#WomensWork Feature: Kate Flatt

Written by Kate Racculia

Kate Flatt knows the spirit of Bethlehem. Born and raised locally, she’s now co-owner of Social Still, a craft distillery and kitchen housed inside one of the South Side’s architectural gems: a nearly hundred-year old bank. Social Still’s mission is to provide an amazing food and beverage experience while creating world-class spirits—the first distillery in the Lehigh Valley to do so since prohibition.

It was a natural progression for Flatt to manage her own place, though it didn’t happen overnight. She spent more than 20 years in the restaurant business, including 16 years as a server under Dyanne Holt, former owner of Apollo Grill, whom Flatt credits with teaching her “almost everything” she knows. The industry asks a lot of its employers and employees; even when the work is in your bones, Flatt advises, “you need to find balance and create time” for your family and yourself. “Success,” Flatt says, “is not a single moment. It’s a culmination of all positive moments.” And, importantly: “Each of us defines success differently.”

Social Still is growing, spreading outside the Valley. You’ll find their bourbon, whiskey and gin poured in restaurants from Easton to Allentown to Philadelphia and beyond. Flatt is excited to continue to expand, even as her heart stays with Bethlehem, and the community she’s happy to be a part of. “I support a lot of local businesses,” she says. “It’s amazing to see so many women in leadership roles. I am so proud of my home town!”