Victory Brewing Co. is opening a Center City taproom

Victory Brewing Co. is officially bringing a piece of Chester County to Center City, and it’s taking the place of a long time Parkway resident.

The Downingtown-based brewery today announced plans for a 14,000-square-foot taproom and brewery to be located at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Logan Square. Currently, that address houses a TGI Fridays. It is not yet clear when that restaurant, which first opened in 1990 and is one of Center City’s oldest restaurants, will be closing to accommodate Victory’s new spot.

Victory’s upcoming Center City outpost will feature three full bars (two indoor, one outdoor), a full kitchen, 3,500 square feet of outdoor space that includes street-level seating and a rooftop patio, and a 10-barrel production brewing system. Victory expects to open its new digs by late 2020.

While the company also has Victory Beer Hall at Xfinity Live! in South Philly, its upcoming Center City location will serve as its first brewery and taproom in “the heart of Philadelphia,” a representative said. The brewery also has locations in Downingtown, Parkesburg, and Kennett Square.

Once Victory’s new location opens, it will join a list of Center City beer and wine destinations, which includes Iron Hill Brewery’s large brewpub at East Market, and City Winery’s new digs at the Fashion District.

Launched by Bill Covaleski and co-founder Ron Barchet in Downingtown in 1996, Victory has since become one of the largest Philadelphia area craft beer brands. It is known for classic brews like its Golden Monkey Belgian-style tripel, and HopDevil IPA, as well as more recent beers like the hazy IPA, Cloud Walker.

“We’ve been patiently looking for the perfect downtown Philadelphia location for years,” Covaleski said. “This property, and its iconic address, presents the perfect venue for us to expose both Philly residents and visitors to innovative, quality craft beer, while expanding the audience for the entire craft beer industry.”