BUSHKILL TWP., Pa. – A beloved destination for ice cream, putting and family fun is for sale in Northampton County.
Mountain View Drive-In, a restaurant and miniature golf course at 602 Jacobsburg Road in Bushkill Township, is available for purchase with a price tag of $1,350,000, according to a recent Coldwell Banker Heritage Real Estate listing.
Husband and wife owners John and Lanie Yaswinksi have decided to sell the property due to changing family circumstances over the past few months, Lanie said.
Until that happens, though, it will be “business as usual” for the restaurant and mini-golf course, Lanie added.
The dining and entertainment venue, at the corner of Henry and Jacobsburg roads, closed temporarily in February for a mid-winter break. Operations are expected to resume in late March or early April, Lanie said.
“We will be announcing our reopening soon,” she added.
The newly constructed facility opened in 2019, but Mountain View’s history actually dates back more than a half century, when the original owners – the late Miklos and Beatrice Krasznavolgyi – opened an eatery of the same name at the site in 1955. A miniature golf course would follow in 1962.
Following Beatrice’s death in 2004, Mountain View’s run under its original ownership came to an end, and the venue’s future appeared bleak.
The site fell into disrepair over the next decade until the Yaswinkis placed a bid on the property in 2016 and started a years-long process of reviving the iconic hangout.
Lanie was a regular at Mountain View growing up and wished to restore the venue for the community to enjoy.
In order to bring the facility up to code and satisfy current PennDOT and state Department of Environmental Protection requirements, the Yaswinskis had to knock down the property’s former restaurant and miniature golf course and rebuild them farther away from the roadway.
“It was my goal to bring [Mountain View] back to the community,” Lanie said. “I feel like I did that, but now maybe I’m not the one to take it forward.”
The reimagined facility, which opened in August 2019, features a 3,000-square-foot restaurant, an expansive outdoor patio, and a 19-hole miniature golf course with nods to local landmarks such as Henry’s Woods and Schoeneck Moravian Church.
The “turn key operation” also features outdoor seating under a covered porch and a party pavilion, according to the real estate listing.
“This iconic miniature golf course and restaurant have been the focal point of the community for over 50 years & is a unique destination location,” the listing reads. “The brand new 3,000 sqft full service BYOB restaurant offers seating for 45+ people, open concept dining with high ceilings, large kitchen, parking for over 70 cars & could lend itself to several different venues.”
Mountain View, with a variety of booth seating, offers breakfast options such as omelettes, stuffed French toast and creamed chipped beef over buttermilk biscuits; and lunch and dinner options such as burgers, cheesesteaks, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, soups, and salads.
The restaurant also serves up an array of appetizers, including corn nuggets, fresh-cut fries, loaded nachos and quesadillas, along with chilled treats such as hard and soft ice cream, milkshakes, signature sundaes and soda floats. Several ingredients are sourced locally.
In designing the updated Mountain View restaurant, the Yaswinskis incorporated features from the original building, including retro Formica dining tables. They also hung framed photos of the Krasznavolgyis and constructed furniture from maple trees that were cut down on the property.
Business has been steady over the years, but the COVID-19 pandemic “definitely posed some challenges,” Lanie said.
The facility, which opened about six months before the pandemic’s onset, was forced to temporarily close due to mitigation efforts and later dealt with staffing complications.
Also, some regular customers, especially older patrons, seemed to change their dining routines and visited the restaurant less frequently, Lanie said.
“We weren’t designed for COVID,” Lanie said. “We were designed to be a gathering place, a place where we encourage you to sit together and encourage you to have fun together. So, that didn’t really translate well during COVID.”
To stay up-to-date on Mountain View Drive-In happenings, including a reopening announcement, follow the business’ pages on Facebook and Instagram.