Memphis Taproom, the pioneering Kensington pub, will close after nearly 15 years

Memphis Taproom, which in 2008 brought the then-burgeoning gastropub experience to a former shot-and-beer corner bar in Kensington, will close Jan. 29.

The final brunches will be served this weekend, said cofounder Ken Correll, who owns the bar with his wife, Hyonchu Kim, and partner Paula Decker. He said current hours will remain until the last day.

A sale is pending. The prospective buyers said they wanted to keep a low profile for now, and said they would not operate it as Memphis Taproom.

Correll, also an owner of the Human Robot brewpubs in Kensington and Jenkintown, said the taproom had been struggling in recent years. “It’s incredibly challenging for small, independent restaurants to continue as well as to grow during these times,” he wrote in a statement that encouraged customers to support the new owners and other small businesses in the neighborhood.

Memphis Taproom, operated initially by Leigh Maida and Brendan Hartranft, quickly became a destination in a popular swath of town that local wags had dubbed Port Fishington — a portmanteau of Port Richmond, Fishtown, and Kensington.

The taproom won acclaim for its deep beer selection and founding chef Jesse Kimball’s ambitious food. Some dishes and house-made ingredients remain, such as the smoked coconut used as vegan bacon and the “Port Richmond Platter” of grilled kielbasa, pierogies, potato pancakes, beer mustard, and kraut that nodded to the neighborhood’s settlement a century ago by Polish immigrants.

A popular hangout for sports games, Memphis Taproom made the national map in early 2011 in an episode of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show.

Correll said the initial and subsequent showings brought in more business. One man, intrigued by the DDD episode, walked in one day and told bartender Keith Greiman that his name was Larry and that he was a restaurateur in Texas and that his son was quarterback for the Eagles. Correll likes to tell how Greiman just shrugged at the notion that Super Bowl hero Nick Foles’ dad was sitting at his bar.

In 2010, the partners added a beer garden next door.

» READ MORE: Read Craig LaBan's 2008 review of Memphis Taproom

Correll said he is planning to sell special sours and aged bottles from its cellar before the closing.

“We are extremely humbled that so many embraced our restaurant and that we were able to succeed as long as we have,” Correll wrote.

“For a restaurant to survive and thrive in Philadelphia for 15 years is an accomplishment of which we can all be proud. We could not have done it without all of you. We could not done it without our amazing staff and we thank everyone who worked here over the past 15 years.”