ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A business combining fresh food and drinks with indoor sports and games is ending operations in Lehigh County.
The Sweet Spot Bar & Grill, a full-service restaurant and bar featuring Topgolf Swing Suite golf simulator bays, will hold its last day of business on March 30 at 2805 Lehigh St. in Allentown, owner Terry Ellis said.
Ryan Kneller
Ellis attributed the decision to close to a variety of factors, including slow foot traffic, staffing difficulties, personal health issues and price increases on goods.
“The business just never really made it, and we struggled from the beginning,” Ellis told 69 News on Friday.
“… We just decided that we’re at a point now where we’ve put enough into it that we’re not going to get back out. It’s time to hang up the cleats, so to speak.”
The Sweet Spot will continue operating with its regular hours until March 30, Ellis said.
The business is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.
Ellis is appreciative of the community’s patronage and support over the years.
“We’ve got some really loyal customers who supported us through the whole time,” Ellis said.
“We appreciate them immensely, and we will miss them. You build relationships with these people, and it’s hard to say goodbye.”
The Sweet Spot opened in November 2019 in a building that was previously home to other dining establishments, including Bob Evans and Brazilian steakhouse Rodizio Grill.
The business was in the midst of changing hands in 2023, but that deal ultimately fell through, Ellis said.
The Sweet Spot’s golf simulators allow guests to play more than 100 different golf courses, including the famous Pebble Beach and St. Andrews Old Course.
There is a variety of options for individuals and groups, including playing in tournaments, enjoying closest-to-the-pin contests and practicing your game on a driving range where all of your stats are displayed and saved in a cloud account, accessible from anywhere with internet access.
Additionally, guests may use the simulators to play other sports such as baseball, football and hockey, along with non-sports games such as Carnival Classic and Zombie Dodgeball.
Topgolf Swing Suites are rented based on flat hourly rates and not by the person.
The non-peak rate (open to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday) is $50 per hour, while the peak rate (5 p.m. to close Wednesday through Friday; all day Saturdays and Sundays) is $60 per hour.
The Sweet Spot serves up appetizers such as chicken wings, cheesesteak egg rolls and Sweet Spot Nachos; and salads such as apple berry, Buffalo chicken and Caesar (featuring optional add-ons such as grilled chicken, steak, salmon or shrimp).
There are also “favorites” such as fish and chips, a cheesesteak, chicken caprese sandwich and an old-fashioned patty melt, along with several golf-themed dishes such as “Fairway Fries or Tots” (crispy fries or tots with Monterey Jack cheese, scallions, ranch, applewood-smoked bacon, cheese sauce and optional pulled pork), “The Bogey” (angus beef burger or grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle spear on brioche bun), “Birdie Flatbread” (grilled chicken, applewood-smoked bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, tomato and buttermilk ranch on toasted flatbread) and “The Hole-in-One” (house-made barbecue pulled pork on brioche bun with side of coleslaw).
A wide array of happy hour specials, offered 4-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, include $4 domestic drafts, $6 select cocktails and food specials such as $8 pierogies, $10 boneless wings, $10 quesadillas and $13 margarita shrimp.