COPLAY, Pa. A familiar name in Lehigh Valley hospitality is about to give a longtime Coplay watering hole a new identity, and a new standard.
Rick Safi, the owner of the iconic King Kone ice cream destination in Whitehall, has closed on the purchase of the 2nd Street Tavern at 33 N. 2nd Street and plans to reopen it this summer as The Coplay Cabin, a deliberate nod to the building's earlier life as the Log Cabin Tavern. For longtime Coplay residents, the rebrand reads less like a marketing decision and more like a restoration. The building operated as the Log Cabin for roughly three decades before being sold and rechristened as the 2nd Street Tavern in 2019, and for many in the borough, the original name never really left.
Safi, who has more than 30 years of entrepreneurial experience in the region, said the project is as much about neighborhood pride as it is about business.
"I saw the opportunity and I wanted to buy it, improve it, and really clean up that side of the street," Safi said. "I used to go there when I was younger when it was the original Log Cabin, and I've always liked the quaint, small-town feel of Coplay."
That sense of familiarity matters in a small borough like Coplay, where North 2nd Street has long served as a quiet artery of locally owned businesses. The return of the Cabin name signals continuity at a time when many small Pennsylvania towns are watching their corner taverns disappear or get absorbed into faceless chains.
A Top-to-Bottom Refresh
Renovations begin immediately and will touch nearly every corner of the building. Safi has planned new flooring, fresh paint, updated lighting, new countertops, and significant upgrades to the kitchen and bar equipment, all aimed at supporting a more ambitious menu than the property has historically offered.
"We're moving away from basic bar fare," Safi said. "It's going to be a much higher quality of food. Think upscale bar fare, more like a flatbread than a regular bar pizza. We'll also have an expanded draft system with more variety, including craft styles, seltzers, and iced teas."
The expanded draft program reflects a broader shift in the Lehigh Valley bar scene, where independent operators have leaned into local craft breweries, hard seltzers, and non-alcoholic options to broaden their appeal beyond the traditional after-work crowd. The Coplay Cabin is targeted to open by the first week of July, putting it squarely in the middle of the summer dining season.
A Second Floor Lounge in the Works
Safi's longer-term vision extends well beyond the ground-floor bar and restaurant. Within the next year, he plans to convert the building's second floor into a cigar and spirits lounge featuring bourbon and tequila tastings, a concept that would give Coplay a destination-style venue without sacrificing its small-town character. Curated tasting events, premium pours, and a relaxed lounge atmosphere are the kind of amenities that typically anchor in the Valley's larger cities, and bringing one to Coplay represents a meaningful bet on the borough's draw.
The Coplay Cabin will also feature live entertainment and DJs, though Safi has committed to wrapping music by 10 p.m. out of respect for the surrounding neighborhood. The space, he said, will be family-friendly during regular hours, a balance that has become increasingly rare in establishments that serve both food and a full bar.
"At King Kone, we've always been customer-focused with a goal of a five-star rating," Safi said. "I want to instill that same friendliness and high standard here. This will be a child-friendly space where families can feel welcome to relax and enjoy a meal."
A Track Record of Reinvention
This is not Safi's first major renovation project, and that experience is part of what made the Coplay deal possible. Two years ago, he transitioned King Kone, a Whitehall staple since 1990, from a strip mall location into a freestanding building, a move that required extensive land development, structural work, and the kind of permitting patience that turns most operators away. King Kone reopened stronger than ever, and the rebuild cemented Safi's reputation as an operator willing to take on complicated projects in pursuit of long-term value.
The Coplay acquisition was financed by Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, LLC in Allentown, the fourth deal the two have closed together over the past decade. That kind of repeat relationship is increasingly rare in commercial lending, where operators often shop deal to deal in search of the lowest rate. Safi has instead stuck with a single financing partner who understands his business, his pace, and his vision for the region.
Safi was represented by Kevin Yarnell of Howard Hanna The Frederick Group, with Attorney Joseph Piperato III of Eastburn & Gray Law Offices in Bethlehem handling the closing and the liquor license transfer, the latter often being one of the trickier steps in any Pennsylvania hospitality acquisition.
"Rick is a fantastic operator who truly understands how to build a business that serves the community," Barber said. "It's an honor to help him secure the future of another local landmark."
The Financing Partner Behind the Deal
Lehigh Financial Group, LLC, based in Allentown, is a leading source of commercial real estate capital and financing solutions in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. The firm works with business owners, investors, and developers locally, regionally, and nationally, with a particular focus on the kind of operator-driven projects that fuel the region's small business economy. For Safi, the consistency of working with the same financing partner across four deals has translated into faster closings and a clearer pathway from acquisition to renovation to opening day.
More information on Lehigh Financial Group can be found at LehighFinancialGroup.com.
Built to Last
Safi said his vision for The Coplay Cabin is generational, not transactional. He has a succession plan in place to eventually pass his businesses to his children, a long view that is increasingly uncommon in a hospitality industry dominated by short-hold operators and private equity rollups.
"My goal is for this to be a family-owned fixture for the long haul," he said. "I want it to be known that our family took care of this business and the community for years to come."
For Coplay, that promise carries weight. The borough has watched plenty of operators come and go over the years. The return of a Cabin on North 2nd Street, under the stewardship of an operator with deep Valley roots and a proven track record, suggests this one is being built to stay.
