Published February 03. 2021 09:57AM
Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus parked their large wooden sled at 1205 Main St. Dec. 19, 2020, to grab a bite at the recently reopened Northampton Family Diner and Restaurant. The jolly duo sat in a corner booth and awaited passing residents as they grabbed their breakfast on that Saturday snowy morning. The couple wore masks and kept a distance when they could.
Parents brought their children to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus in hopes to find some type of normalcy during this unusual holiday season. The part of the diner that hosted Santa was mainly empty, and every person in the room wore masks. Santa showed up in his best bright red suit and tried to show the children that he is still the same jolly man - just with a mask.
Business partners Lisa Haynos and Manuel Castaneda reopened the Northampton eatery back in June of 2020. The two had previously owned Bridge Street Family Restaurant in Catasauqua and have always worked in the restaurant industry. The diner brought in a lot of clientele for the first few months but had to scale back operations for a time, due to COVID-19 restrictions placed on restaurants by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.
Despite the setback, Haynos and Castaneda kept their invitation open to visit with Santa for any takeout orders - and a crowd happily came. Visit Northampton Diner and Family Restaurant on Facebook for further information and updates on the restaurant.
Ariah Kern, of Catasauqua, sits between Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus as they pose for a Christmas holiday photo at Northampton Family Diner and Restaurant, 1205 Main St., Dec. 19, 2020. PRESS PHOTOS BY CASSANDRA DAYOUB
Northampton resident Autumn Morey peaks into Mrs. Claus' red velvet bag during a visit with the famous couple.
Mr. and Mrs. Claus get together for a picture at the Northampton restaurant after visiting with local residents.
A bit shy at first, Brinley Peters sits with her mother, Laura Peters, of Northampton, and talks to Santa and Mrs. Claus, who show off some toys they had brought along.
