'Not your mamma's mac': Tally Ho owner opening 1st franchise location of popular mac

BETHELHEM, Pa. - A delicious concept - known for its classic American comfort food "with the volume turned up" - is making its way to the Lehigh Valley.

Mac Mart, which has been offering loaded signature and custom mac-and-cheese bowls in Philadelphia for a decade, earlier this year began a nationwide expansion, with its first franchise location set to open later this spring at Tally Ho Tavern, 205 W. Fourth St., Bethlehem.

Harjaap Chatha, who has been operating Tally Ho since 2011 and purchased the property in 2015, has been a fan of Mac Mart since it originated as a food truck on Drexel University's campus in 2013.

Mac Mart, which has been offering loaded signature and custom mac-and-cheese bowls in Philadelphia for a decade, earlier this year began a nationwide expansion, with its first franchise location set to open later this spring at Tally Ho Tavern, 205 W. Fourth St., Bethlehem.

His love for the cheesy creations only grew stronger when the business opened its original brick-and-mortar location in Rittenhouse Square in 2016.

"I'm very excited," Chatha said. "I love the product, and it just seemed like a really good fit for what Tally Ho already does. It's pretty symbiotic."

With Mac Mart operating in conjunction with Tally Ho, the tavern's current food menu will be discontinued and only Mac Mart's menu will be offered, Chatha said.

Various Tally Ho food selections, starting with preparation-heavy items, will be phased out over the next few weeks.

"For the next month, we're still be running the Tally menu, but we'll be sunsetting some of the items as the weeks pass because we're going to be training at the same time in Philadelphia," Chatha explained. "For now, the game plan is just to make sure that we lock this down correctly. Once we lock it down, then we'd probably bring back some of our key items - like our pizzas and mozzarella planks."

Chatha and his team are looking to start serving Mac Mart dishes in early May, with a tentative opening date of Cinco de Mayo.

Minimal changes to the tavern's kitchen are necessary, and Mac Mart signage is expected to be installed in the coming months.

Mac Mart, which has been offering loaded signature and custom mac-and-cheese bowls in Philadelphia for a decade, earlier this year began a nationwide expansion, with its first franchise location set to open later this spring at Tally Ho Tavern, 205 W. Fourth St., Bethlehem.

"We're moving so quickly because I don't have to convert much of my kitchen," Chathta said. "It's already a fully equipped kitchen."

Mac Mart, with a tagline of "not your mamma's mac," was founded by Marti Lieberman in 2013, according to the business' website.

Shortly after opening, Lieberman enlisted her sister, Pamela Lieberman, and her then boyfriend and current husband, Garrett Jablonski, to compete her team.

Mac Mart's bright pink truck found immediate success, popping up at night markets, food festivals and private affairs. It built an even stronger following as it handled catering for prominent clients such as the Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia 76ers.

Today, with a seven-year-old storefront and tens of thousands of social media followers, the business - which dubs itself "Philadelphia's first mac 'n cheesery" - is expanding with franchise locations nationwide.

In Bethlehem, Chatha plans to offer Mac Mart's full menu, which features around 20 signature mac and cheese bowls, each with a base of seven-cheese mac, including creations incorporating Buffalo chicken, fresh mozzarella, basil pecorino pesto and tater tots.

Popular selections include the "Wit' Mac" (topped with Philly steak, caramelized onions, potato-chip panko crunch and ketchup drizzle), "Crabby Mac" (topped with creamy cheese and jumbo lump crabmeat dip and Old Bay potato chip panko crunch) and Chatha's personal favorite, "Cowboy Cup" (classic mac infused with jalapeno oil, with crispy bacon, cornbread crunch and Pam Pam's buttermilk ranch).

There are seasonal mac and cheese bowls such as garlic butter lobster mac and a Thanksgiving-themed bowl, "Beast before the Feast," featuring slow-roasted turkey in an herb gravy with cornbread stuffing and a cran-apple drizzle.

Gluten-free and vegan options are available, and customers also can build their own bowl with the toppings of their choosing.

Other creations include "Mac-a-ROLLS," mac and cheese-filled crunch rolls; "Return of the Mac," a variation of a grilled cheese sandwich with mac and cheese stuffed between two buttery slices of Texas Toast; and various dips, including jalapeno popper, jumbo lump crab and spinach and artichoke.

"I'm super stoked," Chatha said. "The immediate response from people who have already reached out saying that they know the brand from Philly is incredible. Some people said they drive 90 minutes every once in a while just to get Mac Mart, and they're excited that they won't have to do that anymore."

Down the line, Chatha said he'd like to replicate Mac Mart's successful network of "mac dealers," satellite locations in cafes, delis and other venues that carry pre-packaged Mac Mart bowls and dips that can be heated up at home.

The meals and dips come in microwavable safe containers and are ready in under a minute.

"I'd love to expand it," Chatha said of Mac Mart's presence in the Lehigh Valley. "The business has some really cool, unique offerings in Philadelphia, where they stock up coolers with their product. So, my thinking is: Once the Tally Ho location is fully up and running, I'd love to operate it as a commissary as well for other satellite, grab-and-go locations. With the university being right here and more apartments being completed, it would be a convenient option for people wanting a quick meal at home."

With Mac Mart setting up shop at Tally Ho, the bar and restaurant has no immediate plans to change its hours, which are 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, Chatha said.

Initially, plans are to serve Mac Mart offerings until 10 p.m. or midnight on those days, Chatha said.

If possible, Chatha would like to eventually renovate the side of the building to include a take-out window, which would serve Mac Mart offerings until 2 or 3 a.m., but those are long-term aspirations, he said.

Chatha also plans to eventually offer grab-and-go Mac Mart bowls at Tally Ho, but his current focus is on training staff to freshly prepare offerings.

"My focus for the grab-and-go would be directed to the people leaving at 1 or 1:30 in the morning," Chatha said. "It would be something easy that people could heat up at home because there's not a lot of place to eat late-night in the area."