BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A store selling specialty gifts, holiday decor and more has ended operations, as a fresh entertainment option is set to join the lineup at a prominent shopping destination in Northampton County.
General Store, offering a wide array of gifts, greeting cards, holiday decor and more, closed this past weekend at The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem.
General Store has closed on the lower level of The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem.
The store, operating on The Outlets’ lower level near the escalators, sold home decor and gifts such as candles, collectibles, garden flags, plush figures, specialty food items and country accents.
The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem, at 77 Wind Creek Blvd., debuted as The Shoppes at the Sands in 2011 with space for 31 tenants, and The Old Farmer’s Almanac General Store was an original tenant.
In recent years, the lower-level tenant was known simply as “General Store.”
General Store has closed on the lower level of The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem.
The closure of General Store follows a string of other departures at The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem in recent years.
Over the past three years, The Outlets has bid farewell to BonWorth, a nationally recognized retailer of women’s fashions; DKNY, the New York City-based global fashion brand founded in 1989 by American fashion designer Donna Karan; and Carlo’s Bake Shop, part of a chain of bakeries fronted by celebrity baker Buddy “Cake Boss” Valastro.
A string of other former tenants – including Charming Charlie, Under Armour Bethlehem Factory House and Corningware Corelle & More – closed in 2022.
Additionally, in 2023, Trap Door Immersive Experiences – which operates multiple escape rooms in the Poconos and New Jersey – announced that it was no longer planning to open a pirate-themed escape room at the south Bethlehem outlet mall.
The 10,000-square-foot facility was originally expected to open in three previously separate spaces on the lower level.
In a post on Trap Door’s Facebook page, it was announced that after a period of dedicated collaboration and immense work, Trap Door is “parting ways” with Wind Creek Bethlehem.
“Our attraction ‘Cursed Pirate Tales’ will no longer be opening as planned, and further work at the venue is suspended,” the announcement continued. “This decision was not made lightly and comes after careful consideration of various factors affecting the project.”
A Wind Creek Bethlehem spokesperson did not return a message seeking information on the former General Store location and any possible new projects that may be in the works at The Outlets.
New additions
The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem continues to house prominent retailers such as Coach, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger, and there have also been some positive happenings at The Outlets in recent years.
Last summer, Bethlehem Barrel & Drafthouse, a new full-service restaurant and bar offering reuben egg rolls, chicken schnitzel and other tasty eats alongside rotating craft beer, specialty cocktails and other drinks, opened on the lower level near The Outlets’ street-level entrance.
Bethlehem Barrel & Drafthouse, operating under Aramark Sports + Entertainment, blends a warm, rustic interior with sleek finishes, creating a “refined yet casual atmosphere,” a news release announced prior to its opening.
Guests can enjoy “elevated pub fare” alongside standout specialty items that are crafted for the community, complemented by an extensive selection of whiskeys, a rotating offering of beer from Pennsylvania breweries, and a cocktail program featuring local spirits with a Pennsylvania history.
The menu includes appetizers such as reuben egg rolls and “everthing” pretzel bites; sandwiches such as a smoked turkey BLT and Francesinha (sausage patty, kielbasa, ham, steak and gruyere with chili-porter brown sauce on sourdough); and entrees such as chicken schnitzel, center-cut pork chop and shrimp and grits.
The restaurant’s bar and dining room accommodate around 200 guests.
Also last year, Sweet Revenge, a New Orleans-themed sweet spot offering made-on-site baked goods, local ice cream, coffee and more, opened in the lower-level spot previously occupied by Carlo’s Bake Shop.
Sweet Revenge customers can enjoy a wide array of made-on-site baked goods, including beignets, buttered croissants, blueberry and banana nut muffins, cannolis, cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies, Reese’s peanut butter brownies and various fruit-filled pastries.
