The former Country Cupboard restaurant will be demolished. Owners aren’t sure what’s next

Demolition is set to begin at the former Country Cupboard in Lewisburg.

Evangelical Community Hospital, which announced plans in April to purchase the property, said equipment will be in place starting Tuesday, Oct. 11.

“We understand and fully respect the sentimental value the building associated with the Country Cupboard holds for many in the community,” Kendra Aucker, the hospital’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “As we assessed the property, it became clear the aging structure would have required substantial improvements in order to make it viable for any future use.”

Country Cupboard closed in February after almost 50 years. The business employed about 130 people at the time, the Sunbury Daily Item said.

The demolition will take place in phases to allow for shared utilities with surrounding businesses to be relocated. The buildings will be torn down in the first phase, and. the concrete slabs and foundations will be demolished in the second phase. The slabs and foundations will remain in place until December, when equipment to separate the utilities is expected to be available.

Evangelical said this week it has yet to decide what will replace the former buildings.

In April, Aucker said the Evangelical was drawn to the property because of its “excellent location and it’s contiguous with some of the other property we own surrounding the Hospital campus.”

This story was originally published October 6, 2022 at 11:45 AM.