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Partners Kim Schaffer and Josh Bushey have decided not to renew their lease.
"We love the shop and love our customers, but it just came to the point that [Josh and I ]wanted to spend some time together," Schaffer said. "I would come home on weekends and somebody had to be at the shop."
Schaffer, 34, has been working for a non-profit affordable housing advocacy group since 2001. The group is based in Washington, D.C., but Schaffer has had the luxury of working remotely from the Lehigh Valley. That was, until the last year, when Schaffer was required to be in Washington. Of course, that's meant weekend trips back to the Lehigh Valley.
Bushey, 29, has been the one manning the store, while also taking classes at Northampton Community College during the evenings.
He's planning to go to college full-time to finish his degree, he said.
"We are very proud of what we have been able to do and we had fun doing it, but we just decided it's time to leave on a good note," Schaffer said.
Clothesline is holding some sales to rid their wares before the shop shutters.
Clothesline sells clothing made of cotton that is grown organically, without pesticides or fertilizers. Designers it carries include Stewart+ Brown and Toggery by Kate D'Arcy.
More Bethlehem closures:
The Art & Drafting Connection, a staple in the Westgate Mall, has filed for bankruptcy protection and closed its store.
The business shuttered in late December, according to Westgate Mall officials. Art & Drafting opened in 2001. Its Web site (no longer available) said the business had 20,000 items that included drafting and office supplies, educational tools, greeting cards and world globes.
Almost everything in the shop is up for grabs at a bankruptcy auction Jan. 27. I attached a link to the auction's detail on my blog.
Also, Five Star Cafe -- which changed its name to Tasty Creations by Five Star Cafe -- in the One East Broad street building has closed again.
The eatery opened in July after the coffeehouse Java's Brewin' closed in April. Five Star shut down in September for a makeover, a menu change and a name change to Tasty Creations.
The place reopened in mid-October and then closed permanently in December, an official for the One East Broad building confirmed.
Five Star, which is touted as family-owned and operated, has a location on Schoenersville Road. That location remains open.
Owners did not return my request for comment.
In other retail news: (More items at http://blogs.mcall.com/retailwatch )
Best Buy will be opening a store in the spring at the former Circuit City building in the Southmont Shopping Center in Bethlehem Township, a Best Buy spokeswoman said.
The Circuit City building has been empty since the electronics retailer went bankrupt and closed all its stores last year.
Best Buy is a Minnesota-based electronics chain that also has locations in Whitehall Township and Richland Township. Best Buy opened a store at the former Circuit City building off Route 22 in Phillipsburg late last year.
This makes four locations for Best Buy in the area. Is the company bolstering its numbers to counter the coming of the electronics and appliance retailer hhgregg? Hmm.
Koffee Day Sandwich has been a mystery to Retail Watch since the eatery began opening locations at former Dunkin' Donuts' spots last year.
It's even more mysterious now that all three of its locations have closed with very few details explaining why. Koffee Day had locations on Route 309 in Coopersburg, Tilghman Street in Upper Macungie Township and Airport Road in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
I've been trying unsuccessfully to track down owners for awhile. Apparently, Koffee Day has come and gone.
Crazy Jakes' BBQ Pit in Palmer Township has closed.
The place opened in early 2008. Owner Donald "Jake" Trumbore, a native of barbecue-famous Kansas City, Mo., used to have a mobile cart before he went to a storefront operation.
Is Trumbore going back to a mobile operation? Excellent question. It would be even more excellent if I had an answer to that.
As with some other business owners referred to in this column, Trumbore did not return my call.
Former Retail Watch columnist Mariella Savidge also ran into some problems getting in contact with Trumbore when she touted the restaurant's opening in a January 2008 column.
If you're out there, Mr. Trumbore, please give Retail Watch a buzz.
The Bethlehem vintage clothing store UnderWired has moved to 337 Vine St. on the city's South Side.
UnderWired opened in June 2008 beneath the Wired Gallery at 520 Main St. Last January, the store expanded into the space shared with Wired Gallery.
Clarification from last week's column: Carl Billera, owner of the soon-to-open The Burgery Company restaurant on Chestnut Street in Emmaus, was a founding member of Grille 3501, which opened in 2001. Billera is no longer an owner of the South Whitehall Township eatery.
Retail Watch keeps track of new store, restaurant and bank development in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question about a retail construction project, a store opening or a chain you'd like to see come to the area? Call business reporter Tyrone Richardson at 610-820-6779, or e-mail retailwatch@mcall.com. Retail Watch appears every Sunday.
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