SEDA-COG’s Business Finance Department recently assisted Hofbrau Pizza with an EDA COVID-19 loan to purchase the property and restaurant known as The Hofbrau located at 106 East Bishop Street, Bellefonte, PA. This loan is in partnership with Jersey Shore State Bank, working directly with Commercial Lender, Gregory Wendt.
The Hofbrau has been a Bellefonte staple since 1973, serving generations of hungry pizza lovers over the years. The restaurant was started by “pizza king” Bill McFadden who developed a special crust recipe that was used in his various restaurants including Bellefonte, State College (Faccia Luna) and Alexandria, Virginia (Faccia Luna). Now at the helm of Hofbrau Pizza are Ruth and Bryan Sampsel.
Ruth Sampsel has been in the restaurant industry for over 20 years and has been with The Hofbrau for 15 of those years. When the opportunity arose for her to take over the restaurant, she was ready to put her stamp on the next generation of the Centre County institution.
On March 17th, 2020, The Hofbrau went from a full dining restaurant with an in-house seating capacity of 80 people, to a take-out only concession. Throughout the pandemic, the restaurant was forced to move to paper plates, plastic silverware, and moving an employee from the kitchen to the front of the house to take phone orders.
As a result of the pandemic, prices for everything have skyrocketed. This loan eases the burden of the cost increases for The Hofbrau.
“We were able to get an amazing rate with this loan, which will in turn allow us to pass on savings to our customers. The cost of everything has gone up, but the loan grants us the ability to keep our prices down,” said Sampsel.
Sampsel continued, “this restaurant is not just to feed people – I am welcoming you into my home. It’s a place for friends and family to gather, laugh, and enjoy time together. We live and work in a wonderful community and our restaurant allows us to see everyone and connect for years to come.”
Tina Showers, SEDA-COG Principal Program Analyst worked with Jennifer Heebner, SEDA-COG Program Analyst, to bring this financing package to fruition.
“The pandemic presented immense difficulties for all businesses, but particularly those in the hospitality industry. We are thrilled to be able to assist such an iconic and long-standing restaurant in Bellefonte, and cannot wait to see them grow and expand,” said Showers.
Their hours are Monday through Thursday 4 to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 9:30 p.m., and Sundays from 4 to 8 p.m.
For more information about SEDA-COG’s loans, please contact Tina Showers at tshowers@seda-cog.org.
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.