28 episodes

The Patio Podcast is a wistful exploration of my hometown's enduring attachment to Hess’s Department Store. In candid conversations with residents, historians, collectors, former shoppers and employees, The Patio hopes to shed light on Allentown, Pennsylvania’s multigenerational interest in one single place.Does nostalgia this visceral unite a city, or hold it back? How has Max Hess Jr.’s marketing genius endured? What happened to his famous chandeliers? And how good was all that whipped cream pie, really? The Patio Podcast is a new collection of Hess’s memories, meant for the here and now! The Patio Podcast's original music: Theme created and produced by Dave Meyers with Vocals by Sam Cummings

The Patio Podcast Kate Kareha

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.8 • 20 Ratings

The Patio Podcast is a wistful exploration of my hometown's enduring attachment to Hess’s Department Store. In candid conversations with residents, historians, collectors, former shoppers and employees, The Patio hopes to shed light on Allentown, Pennsylvania’s multigenerational interest in one single place.Does nostalgia this visceral unite a city, or hold it back? How has Max Hess Jr.’s marketing genius endured? What happened to his famous chandeliers? And how good was all that whipped cream pie, really? The Patio Podcast is a new collection of Hess’s memories, meant for the here and now! The Patio Podcast's original music: Theme created and produced by Dave Meyers with Vocals by Sam Cummings

    S2 E11: Wayne Holben (PART 2) + Season Two Finale!

    S2 E11: Wayne Holben (PART 2) + Season Two Finale!

    This is the Season Two Finale, but there is so much more ahead as we approach the One-Year Anniversary of The Patio Podcast! Thank you to all the cheerleaders, listeners, and guests who made this incredible project possible. You're responsible for preserving your local history and Hess's legacy-- I can't think of a greater gift we could possibly share! During his 25-years at Hess's, Wayne Holben worked his way up to Director of Public Relations. His longest stretch as ...

    • 1 hr 4 min
    S2 E10: Fearless and Creative: Hess's PR & Promotions with Wayne Holben (PART 1)

    S2 E10: Fearless and Creative: Hess's PR & Promotions with Wayne Holben (PART 1)

    During his 25-years at Hess's, Wayne Holben worked his way up to Director of Public Relations. His longest stretch as a Hess’s co-worker began in 1973, one week after he returned from three-years of serving overseas in the Army. Prior to that, Wayne had various roles as a stock-boy, then worked in merchandising. Before he was old enough to work, often at the request of Mr. Hess, Wayne ran odd-jobs with his father, Wayne Holben Sr. Wayne Sr. worked at Hess’s from 1951 until he passed away...

    • 1 hr 4 min
    S2 E9: Inside the Ads with Hess's Fashion Illustrators & Layout Artists

    S2 E9: Inside the Ads with Hess's Fashion Illustrators & Layout Artists

    VOTE The Patio Podcast for BEST LOCAL PODCAST in the 2024 Best of the Lehigh Valley Survey! Best Local Podcast is category #134, type in "The Patio Podcast" Vote online at www.bestofthelehighvalley.comDeadline is Monday, February 5, 2024...(Part 1 is audio + Part 2 is a video on YouTube)Lois, Tina, and Lori are three members of a small tribe they fondly referred to as The Hess’s Girls. This group of seven friends had career paths at Hess’s that overlapped and intersected for a...

    • 1 hr 2 min
    S2 E8: Hess's First Female Executive, with John Ziegler

    S2 E8: Hess's First Female Executive, with John Ziegler

    Mrs. Frances Ziegler’s 28-year career at Hess Brothers includes some of the most dynamic stories we have heard to date. If she had not spent years carefully assembling one scrapbook for her son, John Ziegler, it is very likely that her story would never have been told. In this episode, John, adopted son of Mrs. Ziegler, and I comb through that scrapbook to share stories and theories about the golden years of Hess's. Mrs. Frances Ziegler was best known as Hess Brothers Business Man...

    • 1 hr 14 min
    S2 E7: Hope, Heart & Hess's with Denise Martinez, founder and CEO of Caring Hearts

    S2 E7: Hope, Heart & Hess's with Denise Martinez, founder and CEO of Caring Hearts

    Caring DAM Hearts, a nonprofit organization with a mission of assisting and providing hope and kindness to homeless, veterans, and individuals in need throughout the Lehigh Valley region. Founded in 2016 by Denise "Neice Eie" Martinez after workplace stress nearly killed her, Neice Eie and a team of volunteers regularly visit homeless encampments and provide tents, tarps, propane, clothing, hygiene products and more to those in need. Inspired by her fashionable grandmothers and their many vis...

    • 1 hr 3 min
    S2 E6: Preserving Pip with Mark Keeler

    S2 E6: Preserving Pip with Mark Keeler

    Mark Keeler is the longest serving Puppeteer in the history of Allentown's beloved Pip the Mouse program; and owner of The Yippee Show Puppet Company. Pip the Mouse has been delighting audiences during the holiday season year after year. Starting inside the window displays of Hess’s Department Store, more recently, Pip resided at the Liberty Bell Museum in Allentown before the assets of that museum were absorbed by the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, the headquarters Museum of the Lehigh ...

    • 52 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
20 Ratings

20 Ratings

Lake fan 36 ,

Joyful, nostalgiac, positive podcast!

Kate does an amazing job bringing Hess’s history, impact and “specialness” to life with her guests, their stories and her research. As she says, no one has anything bad to say about Hess’s. In fact, her guests are all so proud and really joyful about the memories they are able to share through the podcast! Even though I did not grow up in the Lehigh Valley, I find the podcast interesting and it makes me smile as I listen - usually on my way home from a long day at work! My hometown had G. Fox & Co, and the history of Hess’s is very relatable. Well done, Kate. I look forward to many more episodes!

Kenj13 ,

A must listen!

Fascinating mix of local history and personal stories. Thoughtful and very well done!

Medicare4All2020 ,

Great Hess’s memories

Being from Allentown, I LOVE the subject matter, and this pod gets better with each episode.

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