From the Ashes We Rise
For generations, we have carried on the Smucker Family tradition of hospitality. Nothing—not even the tests we’ve faced in recent months—can shake our commitment to keep welcoming guests to Lancaster County with warmth, good food and a clean, comfortable place to stay.
Visit this page for the latest information as we rebuild and move toward reopening our Bird-in-Hand Family Inn reception office and our Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord and our Stage.
Same great food. Convenient temporary location.
We are serving restaurant guests at a temporary location. Starting March 19, we will move operations to the site of the former Revere Tavern, just a few minutes away in Paradise. We think you’ll enjoy the ambience of this historic stone tavern. Join us for lunch or dinner soon!
We’re open 11 a.m. –7 p.m., Tuesday–Saturday.
Call ahead seating recommended during the week. Due to limited capacity, there will be times that call ahead seating will not be accepted. However, if you call us 30-60 minutes before your arrival, and we are currently on a wait, we will add your name to our waitlist. This is not a reservation, but it will shorten your wait and secure your place in line for seating.
Our temporary location is 3063 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, PA—just 3.2 miles from our restaurant via Ronks Road. (See map on this page)
The shows will go on!
We’re happy to announce that our Bird-in-Hand Stage will launch its 2024 season in early April, as scheduled.
We will stage the season’s first two shows, The Confession and Ryan & Friends: All-Star Comedy, at our temporary location at 3063 Lincoln Highway East at least through June. (See map on this page)
How to find our temporary location
3063 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, PA
From our Restaurant:
- Head east on Old Philadelphia Pike.
- Take the first right onto Ronks Rd. and continue 1.6 miles.
- Turn left onto US-30 East/Lincoln Hwy. East and continue 1.6 miles.
- The Revere Tavern will be on your left.
For the time being, we are serving and entertaining guests at a temporary location in Paradise, just about 3 miles from our Restaurant & Stage via Ronks Road, in a historic stone building that recently served as the Revere Tavern.
DirectionsOur Family Inn is open during construction
We are in the process of rebuilding our reception office and renovating rooms that were damaged in the December fire. The Pool Building is open, with 90 rooms and suites, plus a host of recreational facilities, including two heated indoor pools, a hot tub, a game room and an exercise room. The check-in desk has been temporarily relocated to the building’s D Lobby, near the second carport.
Business as usual at our other properties
Bird-in-Hand Bakery & Cafe and Bird-in-Hand Artisan Village are operating on their normal schedules, as are our other lodging properties.
Construction updates
We are fully committed to reopening safely. At the Family Inn, we are rebuilding the reception office and restoring guest rooms in the west end of the Front building. We hope to have them ready to welcome guests before the summer season is in full swing. At the Restaurant & Smorgasbord/Stage building, we are remediating damage from smoke, water and the fire itself. Contractors are working diligently to accommodate an accelerated restoration schedule. For the safety of our staff and guests, we are also replacing all underground gas tanks and lines near the hotel and restaurant.
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We are so grateful for your support.
Thanks to our local fire departments, the damage was not far worse. In recent months, many neighbors, guests and friends have reached out to us in so many ways—attending the memorial for Michele Miller and donating to charities in her name, helping clean out the restaurant, donating to a fund to support our displaced employees, and extending their prayers and well wishes.
If you would like to support us, please stay with us, shop with us, join us for dinner or a show and stop by the bakery. We are open for business!
What You May Have Missed
Restaurant & Stage will operate at the former Revere Tavern in Paradise
Bird-in-Hand, PA, March 12, 2024 – Bird-in-Hand Corporation will open a temporary location on Tuesday, March 19. Its Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord will serve lunch and dinner at the former Revere Tavern at 3063 Lincoln Highway East in Paradise. It will be open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
“Good food and hospitality are part of our DNA, and we are looking forward to greeting and serving guests in this historic location while construction proceeds at our restaurant in Bird-in-Hand,” said John E. Smucker, II, President and Chief Executive Officer of the company, whose family has been in the hospitality industry in Lancaster County for several generations.
The Bird-in-Hand Stage will also move to the temporary location when its 2024 season opens with The Confession and Ryan & Friends: All-Star Comedy, both of which open the first week of April. Ticketholders are being contacted about any changes to showtimes.
A fan-favorite menu
Bird-in-Hand will offer a lunch and dinner smorgasbord comparable to their original, with a salad bar, soup station, bread and cheese bar, and dessert bar, along with entrees like pork and sauerkraut, ham balls, broasted chicken, baked fish and more, plus an assortment of fresh vegetables and other sides. The dinner buffet also includes breaded shrimp and roast beef and gravy. On Wednesdays, they will serve their famous chicken pot pie, and there will be a carving station at dinner on weekends.
