The Legacy of Walp’s Restaurant

Resident Frank Nikischer Sr. knows a thing or two about the food industry. Or a few thousand things. Recipes, that is, and how to own and operate a successful, large scale restaurant.

Born in Allentown, PA, Frank began working as a bus boy at age 16 at a local, beloved Pennsylvania Dutch restaurant, Walp’s. He got the job through his sister, Terry, who was married to Donald Walp, the son of the original owners of Walp’s, Robert and Blanche.

Frank kept his dedication to Walp’s as he attended Penn State University. He worked at the restaurant whenever he was home from college and even got a degree in hotel and restaurant management in 1953.

After he graduated college, he served as a commissioned officer in the Navy for three years. When he was discharged, he worked again at Walp’s full-time. He also continued his service in the U.S. Naval Reserves, retiring in 1976 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

Frank worked at the restaurant as it flourished and ownership was turned over to Donald and his sister, Thelma. In the meantime, Frank met his wife, Judy, a Cedar Crest College graduate who would eventually become part owner of the business. In 1986, Donald and Thelma sold Walp’s to Frank and Judy, and they ran it until 1999. Frank said the restaurant had grown so much from when it originally opened in 1936, and he and Judy were grateful for contributing to that growth.

Three of Frank’s children, Frank Jr., David and Wendy, also contributed to the restaurant’s growth, serving as Walp’s managers.

“It started out with just two booths, a coffee counter, a juke box and a gas pump. Before it closed 62 years later, it had a total of 500 seats and 80 employees,” Frank said.

Walp’s included a 12-room guest house, banquet rooms with seating for 250 people and a bake shop. The restaurant had to expand, Frank said, to accommodate its “very loyal following” of hungry and “devoted” customers.

“Philly, New Jersey, New York … people were coming from all over,” Frank said. “We had lots of local regulars, too. They would come in for breakfast, lunch and dinner and sit at the coffee counters. If a stranger came in to sit, the regulars would say, ‘Don’t sit there, that’s Bill’s stool, and he’ll be here soon!’ because that’s how familiar they were with each other.”

Frank said one time he even had a family drive hours through snow to eat at Walp’s, and though Walp’s had closed earlier that day due to the weather, Frank invited them in and personally served them dinner when they arrived.

He, Judy and their employees always strived to make every customer satisfied because they loved Walp’s just as much as their customers did.

“Our employees were so dedicated, and we were like one big family,” Frank said. “What amazes me is that I can count the small number of employees who didn’t show up for work on holidays in all the time I’d been there.”

There were also many celebrities who stopped in for a meal at Walp’s: The Monkees, The Dorsey Brothers, “The Munsters” actor Al Lewis, singer Robert Goulet and others.

A painting of Walp’s Restaurant, which was located on the corner of Union Boulevard and Airport Road in Allentown. Frank is depicted in the lower left corner, visiting with customers at the bar.

No matter the occasion, customers were never in short supply at Walp’s, and neither was the joyful energy.

“It was all just a wonderful experience,” Judy said. “The place was so well-known and loved that it meant a lot to me to have my name be a part of it.”

Frank carried that same pride in owning the restaurant, and it showed through the quality of food Walp’s served.

“We purchased seafood fresh out of the water from a top Boston seafood house and had it flown in weekly, and we got produce from our local farms,” Frank said. “Everything had to be as fresh as possible.”

Walp’s offered a variety of foods, from meats and entrées that employees processed themselves, to wedding and birthday cakes, appetizers and desserts. Thanks to Frank, most of what Walp’s served lives on.

Two years before the restaurant closed, Frank decided to write a cookbook to “preserve the recipes our customers loved.” Over 12,000 cookbooks were printed that contained recipes which had never been published before.

Frank and Judy agree Pennsylvania Dutch food is so enjoyable because it’s “plain cooking and healthy.”

“Any recipe in our cookbook would be my favorite,” Judy said.

As Frank finished the cookbook, Frank and Judy prepared to sell Walp’s. It was in a prime location and high traffic area, so they were able to sell it to Wawa in 1999. They received a generous offer and decided to accept it because they were ready to retire.

“We hated to give it up, but chose to sell it and enjoy retirement,” Frank said.

Frank and Judy spent the next few years pursuing another one of their passions: traveling. They’ve traveled to South America; Panama Canal; various European countries, including Italy, Russia and Austria; Canada; and all throughout the United States. They lived in the Poconos and Florida for a while, too, before moving to Masonic Village at Elizabethtown. Frank and Judy have six children between them who reside all over the country.

Frank and his son, Frank Jr., spent 27 years judging food at the Allentown Fair. From all of Frank’s food experiences, he said he’s learned a lot.

“As the owner of a restaurant, you have to be a first-aid provider, a financial advisor and a psychologist, in addition to being a food expert. You have to know how to handle any situation,” Frank said. “It’s a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week job, and you must be familiar with every employee’s job.”

Frank still uses what he’s learned to add his “personal touches” to the meals at Masonic Village with his own favorite seasonings.

He and Judy also enjoy collecting. Frank has been recording old movies onto DVDs since 1983 and currently owns over 1,200 movies. He also collects Penn State sports memorabilia. Judy loves collecting antiques and has a large collection of Chinese cloisonné.

The Walp’s legacy has even followed Frank to Masonic Village. Frank said that many of the residents are familiar with the restaurant and often like to talk about it with him.

“Judy, three of our children and I have the satisfaction of having served good food to all those people who loved and appreciated it,” Frank said. “People still remember. It’s been over 20 years now since we closed our doors, but they haven’t forgotten.”

By Katy Shero, public relations associate/intern