Gloria and Joe Novak have been running Queen's Nutritional Products at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue in Allentown since 1979. Joe is 88. Gloria is 75. They still work in the store every day. That alone tells you everything you need to know about what this place means to them and to the community that has been shopping here for over half a century.
The Origin Story
The store was founded in 1971 by a couple named Queen. The wife suffered from poor health, and they opened the shop to find alternative, natural ways to address her issues. When the Queens retired in 1979, Joe Novak, who had been their accountant, and his wife Gloria purchased the business. Gloria has said she found accounting somewhat boring, and the transition to natural health food was a welcome change. Today their son Joe Jr. and his wife Lori Sue help run operations, making it a multi-generational family affair.
The Roasted Nuts
Queen's is known for many things, but the in-house roasted nuts and dried fruits are what people talk about most. They roast them right on the premises, and you cannot get them anywhere else. Joe Jr. also runs a wholesale roasted nut and dried fruit business serving customers across New Jersey and Lancaster. Beyond the nuts, the store carries organic produce, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, naturally baked breads, vitamins, supplements, natural beauty products, and fair trade goods.
A Team That Stays
Six employees at Queen's have a collective 115 years of service. Kevin Achey has been there 35 years. Joe Jr., 31 years. Peg Sabella, 19 years. That kind of employee loyalty is almost unheard of in retail. It says something about how the Novaks run their business and what it feels like to work there.
As Gloria once put it: I love the people we meet, people committed to living healthier lives. It is very rewarding to be a part of helping people get their health back. After 50 plus years, that mission has not changed.