They will also offer à la carte table service, with a menu that includes a variety of hot entrees, sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts, along with a kids’ menu. In a nod to the location’s recent history, the menu will also include some “Revere Tavern favorites,” starting with Prime Rib on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Bird-in-Hand Bakery & Cafe, Artisan Village, the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn and the Village Inn & Suites continue to operate on their normal schedules.
For more updates, visit the website at www.Bird-in-Hand.com.
During restoration, restaurant and stage operations will relocate to former Revere Tavern
Bird-in-Hand, PA, February 26, 2024 – As it rebuilds after a recent fire, Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord and Bird-in-Hand Stage will move to the former Revere Tavern at 3063 Lincoln Highway East in nearby Paradise. The restaurant is expected to begin lunch and dinner operations at the temporary location in mid-March.
“Preparing and sharing good, fresh food has been a family tradition for generations, and we look forward to serving guests again,” said Brad Stoltzfus, Bird-in-Hand’s Food Service General Manager. “We think they’ll appreciate the ambiance of the Revere, a historic 1740 stone tavern just minutes from Bird-in-Hand.”
Cause of the fire
On January 30, a fire broke out at the restaurant in Bird-in-Hand. Investigators have determined that an exhaust fan in the roof truss area of the kitchen malfunctioned, overheated and caused the fire.
“We are grateful that our fire suppression system did an exceptional job of containing the spread of the fire,” said John E. Smucker, II, Bird-in-Hand’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Still, he noted, water and smoke damage were significant, so contents and furnishings on both levels of the building had to be removed entirely before reconstruction and refurbishment could begin. Construction is underway, and teams are working diligently to accommodate an accelerated restoration schedule.
“We are also so grateful for the generosity of the 60 or so friends and neighbors who came out on February 8 to help us move contents out of the building so the restoration could begin, and to the Hand-in-Hand Fire Company for donating lunch,” Smucker said.
The restaurant fire was unrelated to a December 2023 fire at the adjacent Bird-in-Hand Family Inn, which was due to a leak in an underground gas line. Restoration of the reception office and affected lodging units is underway and is projected to be completed in late summer. All underground tanks and lines near the hotel and the restaurant will be replaced.
Taking care of employees
The restaurant had about 95 employees at the time of the kitchen fire. Some employees will return to work at the temporary location in Paradise. The company is developing alternative employment opportunities for some of the other displaced staff. The family-owned company also set up a GoFundMe page and bank account at the Bank of Bird-in-Hand to benefit employees impacted by the fire, which has raised $15,000 to date. Funds will be distributed to hourly employees.
“So many people reached out to ask how they could help. Some of our employees may be out of work for several months, and unemployment compensation might only cover a portion of their wages. We set up a fund to help them cover living expenses, and we are so grateful to all those who have donated to show their support for our employees,” Smucker said.
Group dining reservation holders are being notified of the changes. If group leaders have questions, they can contact Group Sales at (800) 627-1910 or GroupSales@Bird-in-Hand.com.
The Bird-in-Hand Bakery & Cafe, Artisan Village, the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn and the Village Inn and Suites continue to operate on their normal schedules
Fire damages kitchen and lobby of popular Restaurant & Smorgasbord
Bird-in-Hand, PA, January 31, 2024 – Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord experienced a fire that damaged its kitchen and front lobby area.
Firefighters from Hand-in-Hand Fire Company and other neighboring companies were dispatched to the scene at 10:50 p.m. on Tuesday, January 30, and fought the blaze for about three hours.
“We are grateful for the rapid response from our local emergency services departments, and most grateful that no one was hurt,” said John E. Smucker, II, Bird-in-Hand’s president and chief executive officer. “Our fire protection system was a remarkable deterrent to contain greater damage.”
The restaurant is currently closed, and the cause of the fire and extent of the damage are being assessed.
The restaurant was closed for 10 days in December following a fire at the adjacent Bird-in-Hand Family Inn. Prior to the December 28 reopening, the restaurant’s structure, gas line and tanks, heating/ventilation/air conditioning, water and electrical systems passed extensive safety inspections.
“Our family has a long tradition of providing good food and hospitality to the local community and visitors to Lancaster County, and our Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord has been a key part of that tradition for generations,” Smucker said. “We fully intend to rebuild the restaurant, just like we are rebuilding the damaged structures at our Bird-in-Hand Family Inn, and to reopen when it is safe to do so.”
The company is exploring ways to continue to serve its dining guests and to support its restaurant employees who are impacted by the closure. We have established a GoFundMe page where the community can donate funds to help employees replace lost wages and benefits during this difficult time. Donations can also be made to the Bank of Bird-in-Hand. Checks can be sent to Bank of Bird-in-Hand, 309 North Ronks Road, Bird-in-Hand PA, 17505 or in person to any of their locations. Please make checks payable to Bird-in-Hand Corporation and note BIH Staff Fund on the memo line.
