by Jay Pelc • Special to The Current
At the very familiar location along Route 209, formerly The Bagel Bunch, you will find a not so hidden treasure of an eatery: outstanding food, great service, and a terrific young couple who do whatever is necessary to give their customers a first rate experience.
Seeing their bright green sign made me curious about the new ownership and I felt drawn to give them a try. Their omelets are truly delicious: Generous portions, cooked to perfection, and Chris and Courtney coming out personally to make sure everything is done just right. I was so impressed with Perch, I asked to meet with them and then felt inspired to write about this exceptional young couple who truly love food and their customers.
Chris and Courtney were both raised in the Lehigh Valley and basically grew up together, even riding the same school bus. Courtney got her start in the restaurant business as a hostess and server at The Whitehall Diner. She also worked at various other types of jobs, eventually moving to San Diego, where she pursued an education in design and also stayed busy working at restaurants. She first landed a server job at The Queenstown Public House and then moved on to La Puerta, a rock ‘n roll tequila with outstanding Mexican food. Her dual interests in design and restaurants were coming together.
Chris went to Kutztown University, always interested in becoming an entrepreneur and found himself fascinated by the culinary world. He worked his way up in the restaurant business by an absolutely relentless willingness to do everything and anything asked of him. He started out washing dishes and being a food runner until one of his jobs would finally give him his first chance to cook when the pantry chef at The Queenstown Public House (where he worked with Courtney) didn’t show up one day….and a star was born !
His next step was at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse, the best and most famous seafood fine dining restaurant in San Diego, where he worked as the sous chef for a three-year period. At 25 years old and wanting to open his own place and be closer to family, he and Courtney moved back to this area where the cost of opening a business would be a lot more cost friendly.
Up and running now since April 1, 2021 Perch has already built a well deserved following for their bagel sandwiches, omelets, smoothies and their cheesesteak sandwiches. Their mission is to serve great food in a casual and relaxed atmosphere. Serving healthy, locally made food is where you’ll find the passion behind everything they do, along with their desire to connect with their “beloved customers,” and for their food to be a bright spot in the day for people trudging through the area on their way to and from their jobs. Their daily made fresh bread and bagels (16 varieties!), sandwiches, salads and baked goods make Perch an ideal place for both tourists and locals.
The early obstacles to success have been many: Covid-19 with all its many ramifications – soaring costs in doing business, up to 40% increases in food costs, the unavailability of essential items (try being a bagel shop without being able to get cream cheese!) and specific challenges unique to their location. Undaunted by all of this, Chris and Courtney dream big, looking to open up multiple locations and to bring in young aspiring local chefs with the same passion for food that they have.
Perch is located at 300 Mauch Chunk Street, along Route 209 straddling the Jim Thorpe/Lehighton border and open Tuesday-Sunday from 7am–2pm. Eat in or take out. Contact them at PerchJT.com or at 610-377-2233 or on facebook, perchatjimthorpe.
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