UPPER NAZARETH TWP., Pa. - A Lehigh County pub – serving up pizzas, pints of beer and plenty of entertainment – has brought its flavorful food and fun atmosphere to Northampton County.
The Catty Corner Neighborhood Pub & Pie’s second location, at 398 N. Broad St. Ext. in Upper Nazareth Township, has been hosting soft-opening, invite-only events since Wednesday, co-owner Jay Cimerol said.
The business’ original location, at 301 Mulberry St. in Catasauqua, is continuing to operate as normal.
In Nazareth, the new location will host another soft opening night on Saturday before debuting to the general public this coming week, possibly as early as Monday, Cimerol said.
An official opening announcement will made on the business’ Facebook page.
“We’ve been hosting invite-only nights for friends and family because we’re still building up and training our staff,” Cimerol said.
“This way, we can control the amount of people coming in the door and have our staff get the hang of things. We’re hoping to open to the general public on Monday, but we’re not completely sure yet. We’ll definitely be open sometime next week, though, even if it’s with limited hours the first few days.”
The Upper Nazareth building was the home of the former Mivajo's Pizzeria & Restaurant for about 20 years before it rebranded to Stonewood Tavern in 2019.
Most recently, the structure housed the former Sean Gall's Dublin Pub & Grill, which closed in 2021 after about a year of business.
Cimerol and his son, Tyler Cimerol, bought the Catasauqua restaurant and bar in September 2018 and reopened it with a new look, menu and slightly different name - adding "Neighborhood Pub & Pie" at the end - in November of that year.
Jay, who lives in Catasauqua, and Tyler, who lives in Upper Nazareth, closed on the Upper Nazareth property last summer and have been working with contractors over the past several months on various building upgrades.
The pair was attracted to the Northampton County site for several reasons.
"We're very excited to be expanding in Nazareth because just like Catasauqua, Nazareth is a really nice, tight-knit community that fits in well with our concept," Jay said. "Nazareth also is beautiful, has a great school district and is home to Martin Guitar, which would be our next-door neighbor."
Renovations at the Upper Nazareth building include new flooring, lighting, wall paint and kitchen equipment, including a new Roto-Flex pizza oven, which the Cimerols named “Roxanne,” that can cook up to 24 pies at the same time.
A new vestibule has been constructed at the building’s main entrance, and a new U-shaped bar is a focal point of the pub’s interior.
“I had a gentleman from up in the Poconos make me a live edge bar top, which has like a lava river that goes down the middle of it,” Jay said. “It will light up with neon lights.”
An additional bar is set to be constructed on the building's lower level, which will be utilized for overflow dining and private event space for bridal showers, birthday parties, sports gatherings and other special occasions.
Dedicated work on the lower-level space should start later this year, Jay said.
In Catasauqua, the Cimerols added artwork to the walls to pay homage to the borough, and they’re doing the same in Upper Nazareth.
Wallpaper showcases enlarged images of current and historic Nazareth area scenes, including those of the C.F. Martin & Co. building, Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth Area High School’s football field and local athletes wearing their Blue Eagles attire.
“We’re now a part of the Nazareth community, and we want everyone here to feel like family,” Jay said.
Outside, improvements include new signage, lighting and landscaping.
There are also facade upgrades such as new tan stucco and stonework.
The new location has been a large undertaking, but it’s “definitely going to be worth it,” Jay said.
“It’s been a long road,” Jay added.
“I was pretty stressed in the days leading up to Wednesday, but that’s to be expected because we spent nine months working on this. So, it’s literally like our baby, and we want everything to go right. Like any new business, there are going to be some kinks that we have to work out in the beginning, but we have a great staff in place, and we’re coming out of the gate at the highest potential that we possibly can.”
The Catty Corner, which bills itself as "not your typical neighborhood corner pub," is known for its more than two dozen specialty pizzas, featuring hand-tossed dough made daily.
Popular varieties include pickle, pierogie, chicken carbonara and "Catty Mac" (fresh seasoned burger meat, pickles, onions, lettuce, cheddar cheese and 1,000 Island dressing). Twelve- and 16-inch sizes are available along with 10-inch, gluten-friendly pies.
Customers also can build their own 12-, 16- or 20-inch pizza by choosing from around two dozen toppings, including bacon, grilled chicken, hot peppers, mushrooms, pineapple and sausage.
The same menu is offered in Nazareth, with other staples including calzones, strombolis, burgers and chicken wings.
Additional menu highlights include appetizers such as mac-n-cheese bites, Old Bay shrimp and Inner Harbor fries (fries topped with crab meat and house-made hollandaise sauce); sandwiches such as chicken parm, cheesesteaks and the Catty Corner Cuban; Mexican dishes such as tacos, quesadillas and nachos; and char-broiled burgers such as the "Iron Works" (sauteed onions, bacon, pepper jack cheese, jalapeno peppers and barbecue sauce) and "Rough Rider" (bacon, hot sauce, pepper jack cheese and onion rings).
"We sell a ton of wings - both bone-in and boneless, available in roughly a dozen house-made wing sauces," Jay said. "We actually make a ton of items from scratch, including our mozzarella sticks and rice balls, and we only intend to expand this practice over in Nazareth. With three times the amount of kitchen space over there, we also plan to expand the catering aspect of our business."
The Catty Corner's new location features two full bars - one on each level and each featuring 12 taps, along with an array of entertainment options that includes a jukebox, sports viewing on 29 TVs and various live events.
"All of the activities that are offered in Catasauqua will be offered in Nazareth," Jay said. "We do trivia, music bingo and karaoke. Once a month, we also host bingo to benefit a local nonprofit group, which we plan to do in Nazareth as well."
The new Upper Nazareth pub features seating for more than 125 customers at the bar along with a mix of high- and low-top tables.
Al fresco dining will also be available on an outdoor patio.
"We're very grateful to the Catasasuqua community for its strong support, and we can't wait to form a close relationship with the Nazareth community as well," Jay said. "My son's fiance's family is from Nazareth, and my mom and my sister live in Nazareth. So, we're familiar with the area and have ties to it."
In addition to preparing for their new pub’s debut, the Cimerols also recently welcomed the America’s Best Restaurants crew to their original Catasauqua location to film an episode.
America’s Best Restaurants, known for its “ABR Roadshow,” is a national media and marketing company focused on bringing attention to local, independently-owned restaurants.
For the latest Catty Corner Nazareth updates, including an official opening announcement, follow the business'Facebookpage.
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