The Bird-in-Hand Bakery & Cafe, Artisan Village and the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn all are operating on their normal schedules.
Bird-in-Hand, PA, January 8, 2024 – The Bird-in-Hand Family Inn is scheduled to reopen on January 9 and is currently taking reservations. The resort hotel has been closed since December 18, following a fire that destroyed its front office building. Guests will be accommodated in the Pool Building, which was undamaged by the fire.
“We look forward to welcoming guests back to our hotel,” said John E. Smucker, II, Bird-in-Hand’s president and chief executive officer.
The largest of the hotel’s building, the Pool Building has 90 rooms and suites, plus a host of recreational facilities, including two heated indoor pools, a hot tub, a game room and an exercise room. The check-in desk has been temporarily relocated to the building’s D Lobby, near the second carport.
“Guests can be confident that our Pool Building has passed all appropriate inspections,” Smucker said. “Once we receive an occupancy permit for the undamaged portion on the west end of the Front Building, we anticipate opening up those rooms as well.”
The fire did an estimated $1 to $2 million damage to the sales office, registration area and several of the rooms in the Front Building, including its popular Schoolhouse Suite and other Village Rooms. Pending results of the inspector’s report and receipt of necessary permits, the company intends to rebuild those facilities.
Hotel staff is in the process of contacting guests who hold reservations for closed portions of the Family Inn to inform them of the updates. For questions about an existing reservation, or to book a room or suite, contact Central Reservations at (717) 768-8271 or CentralReservations@Bird-in-Hand.com.
“Our family has served visitors to Lancaster County for decades, and we look forward to carrying on our tradition of hospitality long into the future,” Smucker said.
Site passes all necessary safety inspections following fire in adjacent hotel.
Bird-in-Hand, PA, December 28, 2023 – Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord reopens its doors at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 28. Following a fire at the adjacent Bird-in-Hand Family Inn, the restaurant’s structure, gas line and tanks, heating/ventilation/air conditioning, water and electrical systems passed safety inspections.
The Bird-in-Hand Stage, on the restaurant’s lower level, is also open this week until it closes for the season after the last performance of Our Christmas Dinner on December 30.
“You can be confident that comfort and safety are our top priority, and we are grateful to be able to welcome guests back to our restaurant and stage,” said John E. Smucker, II, Bird-in-Hand’s president and chief executive officer. “Although the Family Inn currently remains closed, we hope to be able to announce a reopening date soon.”
If guests with reservations have questions, they can contact Central Reservations at (717) 768-8271 or CentralReservations@Bird-in-Hand.com.
Beloved staff member will be remembered on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m.
Bird-in-Hand, PA, December 19, 2023 – Bird-in-Hand Corporation plans to hold a vigil to honor the life of Michele Miller, an employee who lost her life in a devastating fire at the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn on December 18. Staff and the community at large are invited to attend and share their memories of Michele at the vigil, which will begin at 6 p.m. on the grounds of the Family Inn.
Miller, 61, was night auditor at the hotel and was on the premises when an explosion occurred in the front office at approximately 2:30 a.m. She had worked for the company for 34 years, and lived in Lancaster with her husband, Joe.
“Michele was a long-time and much-loved member of the Bird-in-Hand family, and we are heartbroken by her tragic loss,” said John E. Smucker, II, Bird-in-Hand’s president and chief executive officer. “We are committed to honoring her memory.”
Community members who wish to are encouraged to donate in Miller’s name to Water Street Mission in Lancaster or St. Patrick Pottsville Area Kitchen in Pottsville.
The Bird-in-Hand Family Inn, at 2740 Old Philadelphia Pike, closes the week before Christmas every year for cleaning and maintenance, so very few people were in the building on the night of the fire, which appears to have been caused by a propane explosion and did an estimated $1 million to $2 million in damages.
“We are grateful that no one else was injured, and for the first responders from several local departments,” Smucker said. “We also want to thank the community for their outpouring of support. We have received so many calls from people asking how they can help.”
The Family Inn is closed until further notice. The company is assessing damage to the hotel and the adjacent Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant and Smorgasbord. The restaurant will be closed until at least December 23, and the Bird-in-Hand Stage, located on the restaurant’s lower level, will be closed until at least December 25.
Reservation and ticketholders are being notified. If guests with reservations have questions, they can contact Central Reservations at (717) 768-8271 or CentralReservations@Bird-in-Hand.com beginning Wednesday, Dec. 20.
“We are in discussions about rebuilding the hotel, and we are committed to reopening and serving our restaurant and stage guests as soon as possible,” Smucker said.
In the meantime, the company’s other lodging properties, its Bird-in-Hand Bakery & Cafe and Artisan Village all are operating on their normal schedules.