Click here to read Then & Now with Vassi’s Drive-In: Part One
Because Vassi’s is situated at the Hellertown exit off I-78, Loukie and Mel serve both travelers and local customers. The pleasant mix of new and familiar faces fosters interesting conversations.
Vassi’s Drive-In is located at 1666 Main St., Hellertown, Pa. The retro eatery is a landmark in the area and a popular stop for people passing through on I-78.
“It’s such a tight-knit community,” Loukie emphasizes. “We end up knowing most of our customers, and we get a lot of people off the highway too, which is great. Especially this time of year when people go on vacation, they stop by every year on their way to vacation. We get the same people cycling back every year.”
Some of the groups are quite sizable, Mel adds. “Since I opened 30 years ago, I have this religious school from Canada that has an annual gathering somewhere near Carlisle. Twice a year they stop on their way to Carlisle, with about 20 or 25 kids!”
Whether they are coming from a distance or only a few blocks away, customers return to Vassi’s time and again for good food and good company. The sentiments between the Vassi’s family and its customers can almost be described as a partnership.
Mel expresses his gratitude for the welcome given by the residents of Hellertown when the drive-in was first opened. Though the early days of Vassi’s presented their own trials, the locals warmly received the Sumelidis family.
“At the beginning it was hard, like everything else,” he said. “But we found support from the people really quick. You know, we’re blessed with the community.”
Vassi’s patronage is not just chosen, but also inherited. The customers who dined at the drive-in decades ago now bring their children along to grab a bite and visit with the Sumelidises.
“Here in Hellertown, we are so blessed,” Mel commented. “I know so many generations of families and their kids, and now grandchildren coming in.”
As our conversation draws to a close, Mel shares his most memorable Vassi’s moments.
“When I first opened the drive-in, I met a lot of retirees from Bethlehem Steel. There were about four or five of them, and they’d come in here for coffee. Little by little the number of retirees diminished, until there was one left, and I used to buy him coffee when he came in. At that time I had a little grass area near the drive-in, and the retiree always used to say, ‘I don’t want to owe
you nothing!’ and so to pay me back for the coffee he used to come here and cut that grass for me with his lawnmower.”
Among Mel and Loukie’s noteworthy patrons were none other than members of the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Back in the day, when we had Eagles training camp at Lehigh, then we used to get them all coming in,” Loukie says.
“Andy Reid was a regular, and that’s why I like Kansas City!” Mel laughs. “Loukie likes the Eagles, but I like Kansas.”
When our conversation finishes, Mel and Loukie give me a cookie dough ice cream cone, which I carefully carry with me into the summer heat. Sitting on a bench outside, I reflect on the generations of customers who have spent an afternoon speaking with the Sumelidises or eaten their ice cream cones beneath the drive-in’s maroon awning. Whether local residents, vacationers or people only passing through, Vassi’s is built and continues to thrive on community. So, the next time you’ve got a hankering for a milkshake or plate of pierogies, stop by Vassi’s for some food and join the partnership.
Helen Behe is an MFA candidate at DeSales University, where she is studying through the program’s poetry track for a degree in creative writing and publishing. Aside from her studies, Helen enjoys gardening, boxing and rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. She is a resident of Bethlehem. Read more of Helen’s Then & Now series here.
