Former Iron Hill Brewery in West Chester to become a Magerk’s Pub & Grill
Elsewhere, the Wilmington Iron Hill Brewery is set to reopen this weekend under new ownership.
The vacant Iron Hill Brewery in the center of downtown West Chester officially has a new tenant.
Magerk’s Pub & Grill has signed a lease for the space, according to landlord John Barry and restaurant executives. It will be the sixth Magerk’s location in the Philadelphia suburbs.
The news comes seven months after the brewpub chain filed for liquidation bankruptcy and as some other Iron Hills are being resurrected under new ownership.
The Wilmington Iron Hill is officially set to reopen on Sunday, three weeks after the Center City location was revived, said Paul Furiga, a spokesperson for the new owners. The Huntingdon Valley, Lancaster, and Hershey restaurants are set to follow this summer.
In West Chester, the opening of Magerk’s is likely still months away, Barry said, since the restaurant team is gutting and renovating the space.
Barry declined to specify the terms of the lease.
“I hope they’ll be there for a long time,” he added with a laugh.
The 10,000-square-foot storefront at the corner of Gay and High Streets has been sitting empty since late September, when Iron Hill abruptly closed all of its brewpubs and announced its bankruptcy plans.
After rapid expansion in recent years, the company had amassed more than $20 million in debt and had about $125,000 in the bank, according to bankruptcy documents.
The West Chester closure was bittersweet for residents and business owners, some of whom credit Iron Hill with sparking a restaurant renaissance in the borough when it opened there in 1998.
It was Iron Hill’s second location after the original Newark, Del., restaurant, which is now being revived as a steakhouse.
» READ MORE: The flagship Iron Hill Brewery is being turned into a steakhouse by a local restaurant group
Magerk’s was founded in Baltimore by Philly-area natives and currently operates eight restaurants, five of which are in Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties. Another is set to open later this year in Berks County.
The chain prides itself on its cheesesteaks, jumbo crab pretzels, tempura pickles, and nachos. Each location has numerous TVs for watching sports and incorporates old photos and other memorabilia from its surrounding community.
Barry, who has been on the hunt for a new tenant since Christmas, said he received eight formal offers to rent the West Chester space. The demand was a “pleasant surprise,” he said, given its large size.
Barry selected Magerk’s, he said, after hearing “only good things” from other business owners.
“They are family-friendly, and they really do a good job of getting involved locally,” Barry said. “I think it is going to kind of be what was there with Iron Hill, minus the brewery.”
Earlier this week, Haddon Township-based P.J. Whelihan’s opened its newest location in a former Iron Hill in the Village at Newtown shopping center in Bucks County.
Meanwhile, other shuttered Iron Hills across the region still await new tenants.
Wilmington Iron Hill to reopen for Mother’s Day
Iron Hill’s new ownership group, which includes original cofounder Mark Edelson, announced Thursday that the 10,000-square-foot Wilmington riverfront location will reopen in time for Mother’s Day.
“Delaware is where Iron Hill was born, and Wilmington has always held a special place in our hearts,” Edelson said in a statement. “We are grateful for the loyalty of our Delaware guests, and we can’t wait to welcome them back to the riverfront.”
» READ MORE: Iron Hill Brewery’s new owners want to bring regulars back with free beer and other perks
For the reopening, the Iron Hill will debut a new East Coast IPA called On Deck. Its menu will again include scratch-made food, including its popular cheesesteak egg rolls.
The Wilmington restaurant will reopen to the public at 11 a.m. Sunday. Reservations can be made in advance at ironhillbrewery.us or by calling 302-397-8284.
