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<p>ASHLEY &#8212; For Steve and Katie Biernacki, treating people like family has made for a successful business.</p><p>The Biernacki&#8217;s celebrated the 20th anniversary of their popular Ashley landmark, Kelsey&#8217;s Restaurant, on Thursday night with free finger food, a great atmosphere and the Wyoming Valley Pipe and Drum Band.</p><p>&#8220;We were at the right place,&#8221; Steve Biernacki said about his time in business.</p><p>The couple leased the old Gaughan&#8217;s Sports Bar on Main Street in 1996. They moved and expanded to the corner of Main and Cemetery Street in 2000. Since then, they&#8217;ve expanded no less than three times, adding a patio and a deck. The Biernackis bought the Goyne Insurance Agency Building recently and have added the &#8220;Blarney Room&#8221; to their business.</p><p>The restaurant can fit 150 people into the revamped place.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s like the &#8216;Cheers&#8217; of Ashley,&#8221; loyal patron Jim Thomas, of Hanover Township, said.</p><p>&#8220;Sometimes three times a week,&#8221; Thomas&#8217; daughter, Sarah, said with a laugh.</p><p>The Thomas said they see Steve greeting everyone when they come in and when they leave.</p><p><strong>Family Affair</strong></p><p>Kelsey&#8217;s is a family run business, as three of the four Biernacki children are involved somehow. The fourth one &#8220;got her start&#8221; by helping out.</p><p>Daughter Tara waitresses; son Brian stays behind the ovens as a cook &#8212; but not a baker &#8212; and son Tim picks out the craft brews. Daughter Erin left the business to became a teacher, though she says being in a family restaurant business is &#8220;awesome.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;We have our moments,&#8221; Steve Biernacki said about working with his family.</p><p>The name, Steve admits, came as a derivative from Kelcy&#8217;s Bar on the TV show &#8216;All in the Family.&#8217;</p><p>The restaurant has a 4.5 rating on Yelp.com and a 4.7 rating on Facebook. Because of its proximity to Interstate 81 and the high reviews, Steve said he&#8217;s had people come from all over.</p><p>Though he works in the kitchen, Brian said he knows people by their order.</p><p>&#8220;People are predictable,&#8221; he said.</p><p>In the same fashion, Thomas said his family isn&#8217;t even seated at a table and the staff at Kelsey&#8217;s have their drinks ready.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The patio of Kelsey&#8217;s Restaurant in Ashley was busy Thursday night for its 20th anniversary party. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL062416Kelseyanniversary1.jpg</photo0><caption0>The patio of Kelsey&#8217;s Restaurant in Ashley was busy Thursday night for its 20th anniversary party. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL062416Kelseyanniversary2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Wyoming Valley Pipe and Drum Band performed traditional bagpipe songs for the 20th anniversary of Kelsey&#8217;s Restaurant in Ashley on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL062416Kelseyanniversary2.jpg</photo1><caption1>The Wyoming Valley Pipe and Drum Band performed traditional bagpipe songs for the 20th anniversary of Kelsey&#8217;s Restaurant in Ashley on Thursday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL062416Kelseyanniversary3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kelsey&#8217;s Restaurant owner Steve Biernacki hands a guest a hamburger straight from the grill on the patio while his wife, Katie, stands beside him. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL062416Kelseyanniversary3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Kelsey&#8217;s Restaurant owner Steve Biernacki hands a guest a hamburger straight from the grill on the patio while his wife, Katie, stands beside him. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Popular Ashley hot spot Kelsey’s celebrates 20th anniversary