Morning Call Takes a Balanced Look at the Bethlehem Co-Op Boondoggle; Meanwhile, Does the Boondoggle Need State Approval to Sell Fresh Food?

**Updated Oct. 24 with note about health inspection**

Oct. 22, 2025

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

The Morning Call has published a balanced look at the Bethlehem Co-Op Boondoggle, see a link here.

The Boondoggle has taken millions of public dollars, spent them yet never opened. It said it would open in 2022, then later, then later, and it’s still not open despite more than $4 million in spending.

Meanwhile, the Co-Op contends it needs just to finish refrigeration work and then seek a “CO” or Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Bethlehem to open.

Not so fast. Pennsylvania businesses that sell fresh and prepared food need more than that, although the Co-Op was not aware of that at their Monday meeting.

Operators of many food businesses need to deal with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

** Note, the City of Bethlehem has a Health Bureau and can inspect restaurants and food businesses **

From the website:

This program covers businesses that store, package, make, cook, mix, process, bottle, bake, can, freeze, pack, or otherwise handle food. This includes a building, place, or vehicle used for these purposes.

Owners of such food businesses must first get a Food Registration. 

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They should have known about this. They didn’t.

Unless the Co-Op is exempt, not being aware of this reflects yet again on the failed attempts to open. I asked about it Monday during their public board meeting. They were not aware. They better look into it, so consider that question my contribution to the Co-Op.

One now-former board member has conceded that the board doesn’t know a lot about running co-ops, but serving prepared food is serious stuff. People can get sick, and businesses without the right permits can get shut down.

Of course, it has to open first.

Meanwhile, because the Co-Op is not operating and has no opening date, all operating expenses (rent, utilities, maintenance, salaries, etc.) have been wasted. There was a general manager at one time, but not now. There is a staff of sorts, but for what? Who got paid and how much?

As for capital expenses, the Co-Op Boondoggle at 250 E. Broad St. has bought store fixtures and kitchen equipment, but these depreciate rapidly. Check out any store that closed, fixtures go for almost nothing.

The Boondoggle bumbles on. Good intentions, no execution, and millions of public dollars have fizzled away.