A Wayne County-based hospitality firm aims to transform the restaurant experience and reintroduce a vintage cocktail lounge at a downtown Scranton establishment.
Settlers Hospitality will officially take over management of Ale Mary’s at the Bittenbender on Franklin Avenue on July 1 and relaunch Madame Jenny’s – a speakeasy-style nightclub – at the end of October, CEO Justin Genzlinger said.
The restaurant will remain open throughout the transition, officials said.
Developer Art Russo established Ale Mary’s – a gastropub and sports bar – at 126 Franklin Ave. in March 2014. The location previously housed Whistles Pub & Eatery for 15 years before it closed in November 2010.
Genzlinger said Russo – a fellow business partner – thought Settlers would be a good organization to move the restaurant forward and both sides recognized the benefits of the partnership. Settlers operates several hotels and restaurants in the Pocono Mountains and Lackawanna County including The Settlers Inn, Glass – wine. bar. kitchen at Ledges Hotel, and Cocoon Coffeehouse and Bakery, all in Hawley; The Dock on Wallenpaupack at Silver Birches Resort in Palmyra Twp.; and Kōl Grill at Hotel Anthracite in Carbondale.
“He’s a real estate guy, not a hospitality guy and he sees an opportunity to elevate the Ale Mary’s experience,” Genzlinger said. “We liked the location, we liked the building, and a lot of our customers come from Scranton, either to Lake Wallenpaupack or (Hotel Anthracite) in Carbondale so we also see it as cross-selling opportunity to integrate the Scranton marketplace with the Pocono Mountains.”
Ale Mary’s – boasting a rotating selection of nearly 100 craft and imported beers – will feature a variety of new appetizer and entrée options descripted by Settlers officials as “craveable and affordable.”
Additionally, Madame Jenny’s – which originally opened in April 2019 and was named after Jennie Duffy, who operated a bawdy house in Scranton for many years in the early 20th century – will bring elegant style back to downtown Scranton. Madame Jenny’s closed in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened in fall 2023 before closing again around May 2024.
“We have a private social club in Hawley that has a similar vibe,” Genzlinger said. “It will be a little bit of a throwback experience – a speakeasy-style with a more contemporary version of entertainment.”
Genzlinger added the venue will host ticketed shows, including live music and other types of performances from the art deco, Great Gatsby era.
Zach Russo, former manager of Ale Mary’s, thinks people enjoyed taking a step back in time at Madame Jenny’s and will welcome its return.
“It’s a different vibe than you would normally get at a place in Scranton,” he said
Guests mingle during an event at Madame Jenny’s inside Ale Mary’s on Franklin Street in downtown Scranton in Feb. 2020. (Sean McKeag / Staff Photographer)
Genzlinger (Courtesy Settlers Hospitality)
Liz Baldi, business development director for Scranton Tomorrow, a nonprofit community and economic development organization, believes Settlers will take Ale Mary’s to the next level.
“Settlers Hospitality has a proven track record of providing really great dining and social experiences,” she said. “Ale Mary’s laid the groundwork to make it a successful business and Settlers can elevate it and grow it.”
Baldi also feels the return of Madame Jenny’s will provide another boost to the city’s entertainment scene.
“Nightlife in the downtown has been growing rapidly and having more options for really interesting experiences,” she said. “We have such a historic downtown and to have a play on that is really cool and another thing Scranton can be known for.”