple says despite high property taxes and rent prices impacting businesses, they are taking the leap into owning a restaurant with confidence.
"We have seen great iconic places close, but I am not by nature a risk taker so this was a huge leap of faith," said Amanda.
Like the business's name, the Wieszala's hope is to be a beacon for all to enjoy.
"A beacon would guide them home, it would be a sense of warmth and home and then it developed into lighthouses which would lead sailors through the stormy waters to a safe haven," said Amanda.
The grille will add a new flare to an already diverse neighborhood on Allen Street.
"Allentown has always been super eclectic and if you didn't have a place you had a place in Allentown," said Amanda.
The Beacon Grille is set to open at the end of June or early July.
