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WILKES-BARRE — The Senunas family can’t be sure of the exact date — that’s been lost to time — but what they do know is that their family opened the bar bearing their name sometime in April 1959.
That means, at some point this month, Senunas’ Bar and Grill will see its 60th birthday.
And since no one can remember the exact day, the bar is celebrating for the whole month.
Opened by John Senunas II and his wife, Helen, the bar actually predates its current owners — these days, the bar is owned by John III, 57, and his wife, Rose, 58.
When asked about what’s kept the business running for so long, the couple’s son, John IV, answered it simply: “Location.”
His father, joking about the one-word answer and calling him “Mr. Analytical,” agreed.
“My dad said, ‘Don’t ever lose the corner,’” the older Senunas said.
The corner he’s referring to is North Main and Jackson streets in Wilkes-Barre, right in the heart of the campus of King’s College.
And, so far, the bar hasn’t “lost the corner.”
While the bar originally sat on the opposite side of Jackson Street in the building that now serves as King’s College’s Alumni Hall, the bar relocated to its current location on the other side of the street — 133 N. Main St. — in 2001.
While Rose highlighted a number of other reasons why she thinks the bar has done well — she mentioned friendly service staff and talented kitchen staff, along with affordable prices — the family seems to be in agreement that it’s all about the location.
“We’ve had a constant stream of business,” Rose said.
A large part of that steady stream, of course, comes from King’s College students. The family said the bar seems entrenched in the culture of the campus, with students even giving the bar the nickname “Helen’s” while Helen Senunas ran the bar until her death in 1996.
“She was always there,” the elder Senunas said of his late mother.
But when the bar moved to the new location, Rose said, things needed to change to make the business more “progressive.”
“We couldn’t be just a ‘shot and a beer’ bar,” she said.
Since then, the bar has done more to attract more customers, including the installation of multiple TVs tuned to sporting events, an expanded beer list and a focus on live events.
“We needed to really upgrade everything in here that everybody wants when they come to a local bar,” Rose said.
For the rest of the month, there will be numerous chances to celebrate the bar’s 60th birthday. Numerous giveaways have gone on throughout the month, and during happy hour each day, you can get a Miller Lite draft for only 60 cents.
Other than that, though, there’s only one thing left to do.
“We’re going to just keep doing what we’re doing,” the younger Senunas said.
Ideally for another 60 years.
