By Joel Neuschwander
Though many things have changed over the past quarter-century in Hershey, the Hershey Pantry is not one of them.
For the last two and a half decades, The Hershey Pantry has been dishing out breakfast, lunch, and dinner for throngs of hungry patrons, and they do not plan on stopping anytime soon. Opened in 1990, The Pantry earned a reputation for having arguably the best breakfast in Central Pennsylvania. This includes being voted the #1 breakfast in Central PA for the past 18 years by the Harrisburg Magazine readers. Since then, it has also received awards for its lunch menu and homemade baked goods.
Since its founding, Jim Hess and his wife, Cindy, have owned the restaurant.
Assistant Dining Room Manager, Blaire Wevodau credits The Pantry’s success to the “family togetherness” of the cooks and servers.
But, of course, a restaurant can not be considered successful without drawing people in consistently. One of the advantages of living in a tourist town is that may be less of a problem. Wevodau says people are drawn to the “quaint location of The Pantry and it’s great food and service.”
Like Wevodau, Colette McNitt, manager of The Hershey Pantry, agrees with Wevodau on why the restaurant has been so successful.
“Good food, great service and a consistent product,” McNitt said. “They know they are getting quality when they come through the door.”
Wevodau is a fan of the atmosphere in The Pantry, and it’s one of the reasons she decided to work there. That atmosphere was enhanced in 1995, when a new screened in porch was added. It was added both for more space and for an outside dining experience during the summer months.
According to McNitt, the patio was added to increase dining space. She said, “People love to sit outside in the nice weather and enjoy their meal. To me it seems more relaxing on the porch even when it is busy.”
In 2012, The Hershey Pantry opened a bakery, Desserts Etc., across the street. The establishment specializes in coffee and assorted pastries.
Less than a year ago, the Hess’ decided to expand their ownership even more when they converted the former Events Etc. to Irv’s Pub.
Not only has The Pantry opened a new bakery and pub, but on January 12, 2016, The Pantry Cafe opened inside The Hershey Story Museum on Chocolate avenue.
The new cafe will bring over old favorites from the original Pantry, all while adding several new menu items. The new items include breakfast sandwiches and flatbreads, among other things.
In a January 5th article for PennLive, The Hershey Story Museum director, Amy Bischof, explained the purpose of adding the cafe.
“The Pantry was our first consideration because they have such a good reputation in Hershey,” Bischof said. She believed that bringing in a well-known name like the Pantry will “boost the restaurant’s profile as a gathering place.”
As for future plans, nothing is certain, but if the widespread popularity of The Pantry’s food is any indication, there is only one thing to do: reach even farther.
