‘AN ANCHOR IN A SEA OF CHANGE’ For 65 years, Bethlehem’s Mayflower Luncheonette has been a backbone of the community

In an economy of continuous change, a small but iconic west side Bethlehem breakfast and lunch spot has been unwavering.

For 65 years, that is.

And that constant of the Mayflower Luncheonette on West Broad Street has allowed three generations to sit at the very same counter – making memories, reliving stories and sharing conversation.

Part of those generations are the many Bethlehem Steel workers in the mid-20th century who made the Mayflower an every-morning trolley stop. The men looked forward to a hard-roll egg sandwich, cup of coffee and the family feel that fueled them before or after a long and tenacious day at the plant.

At least, those are the stories that 40-year-old Candi Hatzinikolaou said she heard as a customer of the Mayflower and continues to hear today as its owner. She and husband Bill Hatzinikolaou eight years ago took over the 41-seat Mayflower when the previous owner of nearly three decades became ill, and the mainstay restaurant was in jeopardy of closing.

“You gotta keep it going,” said Bill Hatzinikolaou, 46. “People are looking for places like this. There’s not many anymore.”

And although the Bethlehem Steel ended its steel operations in 1995, the Hatzinikolaous are doing their part to make sure that the Mayflower Luncheonette remains the neighborhood’s same woven piece of fabric it became when it opened more than six decades ago. Every day, they seek to maintain a good product, comfortable environment and a passion for the business – to ensure that the landmark thrives as a symbol of the community and a testament to preserving history.

According to Don Cunningham, president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., the timelessness of the place keeps people coming back, including himself.

“I grew up with the Mayflower. It is a tradition where generations have sat at the same counter,” said Cunningham, who frequented the Mayflower as a child and continues the tradition with his children.

“They [Mayflower] are an anchor in this sea of change,” he said. “It’s comforting when something remains relatively the same.”