Before it closed in 1993, Harry’s Tavern at the corner of 14th and Vernon on South Allison Hill was known as one of the finest little restaurants for food and drink in Harrisburg, a hang out for journalists, mayors and state politicians.
The lonely, small brick building stood vacant for many years. When the owner, Harry Touloumes, died in 2009, neighbors wondered what would happen to the old tavern that Harry and his wife, Mary, opened in 1949.
In the same year Harry died, Victor Rivas moved into the neighborhood from New York and opened a grocery and deli just across the street from the tavern. He began to eye the two-story building with its boarded up windows and graffiti-marred walls.
But the family was reluctant to part with it; the tavern held cherished memories of a husband and father. Rivas convinced them to sell, making sure they claimed whatever mementos were inside. There were pictures, among other things.
One item of particular interest to the family was the tavern’s signature piece, the old wooden bar. “My son wanted it,” said Harry’s wife, Mary, of Camp Hill.
The 29-year-old Rivas has no intention of replacing Harry. “I don’t think so,” he said. “He has a long history here. Everybody talks about Harry.”
He said intends to provide a well-stocked grocery and deli, offering sandwiches from his deli counter as well as hot breakfast and lunch menus, Spanish dishes prepared by his mother, Lucila, whose cooking brings people from as far as downtown.
“She’s the best,” Rivas said. “That’s why everybody comes here to eat.”
Since last year, Rivas has been working on the tavern, installing new floors, doors and windows; putting in a new kitchen, an 18-foot refrigeration unit, and an air conditioning system. He left the three ceiling fans that were part of Harry’s.
Rivas has painted the exterior walls a bright yellow, replaced the crumbling sidewalk and installed a new wood stockade fence around the back and side.
Neighbors such as Rodney Schwartz welcome the re-opening on the building by Rivas. “It’s good for the neighborhood,” Schwartz said. “We’re excited about it.”
When Rivas appeared before the planning commission in the spring to present his plans to convert the tavern into Riva’s Grocery and Deli, commission members fondly remembered the place and wished him the same success as Harry.
He may not be Harry, but Rivas is a friendly, affable proprietor, quick to welcome newcomers into the grocery. He knows the regulars who stream in, happy to see him. He likes talking to them, catching up on neighborhood news.
“I enjoy that,” he said. “And they enjoy talking to me, too.”
