Cafe 59, located at 59 Allen St., was closed in the beginning of March to make way for some subtle changes—among them, a new owner. Chris Connolly took over the Allentown eatery March 1, but he says customers can expect many of the same menu items and overall atmosphere.

“I worked here 10 years ago, helped with food service,” Connolly said. “Now I’m the guy running the place.”

Connolly explained that the new ownership won’t change much, but he plans to expand store hours eventually. He’s also added some menu items and has made minor renovations to the cafe’s interior. He would like to concentrate on table service, adding more meat-based items on the menu.

“We’re not necessarily getting away from vegetarian—we’re just expanding, offering a diverse menu,” he said, and the suggested customers try out the new barbecue pulled pork sandwich.

In the coming months, Connolly plans to extend hours of operation from 7 am to 7 p.m. For now, the cafe is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. He’s also dreaming up a plan to open on Sundays for brunch.  Keep up to speed with all of Cafe 59’s changes by “liking” the eatery’s Facebook page.