There are also 12 flavors of locally made, super premium ice cream from Batch Microcreamery, including popular picks such as bourbon vanilla, cookies and cream, salted caramel and honey lavender, and selections can be customized with your choice of more than a dozen toppings, including hot fudge, cookie dough, sprinkles, maple sugar walnuts and crushed blueberries or pineapple.
Other menu highlights include signature milkshakes, hot coffee, cold brew coffee, hot chocolate and build-your-own breakfast sandwiches.
Sweet Revenge is owned by Kyle Randell and AJ Mitchell, who also operate two other businesses on The Outlets’ lower level: Angry Jack’s Axe Throwing Club, offering guided axe throwing sessions for individuals of all skill levels; and Twisted Tees, a sports bar and entertainment destination featuring multi-sport simulators, pool tables, yard games, elevated pub fare, a full bar and more.
Twisted Tees opened 2.5 years ago in a renovated, nearly 10,000-square foot space that previously housed women’s fashion retailer Charming Charlie, and the venue will soon more than double in size when a new addition opens later this spring, Randell said.
Twisted Tees’ expansion will occupy a newly formed space – totaling around 12,000 square feet – that previously housed three smaller retail units.
It will bring more ways to play, relax and have fun with a realistic, 18-hole miniature golf course; larger and more private simulator spaces; a second bar and dining area; and a larger stage to continue hosting live entertainment.
A new digital jukebox also will be available to play music.
“We’re super excited to be growing,” Randell told 69 News in March.
Twisted Tees’ opened over two years ago in its original space on The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem’s lower level.
“Our original space will retain that fun, clubhouse feel, and it will feature an interior connection to our new space, which will have a really cool, outdoorsy feel with natural-looking greens throughout.”
Randell and Mitchell, who also own and operate the nearly year-old Ranch City Brewing craft brewery at the Simon Silk Mill in Easton, are looking to make Twisted Tees “even more of a family-friendly destination” with the upcoming expansion, Randell said.
“It’s our goal to offer great fun, food and drinks, and mini golf especially is just a super fun activity for the whole family,” Randell added.
“Parents could bring their kids here to let loose year-round, including in the winter when there’s not much to do and in the summer on a rainy day.”
The mini-golf course will feature putting greens, faux sand traps, raised greens resembling rolling hills and various colors of turf made to look like a real golf course, Randell said.
A few select obstacles will create additional challenges.
“We’re designing more of a natural kind of course, but since we’re partnering with Ranch City Brewing, some of the features will be slightly ranch-themed,” Randell said.
“For example, we’ll have a rustic, steel wind mill, and there also will be a chicken coop to collect balls.”
The expansion will feature an interior connection to Twisted Tees’ original space, making for one, large cohesive space.
The simulator bays – currently situated alongside a wall that will be opened to the addition – will be repositioned in the new space, Randell said.
The TruGolf simulators feature cutting-edge, immersive technology, allowing guests to tee-off from a large library of the world’s best golf courses and receive meaningful feedback on every shot.
Individuals also can choose to play other popular sports such as baseball, hockey, soccer and dodgeball.
The Twisted Tees expansion also will feature a second bar, with seating for around 12 guests, along with additional dining tables for around 30 guests, Randell said.
Twisted Tees offers Ranch City beers along with craft cocktails, wines and pub fare.
Food menu highlights include starters and sides such as baked wings, “Twisted Nachos,” fried mozzarella and loaded potato scoops; flatbreads such as Buffalo chicken, meat lovers and “Honey Blue Blue” (arugula, blueberry, feta, ricotta, honey and caramelized onion); and “Dirty Dogs” and sandwiches such as a “Chip Shot Cheesesteak,” “Par-fect Burger” and “Mac Caddy” dog (topped with beer mac and cheese).
People could also walk around with drinks and food while playing, Randell said.
“We’re also thinking of having someone with a cart going around offering drinks and food like hot dogs to players, at least on busy nights,” Randell said. “There will be barrels situated throughout the space so you’d have places to set down your drinks and food.”
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