Hazleton celebrated the opening night of its newest and “moodiest” restaurant, as Food and Beverage Manager Stephen Gower puts it, The Carver’s Reserve, a high end establishment meant to bring a bit of flair to the city, and wholly owned by the local DeAngelo family. The Carver’s Reserve offcially opened Nov. 12 and is the latest business venture for the entrepreneurial family, who already own local businesses such as the Sugarloaf Golf Club, Airo, a vape manufacturing company, and Tony’s Muscle Cars. The hope behind it as a modern-style steakhouse is that it will provide Hazleton residents with something new while upholding the longstanding food culture of the area. “Hazleton is a city with a rich and diverse history of great area restaurants,” said Eric Wagner, the director of hospitality at The Carver’s Reserve, “but it’s lost a little bit of that over the decades, which is where the idea of bringing some of the history back through this restaurant came from.” The restaurant was renovated from an existing warehouse space owned by the DeAngelo family, originally a beer distribution center named “Quality Beverage ” on 695 S. Poplar St, and converted into a commercial space. This went beyond simple cosmetic upgrades, including several safety features, such as an enclosing firewall for the kitchen, ventilation hoods and an automatic sprinkler system. Inside The Carver’s Reserve, patrons will find a warm, well-lit space centered around a large and well-stocked bar. Sitting down at one of its high chairs, guests can pick from a wide-selection of beer, spirits and cocktails, accompanied by a menu of bar food all of which is under $20. If diners prefer a more formal experience with a more comprehensive menu, packed with prime cuts and steak and delectable seafood, the dining room is just a few steps away, past the display rack where they keep bottles representative of the Reserve’s 52 selections of wine. Inside the dining room, guests can enjoy a “modern speakeasy” equipped with tables, booths and a private dining area which can be closed off for special events. The Carver’s Reserve is even equipped with an outdoors smoking lounge, closed off for now, where guests will be able to enjoy their pick of the restaurants cigars during the warmer months of the year. Even after the building was completed, finding the staff to operate it remained another challenge, but one which Wagner felt confident in tackling. “I’ve been in the industry for about 20 years now and I’ve developed relationships with other folks in the industry that have a similar mentality to myself in terms of hospitality and management,” said Wagner, who earned a marketing degree from Wilkes University. “So, when we began the project, we quickly found about eight or nine people who were interested in coming onboard. With that core of employees filled out, we were then able to fill the remaining positions through more traditional means, such as advertisements or word-of-mouth.” The Carver’s Reserve’s chef is another point of pride for the restaurant. A self-taught chef who’d been inspired by his grandmother’s cooking, Jourdan Azevedo has been working in the restaurant industry for over 15 years, starting as a humble waiter in Gouldsboro and now standing tall as a head chef. The entire menu is of his own selection, and is one he hopes will fulfill everything Hazleton residents could want from a steakhouse restaurant and then some. The Carver’s Reserve is located in the south end of Hazleton, and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 4 p. m. to 11 p. m.
https://www.standardspeaker.com/2025/11/21/the-carvers-reserve-is-open-for-business/