Family, friends and supporters gathered July 11 to celebrate the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of the Upper Macungie Tavern, bringing new life to the former Sunset Grille property in Ruppsville.

The restaurant is owned by Emmanuel “Manny” Teloniatis and his wife, Kalliopi Alti, who spent the past several months renovating and preparing the location after it sat vacant for about two years.

“We worked very hard every day,” Alti said as guests toured the restaurant and sampled menu items and desserts, including baklava and visino, a traditional sour-cherry preserve.

The tavern held a soft opening June 15 before Saturday’s official celebration.

Unlike its predecessor, which was known primarily as a bar, the Upper Macungie Tavern is being marketed as a family-oriented restaurant featuring a scratch kitchen, where meals and desserts are prepared from raw ingredients.

General Manager Rachel Spiegel, who said she has helped open more than 27 restaurants, highlighted several popular menu items, including the lobster roll and the Upper Macungie Burger.

The menu features a variety of seafood and steak house offerings, including T-bone steaks, porterhouse steaks, rib-eyes, pork chops, salmon and lamb chops. Spiegel said many dishes draw inspiration from the owners’ Greek heritage.

In addition to the regular menu, Alti prepares specialty dishes based on recipes from her home village in Greece. The restaurant’s cocktail menu also features Mediterranean influences.

The family atmosphere extends beyond the menu.

The couple’s daughter, Nikoleta, serves as a hostess, while their son, Efstratios, works in the kitchen preparing salads.

Alti said her approach to cooking is rooted in a passion for sharing her culture and food with others.

“My secret is whatever you do, do it with love,” she said. “When I cook and bake, I don’t do it because I have to, I do it because I love to do it.”

Guests raised a toast wishing the family “many years” of success in their new venture.

Spiegel said a children’s menu is currently being developed, with brunch service and catering expected to be introduced this fall. The family also plans to open an upstairs private dining area in 2027.

Since the closure of the Sunset Grille, many area residents hoped a new restaurant would bring a unique dining option to the neighborhood. The owners believe the Upper Macungie Tavern will fill that role by combining American favorites with Greek-inspired cuisine.

The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Reservations are recommended on Fridays and Saturdays and can be made through Google or the Toast app.