Iron Hill Brewery is set to reopen soon in Market East
After closing all locations and filing for bankruptcy last year, Iron Hill Brewery is officially being revived in several locations under a new ownership team that includes one of its founders.
After months of speculation, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant has announced that it is reopening its Center City location in mid-April.
The Market Street brewpub is the first of five locations slated for reopening. The Iron Hills in Huntingdon Valley, Wilmington, Hershey, and Lancaster are set to follow.
All of Iron Hill’s locations closed abruptly in September, and Iron Hill filed for liquidation bankruptcy in October after nearly 30 years in business.
The regional chain, founded in Newark, Del., had more than $20 million in debt and about $125,000 in the bank, according to bankruptcy documents.
The filing came after a period of rapid expansion under a new private-equity owner. In recent years, Iron Hill had opened restaurants in South Carolina and Georgia, began canning its beers for sale, and announced plans for a Temple University location that never came to fruition.
The bankruptcy left the region with more than a dozen vacant breweries, including an 18,000-square-foot taproom and production facility in Exton; a 10,000-square-foot renovated warehouse on the Wilmington riverfront; and the 8,500-square-foot Center City restaurant that was supposed to help revitalize the beleaguered Market East.
While the expansive Wilmington and Center City locations are among those being revived, Suresh Kagithapu, property manager for The Shops on Eagleview Blvd, said Tuesday that he was still looking for a new tenant for Iron Hill’s former headquarters in Exton.
In downtown West Chester, property owner John Barry has also been looking for a restaurateur to fill prime real estate that was long home to Iron Hill.
In Newtown, Bucks County, P.J. Whelihan’s is moving into a shuttered Iron Hill. The Haddon Township-based sports bar chain recently announced a May opening at the Village at Newtown shopping center.
Elsewhere, however, former Iron Hills remain empty, with no indication of what might fill the space.
Former leadership, including founder Mark Edelson, director of operations Alexis Lundeen, chef Walter Weddington III, regional brewer Matt Gundrum, and general manager Eric Maney are behind Iron Hill’s rejuvenation. The company has reincorporated as Rightlane, LLC. The Inquirer reported on the transfer of Iron Hill’s trademark and intellectual property to Rightlane in January.
“Iron Hill was built on a simple promise: scratch-made food, craft beer, and elevated service in a casual, welcoming atmosphere,” said Edelson in a statement. “The team and I are honored to bring that promise back to many of the communities that made Iron Hill home.”
Another representative promised “new surprises” with the reopening, and that “the goal is to bring back the guest experience that made Iron Hill a success. The look and feel of the restaurant will be very familiar to guests. This includes the return of popular drinks and menu items.”
Expect the return of the company’s beer brewed on-site at every location, their cheesesteak egg rolls, and lots of space for outdoor dining.
They are also debuting a new beer, aptly entitled “Unfinished Business.”
Iron Hill was founded by Delaware home brewers, Edelson and Kevin Finn. In partnership with restaurateur Kevin Davies, they poured their first beer for customers at their original location near the University of Delaware.
As they added locations, with a focus on the Philly collar counties, the chain became known as a pioneer in the local craft brewing scene and a kid-friendly staple for many suburban families.
The group involved in Iron Hill’s revival did not have personal liability in relation to the company’s bankruptcy. Edelson and Gundrum were listed as employee creditors in the initial filing. The bankruptcy case remains ongoing.