Pa. Police Union to Turn Restaurant into Officer Wellness Center

City officials approved the Bethlehem Fraternal Order of Police's plan to turn a seafood restaurant into a membership club for officers, converting it into a space with a gym and rooms for training and meetings.

By Lindsay Weber

Source The Morning Call

Nov. 19, 2025

2 min read

What to know

• The Bethlehem Fraternal Order of Police is purchasing the Adagio Seafood Restaurant property to convert it into a wellness, training and meeting center for city officers.

• The zoning board unanimously approved the plan, which includes a members-only gym, defensive tactics space and classroom areas.

• Adagio will close in January after honoring existing events, and the FOP says the new use will be quieter and less disruptive than the current restaurant.

The Bethlehem, PA, Fraternal Order of Police plans to turn Adagio Seafood Restaurant into a membership club for officers once the popular restaurant closes in January. The union will buy the building and will convert it into a space with a gym and rooms for training and meetings for its members.

A popular north Bethlehem restaurant is under an agreement of sale with the Bethlehem Fraternal Order of Police, who intend to turn it into a wellness center and meeting space for the city’s officers.

Bethlehem’s zoning hearing board voted unanimously Wednesday (Oct. 22) to approve the FOP’s application to turn the Adagio Seafood Restaurant at 530 Pembroke Road into a membership club for Bethlehem’s unionized police force. According to Robert Nichelson, president of the Bethlehem FOP, the existing restaurant is already considered a “non-conforming use” according to the city’s zoning code. It is located in a high-density residential zoning district.

The FOP plans to convert parts of the building into a members-only gym with weight equipment, padded training room for defensive tactical training, and a classroom space for seminars and union membership meetings.

“One of the main things that we’re doing is providing space for wellness and training for police officers — healthier, happier police officers benefit the entire city of Bethlehem,” Nichelson said.

Nichelson said the building’s use as a residential club would be a benefit to the community, and less noticeable and disruptive than the current restaurant use because the building would be restricted to retired and active city police officers. There are around 300 current and former police officers who are members of the Bethlehem FOP, though many of the retired officers have since left the area and would likely not frequent the building, he said.

The FOP is only purchasing the restaurant building, not its liquor license, although alcohol will be available on site for officers in a lounge-like, casual setting, Nichelson said. Zoning board members approved the membership club use on the condition that alcohol not be consumed on site after 2 a.m., to which the FOP does not object.

Realtor Lucy Lennon of Main Street Real Estate Group, which represented both Adagio owner Anthony Spagnola and the FOP for the property sale, said Adagio would close in January. It will honor previously scheduled events like holiday parties before then.

Staff writer Graysen Golter contributed to this report.

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