Manayunk’s Grape Room shuts down after years of spotlighting Philly musical talent

Beloved Manayunk bar and live music venue the Grape Room is closing its doors for good.

After decades of highlighting local musicians and national acts at its popular open mics, the long-standing bar announced the decision to shut down in an Instagram post on Sunday.

“We didn’t think the day would come where we leave one of the loves of our life,” the post read. “They say, ‘the show must go on,’ but today it will not. Sometimes a change is necessary and we hope one day Grape Room and @badhabitsbooking will host amazing local concerts again. For now, we have to think of the shape of what’s to come.”

The announcement closed out with a nod to the bar’s long history and legacy. “There are many eras of the Grape for each of us to remember, some spanning decades. The music, the friends, the lifestyle that was the Grape, it was a dream come true. Effective immediately, we will be closed for all further operations. We love you!”

“This is like watching the tree you climbed as a child get chopped down,” one Instagram user wrote. “Thanks for all the top shelf hangs. We love you.”

Another user commented: “This place changed my life, and I’ll carry the legacy with me forever. The dream will live on no matter what happens.”

Instead of cheap cover bands, former Grape Room manager Tom DelColle said the venue was the destination for beer and live original music in its heyday. Its popularity was based on the quality of musicians that took the stage, and the crowd of young adults that followed their tracks. “It was a small place, so you either liked music or you didn’t. There was no place to hide,” he said. “It was just about music and beer, and the people loved it.”

Founded as the Grape Street Pub in 1986, the bar has taken on several iterations and ownership changes through the decades.

When DelColle started out as a booking manager, he said the venue was a family-operated business under Stephen Sendzik. In October 1999, Joseph Cahill purchased the Grape, and moved it from its original and later location, 105 Grape St., to a larger space at 4100 Main St., a few blocks away. The space was an upgrade in terms of sound, lighting, and size. The first floor was dedicated to live music, and the second floor was a lounge-like experience that held a bar and space for a DJ.

According to PhillyVoice, the venue closed in 2008. It then reopened and returned to its original location in 2010. Brian “Scooter” Hassinger, the former drummer of local bands Stargazer Lily and The Dirges, became the venue’s new owner. Sendzik died in 2022.

The Grape Room provided both a laid-back atmosphere and slate of talented artists, and several WMMR events. Former WXPN host Elise Brown called it the “home for live music in the 1990s.” The pub opened doors for local musicians and comedians five nights a week through open mic nights, live jam sessions, and band showcases.

Brown, who later bought a home a few blocks away from the venue, said the place hosted shows with Philly musicians and national acts like Jeff Buckley, Vertical Horizon, and Medeski Martin & Wood.

“Monday night was the gathering place for those of us in the Philly local music scene,” Brown said. “It was also just a really comfy [and] welcoming neighborhood pub.”

Given the demand for live music, DelColle said he hopes someone takes up the venue and reopens the Grape. “Original live music is still going pretty strong,” he said. “It’s probably harder nowadays like everything is, but I think people still want to hear local and regional music. And it already has the reputation.”