LEHIGHTON, Pa. — Brandon Cummins and his wife Jordan are putting the final touches on their new business venture just off Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard in Lehighton.
"It's from the 1800s. It's one of the oldest buildings in Lehighton, so when it became available, we jumped on it right away," Brandon Cummins said.
Cummins says they've always wanted to open a restaurant, but with their young family, they decided on another path—to open Trailside Events.
"To lock in this space, my wife thought of the idea to have an events center so people can come here, have a bridal shower, a graduation, or even a small wedding," Brandon said.
"In our area here, there isn't a ton of options for rentals that are more than an empty hall," Jordan Cummins said.
The owners say they got the inspiration for the name of the business with what's right outside their door—The D&L Trail.
"The running trail's here, and that is what we are known for, so I said, 'Why don't we just call it Trailside?" Jordan said.
For several years, Insurrection Distillery called the building home, but it closed over a year ago, so the couple spent months freshening the building up with paint and other upgrades. Jordan says with their ties to the area, they wanted to proudly display some Carbon County history.
"It used to be a planing mill for wood, and when that family no longer ran the business, it was taken over by Lehigh Stove. So, they manufactured stoves out of here and we actually have one of the original stoves here in the building."
A grand opening is planned for early May. The Cummins also hopes to host other community activities in the new space.