Punch Buggy Brewing’s new Chester County taproom will open this week
The Philly artisan brewery's second location is coming to Spring City.
Punch Buggy Brewing Company is bringing its artisan brewery to the suburbs, with its second location opening in Spring City later this week.
“I think it’s going to be fun to see [the business] grow and thrive with the growing of Spring City right now, and the growing of the beer community,” owner Patrick Coyne said.
The brewery’s latest endeavor, which has been about a year in the making, will open its doors at its new Main Street location on Saturday. And Coyne, 42, is no stranger to the Chester County borough: He and his family moved there five years ago, and Punch Buggy has been a presence at the farmer’s market for more than two years, learning what the crowd likes and wants.
In North Philadelphia, where the brewery’s first location opened seven years ago on American Street, it’s “all IPAs all the time; lagers also,” Coyne said. But Spring City’s crowds are appreciating Punch Buggy’s sours and dark beers more than their Philly counterparts, Coyne said.
The brewery released a Spring City Lager last year — its can featured local landmarks — to announce their venture into the suburbs.
Over the past year, they have renovated an old hardware store for the brewery, refinishing its old pub-style floors, working with a local woodworker to build a live-edge wood bar, and “just adding our own little flair to every little piece,” Coyne said.
Deezy’s Famous Cheesesteaks will join the brewery to serve food. The space will have three large TVs for sports fans and a small stage to host local musicians, like during their popular Friday music nights in Philly.
“Piece by piece, the whole thing coming together has been pretty cool,” he said.
Expansion has come with its challenges, Coyne said. They’re increasing the canning of their IPAs, lagers, sours, saisons, and more. They’ve paused distribution temporarily, to make sure they have enough beer at both locations and while they get a sense of demand.
Coyne is looking forward to being “part of the beginning for Spring City,” where the population grew by more than 11% over the past five years.
“It’s definitely an up-and-coming city,” he said. “There’s things opening every couple weeks, it feels like.”
It doesn’t hurt that the new spot is near Coyne’s home, and next to his wife’s flower shop, Wild Blooms Florals. It’ll join a swath of new businesses that have come to the area in recent months — including Tuned Up Brewing on the same block, as well as The Gem, a speakeasy, plus more robust public parking.
“People from in town could just walk and hit three places right now,” Coyne said. “People from out of town can come and they can park and they can go to three spots and spend a whole night there in Spring City.”
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