If there’s anything that the pandemic has taught us, it’s the importance of being adaptable to change. Businesses will succeed when they can innovate, but in these uncertain times, it’s even more important. They’ll also succeed if they can offer dang-good food and beverages that strike that balance: they’re just familiar enough that you can recognize them on a menu, but they’re not so modernist and esoteric that it requires a lexicon to figure out what, exactly, is on there. Such is the case at Jay’s Local in Allentown, a fast-casual place with a distinct café vibe. “We look at what people are already eating, and find a way to do something different, and offer more healthy options,” explains Lyell Scherline, 35.
Located near the Muhlenberg college campus in the space formerly occupied by Café Frais, Jay’s Local is implementing options that are a little bit healthier and came directly from conversations with the college community, with whom they consulted prior to opening in October 2019. (Smart move. Get to know your neighbors—who are your potential customers—and what they like to eat before opening a café.)
Jay’s is run by Scherline and his wife, Tracey, his brother Justin and their mom, Lorrie, along with operations manager Matt Feehan, 36. Jay’s serves its customers on a seemingly daily basis by staying flexible, using the best ingredients they can (which often means local ones) and keeping the prices affordable. Jay’s Local is named “in dedication, honor and memory of longtime Allentown attorney and philanthropist Jay Scherline,” says the website.
Scherline, along with his brother Justin, works in real estate and has an MBA; he studied in Argentina because why not, he says. He was looking to start a business with strong ties to the community, one that would honor his dad. (He also said he wanted his mom to work with him.) “I was looking for a new project. I never thought I would own a restaurant, but it just so happened to be food,” he says. He describes his dad as an omnivore and someone who used to say: “We don’t eat to live, we live to eat.”
The team leading the charge is unusually well qualified, and Scherline and Feehan share the motivating philosophy that anything is possible there. When talking with Feehan and Scherline about the genesis of, say, their waffle muffin (yes, that is a thing), Scherline says ideas circulate and one of them will ask, “Can we do this?” And then the brainstorming, recipe development and prototype testing will begin. (I use that language intentionally, because Feehan coordinated programs with the USDA and the FDA in food production environments, and has accrued extensive knowledge of supply chain management and other behind-the-scenes responsibilities. It’s kind of rare for someone operating a small mom-and-pop food business to bring such large-scale experience to the table.) As Feehan says, “We take a positive, productive approach.” That combination of creativity and practicality means they’re well suited to adapt their business to the current dynamic circumstances: Jay’s is available for curbside, delivery, takeout, dine in and dine outside. Apart from walking it to your door and serving it on a silver platter, few places can top those options.
That can-do spirit is shown on the menu, and it’s what brought the waffle muffin into this world. Imagine waffle batter in muffin form, with a waffle square on top that gets baked into the muffin bottom, served with a shot of bourbon honey maple syrup. And whipped cream, of course. Like its other breakfast sweet mashups, the cronut (croissant-doughnut) or the cruffin (croissant-muffin, which The Flour Shop in Bethlehem serves), the waffle muffin makes you go “hmm.” In a good way.
That proverbial thinking outside the box is also evident in another item on the “treats” section of their menu—the overnight oats sundae. Now, just to be clear, this dish consists of steel-cut oats that have not been cooked but instead, they soften overnight, compacted into perfect tiny spheres of just enough ice cream to keep it together. Jay’s menu describes it this way: “Starts off a dessert and melts into breakfast.” Even on a warm summer day, outside, the “ice cream” presents in a rock-solid form. However, there’s a distinct advantage to its preparation. The oats sundae proves to be a great item to buy in the morning and then toss into your bag or backpack to consume once you get to work, school or—let’s face it—back home again for work or school. It will melt just enough to be pliable on a spoon, but not enough to make a gloppy mess. Feehan says it also works “if you want a better treat for your kids.” The texture is spot-on for overnight oats.
So far as we can tell, everything at Jay’s is hearty and filling; whatever you choose for breakfast, you won’t likely need much else. You might, however, come back another time—maybe lunch, maybe the next day— for Jay’s breakfast biscuit, fluffy and buttery and topped with fried egg, cheese and turkey bacon that will have you seriously doubting its non-pork status. Oh, by the way, eggs are from The Nesting Box in Kempton; the pastured beef for their burgers from Gauker Farms (Fleetwood); cheese is from Conebella Farms (Elverson). The grilled cheese is served on thick slices of Texas toast (such an aptly named product), slathered in garlic butter and grilled Colby and cheddar cheese, with a cheddar tomato “dip” reminiscent of tomato soup.
But perhaps the biggest thing to make you go “hmm” about Jay’s is the coffee. It’s local, from Four Monkeys Coffee Roasters in Kutztown. If you go inside, you may be puzzled initially because they serve espresso-based drinks but do not have an espresso machine. Here’s where some ingenuity came into place. Feehan and Scherline went to Four Monkeys and asked them if it would be possible to put together a concentrate that could be used in hot or cold applications, whether it’s cold brew, frozen coffee, a hot latte or an iced latte. (There’s also straight-up drip coffee with a few different roasts available.) The answer, of course, is yes—otherwise we wouldn’t be talking about this. “I love cold coffee. I’ve had it so right in many places, and so wrong in many places, but every time you walk in here, it will be the same,” says Feehan.
They worked it out and it results in a lot of advantages for Jay’s. First, the cost savings is significant because they didn’t have to buy a machine, nor do they have to maintain it. It is ultimately, however, a move that affords them great service. “When there’s a line of students out the door, we can fill their orders fast,” says Feehan. The taste is definitely not the same as an espresso—it’s smoother, more rounded and almost a little milder, not quite so robust—but it’s an enjoyable choice. It also blends well in their Local Freeze, which includes coffee, vanilla ice cream, banana and Nutella. (Try that, or the Kombucha Smoothie, with yogurt and local honey.)
The space is bright and modern feeling, with an open kitchen that makes the preparation process visible. You can eat inside or outside—there’s a fun Astroturf surface under the tables. The inside walls are loaded with photos from the Muhlenberg library archives, and will definitely spark some conversation, especially if you’re a member of that community. Actually, it’s pretty impossible to not get immersed in conversation with these people, and that, too, seems to be the legacy of Jay. “People will get sidetracked talking to one of us or talking to someone they run into here before they even make it to the counter,” says Scherline. So it’s not a surprise when Feehan says they have regulars who come in every day, others who are in several times a week and people who buy up all the pastel de nata—a Portuguese egg tart pastry served warm and dusted with cinnamon. It’s a thing.
“It’s very important to us to stand out from the crowd,” says Scherline. They’ve managed to do just that, and yet attract a crowd at the same time. Jay would be proud.
Jay’s Local
2301 Liberty St., Allentown | 610.351.3100 | jayslocal.com
*Please check their website and/or social media for current operating hours and procedures.
Hours
Mon.–Sun.: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
Parking
Street parking and on-site lot behind the building
Services Available
Curbside, takeout, in-house dining, outside dining
What to Order
Tough calls, as much of the menu is spot-on. The student population digs the campus breakfast. And the overnight oats sundae, despite its moniker, is really a breakfast food. For lunch, come hungry for the monstrous grilled cheese on Texas toast. Check out the Caesar salad, the house salad and, of course, the burger, which can be ordered as a plant-based Beyond Burger if you like. Sometimes items will change seasonally, but the Southwest Avocado Toast has been a mainstay thus far: two slices of Texas toast, topped with avocado and scrambled eggs, seasoned Southwestern style. Kids aren’t forgotten here, either—PB and J, grilled cheese and a salad are all on the menu for them.
