Centre County saw business shakeups in January 2026. Check out some you may have missed

Local businesses opened, closed and changed hands across Centre County in January 2026, with developments ranging from a downtown State College bar shutting down after misconduct allegations to new restaurants preparing to open.

Here are the highlights of business stories you may have missed:

• The Hideaway Electric Speakeasy in downtown State College permanently closed in January after operating roughly six months total. Owner Michael Fullington Jr. said he “exhausted all of my funds” following an internal investigation that found “substantial and credible evidence” supporting employees’ allegations of inappropriate touching and intimidating behavior.

• Five new businesses are planned for the former Rite Aid building in Bellefonte, including a sandwich shop, coffee shop, fitness center and phone carrier store. Cedar Cliff Properties LLC bought the 14,673-square-foot building at 821 E. Bishop St. for $1.5 million in October.

• Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to build a roughly 60,000-square-foot store at the Colonnade shopping plaza in Patton Township, more than doubling its current 30,000-square-foot location. The proposed site sits between the existing Target and Kohl’s stores.

• Sweets of Gold bakery in Bellefonte will close at the end of February after four years, its owner announced last month. Sarah Bryan cited burnout and financial strain, writing on Facebook that the business “doesn’t pay the bills” and “doesn’t build retirement.”

• Two Subway locations closed (1700 S. Atherton St. and 2790 W. College Ave.), while Fire & Fig Grill, a Persian restaurant, is preparing to open at 1100 N. Atherton St. in the former Kimchi Korean Restaurant space.

• Eddie and Dana Agostinelli, the husband-and-wife pair behind Centre County’s Shanny Farms, have taken over the deli counter at McLanahan’s Downtown Market at 116 S. Allen St. Eddie Agostinelli previously ran the Agostinelli Market in Boalsburg.

• Jelly’s Treasure Chest opened at 121 S. Allegheny St. in Bellefonte, the former home of Victorian House Antiques. The toy store is owned and operated by Vince Bubb and his girlfriend Mary Rocky, who previously ran Unlimited Treasurers 2 along the Benner Pike.

• Lizzy’s Toy Box and Elizabeth Henry’s, a toy store and bakery, opened together at 206 W. High St. in Bellefonte. The toy store side of the business specializes in 3D toys and the bakery sells macarons, cupcakes, cake pops, cookies and more.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.