The owners of a casual, fine-dining eatery voted "Best Restaurant in Schuylkill County" three years in a row will bring their act to Tamaqua.

A spokesperson for Tamaqua Save Our Station has announced that business owners John and Melanie Ross of New Ringgold signed a lease Saturday to operate a new restaurant, called the "Tamaqua Station Restaurant," in the historic 1874 Tamaqua Railroad Station.

For about three years, the Ross couple co-owned the highly popular Madeline's Restaurant in Orwigsburg, which opened in 2007. The eatery closed following a fire in 2012.

The eatery was voted best in Schuylkill County in 2009, 2010 and 2011 in an annual poll taken by Schuylkill Living magazine.

The new restaurant in Tamaqua is expected to open in late April or early May and details will be announced in the Times News as information becomes available.

"The Ross's have a lifetime of experience in the restaurant business," said Dale Freudenberger, SOS secretary, on Sunday.

The menu will include fare such as soup, salads and Reuben sandwiches, along with homemade crab cakes, seafood, steaks, chops and more.

A fully stocked bar will also be available. Reservations will be recommended when they open.

The restaurant will occupy the former site Vonz Restaurant, owned by Richard and Von Sidella, which closed its doors New Year's Eve after a run of 2-1/2 years. Prior to that, the location was known as the Restaurant at the Station, operated for eight years by Bill and Sheri Beltz, closing in December, 2012.

The depot is an official visitors reception center for the Schuylkill River National Heritage Corridor.

The signing of a lease agreement was celebrated Saturday with a champagne toast inside the historic passenger station.

For additional details, see Monday's Times News.