PITTSTON, Pa. — It's a serene setting out on the patio overlooking the Susquehanna River at The Banks in Pittston.
But the co-owners will tell you, as this wedding and event venue was under construction during the pandemic, their thoughts were anything but peaceful.
"There was a lot of unsure answers," said co-owner Jamie Granko. "We didn't know which way this was actually going to work out in terms of, you know, restrictions or if anything was even going to actually open back up again."
But the owners said they never completely lost hope, even in the height of the pandemic, when weddings and large events seemed to be at a standstill.
"Because of the support," added co-owner Kevin Kearney. "Early on with this venue, we knew at some point, things were going to open up, and people were going to stick with us, and they were contracted, and they would wait out another year and another year. We're booked out to 2023 already, and with that being said, we had confidence that when things did open up, we were back to a normal again, where our normal that we would thrive."
These owners credit some of the luck to the size of the venue, where they were able to meet the governor's restrictions and the wants of brides and grooms.
"Think everything's going to work out great here, you know, there's multiple sets of the venue where we can actually space people out, be in accordance with the state guidelines of having people six feet apart and you know, if they don't feel comfortable inside the venue, they can come outside the venue, or they can go into the second building," explained Granko.
They hope their position in Pittston will help contribute to the continued revitalization of the city.
"There's a lot of buzz because, you know, there's nothing like this in this area from a standpoint of venue to be able to host bigger events," added Kearney. "So with that being said, two sides of things, number one, huge support from the entire region. And number two, you know, one block removed from the Main Street. We have river views and a backdrop with mountains. It's pretty great."
If you'd like to learn more about The Banks, you can get more information by clicking here.