“I don’t want anyone to get the impression that Coplay is dead just because the bridge closed,” said Ruben Santiago, who, along with his fiancé, Emily Alkhal, runs The Bacon Strip on North Second Street in Coplay.

The restaurant has a cadre of dedicated customers in town and in nearby communities, according to Santiago.

“We have customers in Catasauqua who come in here frequently. One of them had a health problem that kept her homebound, so we sent breakfast over,” he said. “We made a couple of trips to Phoebe while some customers were in rehab.”

Santiago and Alkhal treasure the idea that the restaurant is a family-oriented place.

“We know most of our customers by name. If someone has a problem and can’t get here, we will get a meal over to them,” he said.

Well, maybe not every customer - the restaurant has faithful customers from Richland Township, New Jersey, and Maryland.

“They manage to get here because they like the way we treat them, and all of our food is homemade (and) cooked to order,” he said. “Nothing sits under a heat lamp.”

Santiago said his business is expanding.

“We have a Bacon Strip T-shirt in Oxford, England,” he said. “Part of our international side!”

Alkhal offers taste tests to patrons, she said.

“When I try out a new recipe, we give customers a chance to try it,” she said.

Plenty of places give taste tests and take surveys, Alkhal admits, but “the difference for us is that we take our customers’ suggestions seriously and then implement them. It keeps them coming back.”

The family-centered atmosphere extends to the help.

“We don’t have fancy names for our wait staff. We want to keep them happy,” Santiago said.

Lauren Giampapa works there and enjoys her job.

Patrons know that parking is limited around The Bacon Strip.

“We have people who park a few blocks away to come here. We understand that is the problem of parking in a small town. We’re not complaining,” he said, “but we need to treat customers well so they stay with us.”

A couple of new incentives for customers include promoting the restaurant for bicyclists on the Ironton Rail Trail.

“We have free coffee from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. when you order a meal,” Alkhal said. “Kids can get a Bacon Strip tattoo.”

The Bacon Strip also has a concession stand at Coplay Pool.

“When buses come from Life Span or World of Imagination, a couple of organizations that bring kids to the pool, we have ice pops ready for them,” Santiago said.

The pool concession stand is a nicety for the business.

“We get some customers who hear about us at the pool,” Santiago said.

As for what’s in the future, “I watch some of these chains closely to see how they manage their business,” Santiago said. “I want to grow my business, but I need to keep the same family atmosphere we have here because that’s what makes our restaurant work so well.”

Savoring a bite right now? Hold on - the owners are away on their annual vacation until Sept. 5.