Category:Village Inn, Allentown, Pennsylvania

The Village Inn was a long-time Pennsylvania Dutch restaurant, located on West Tilghman Street in South Whitehall township It was open for more than half a century. became a local landmark. It was family-owned and welcomed thousands of families celebrating milestone birthdays and anniversaries and toasting newlyweds at wedding receptions, high school reunions and other occasions. Many local and out-of-town celebrities dined at the restaurants.

It was built in 1937 by William Trinkle, "Bill Trinkle's Tavern" was both a hotel and restaurant located in the Parkway Manor section of South Whitehall Township, about 2 miles from the Allentown City Limits on what was then U.S. 22 (Now 4140 Tilghman Street). This was Trinkle's second facility in the area, as he had opened up a similar hotel/restaurant in the Cetronia area of Allentown, to the south in 1925, which his brother took over, and renamed as the Cetronia Hotel. Trinkle operated the business in Parkway Manor until June 1947 when he sold the property to Elliot S. Ryan, who was the former general manager of the Americus Hotel. Trinkel subsequently opened a new facility at 30th and Tilghman Streets, just inside Allentown city limits.

Ryan renamed the facility "Ryans Rendezvous", and added television to the cocktail lounge soon afterwards. Ryan's ownership, however, was brief as he purchased an interest in Orlando, Florida and sold the business to Louis and Margaret Kenneth in November 1948. The Kenneths renamed the property as The Village Inn, however they also did not own the property long as the restaurant was sold in February 1950 to Harold and Charles Haines. During 1966 the restaurant was considerably expanded and remodeled.

In October 1998, after months of speculation, The Village Inn was sold to the Rite-Aid pharmacy chain. Rite-Aid planned to build a large pharmacy on the site. The restaurant closed at the end of November 1998, the interior equipment being sold at a public auction. Rite-Aid, however, abandoned its plans to expand into the Allentown area, and the former Village Inn was borded-up and offered for sale to developers in 1999. In August 2000, the vacant property was sold, however it stood until May 2003 when developer Vince Palumbo tore down the restaurant and replaced it with a boutique shopping center which includes medical offices and a bank.