Shaffer Restaurant and Soft Serve in Port Trevorton was purchased in December 2020 and the restaurant’s new name is Lauver’s Family Traditions Restaurant. Charlene Lauver is the new owner and operator of the business. Lauver’s Family Traditions Restaurant opened on January 5, 2021. Charlene partnered with Northumberland National Bank and SEDA-COG for the purchase of Shaffer Restaurant and Soft Serve. The restaurant industry has been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, restaurants were forced to operate at 50% capacity which qualified the SEDA-COG loan to fall under the federal Economic Development Administration’s (EDA)-COVID-19 eligibility.
Tom Rall of Northumberland National Bank was able to connect Charlene with local resources and made the introduction to SEDA-COG for funding. “We were pleased to partner with SEDA-COG and support a new local business while reducing the overall cost on interest for the life of the loan. We’re thrilled that everyone worked hard to help Charlene’s restaurant meet the timeline for the Sales Agreement.” The Northumberland National Bank carried the SEDA-COG portion of the project until the EDA –COVID funds could be disbursed.
Ms. Lauver was very happy with the SEDA-COG EDA COVID-19 loan’s low interest rate that is fixed for the life of the loan. “The savings on interest is a great help to my business,” Lauver said.
Ms. Lauver has over 12 years of experience as an owner and operator of a restaurant. She previously owned another restaurant until 2018, when she sold the business. When asked why she wanted to get back in the restaurant business, Ms. Lauver said “After taking a two-year break and working for other people, you miss the feeling of contentment and all of the customers.”
Lauver’s Family Traditions Restaurant is a full-service restaurant and ice cream stand. For people who would rather eat at home or have a nice picnic, they also offer take out service. They can cater your event as well. Currently the restaurant is only open Thursday – Sunday serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They also offer daily specials. The Sunday lunch special is a home cooked style meal. You can check them out on facebook or at https://lauvers-family-traditions-restaurant-llc.business.site/. For take-out, call the restaurant at (570) 374-2840.
For more information about SEDA-COG’s loans, please contact John Reichard at jreichard@seda-cog.org or Mike Morrison at mmorrison@seda-cog.org. To learn more about The Northumberland National Bank’s business lending, visit https://norrybank.com/business/loans/
As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.