Iron Hill has not won a major award or announced the location of a new restaurant in, what, nearly a week now? They must be getting very antsy in corporate HQ falling behind schedule like this.
Well, I hear rumors, I do.
And since they can’t—yet—give themselves a major award, such rumors necessarily have to do with a new Iron Hill located in….? Indeed, I have rumors of two potential locations, one of which would be a real shocker.
I will neither reveal nor conjecture, however. I did that about a second New Jersey site that was being explored a while back and got my fingers burnt.
Instead, let’s play a game.
You folks tell me where you think the next Iron Hill will open and let’s see if we can get a consensus.
Not where you’d like it to open, understand, but a location which you think would make good sense and fit into their business plan.
Can you think like a very successful brewer?
SHARE
As much as I’d like to see Iron Hill come to Philly, I suspect they’ll stay in the ‘burbs. Maybe somewhere on the Main Line–John Harvard’s in Strafford was successful for a while, until the food went super downhill and the beer followed soon after.
see, that’s what I’m looking for, a well-thought out plan. the Main Line, huh? Hmmmm….
Knowing that they’d never open one down in my neck of the woods, I’m sure they’ll be looking in North Jersey for a proper spot if they decide on NJ at all. Because of the expense of liquor licenses and all around red tape BS in the Garden State, I believe they’ll be looking in PA once again. I know they’ve looked at State College for a long time and almost snagged a license there, but they are few and far between. Maybe they’ll be moving a bit east of you, Jack, in the Lehigh Valley. So many good places in PA. But we know that, no matter where it is, they will be successful!
All good, reasoned suggestions. You guys are making my day.
I heard they recently bought a liquor license in Camden county in Jersey.
I heard a rumor a while back about them moving into Glenside, which I can’t see happening. The Jenkintown train station is vacant though…
So Jack, should we start a pool? Closest guess wins?
Great idea, Mark, but we need a prize. Maybe the winner can have a franchise under which he or she would have to promise not to open with a designated distance from an existing location? The way you guys are growing, that would put them in Wyoming, I guess.
Owners and employees of Iron Hill and Liquid Diet are ineligible, of course.
Congratulations on the World Cup wins.
Let’s look at the history, and none of this may have anything to do with the business plan.
Newark- college town
West Chester- college town, county seat
Media- county seat
Lancaster- not necessarily a college town but a college
location, county seat.
Wilmington- a bit different. Obviously part of the Riverfront
Redevelopment Authority. I’m guessing some
cash was thrown at this location, even the
building type doesn’t follow the IronHill plan.
Phoenixville- I guess this one is based upon a revitalization
effort. I would venture population density of the
surrounding area as well.
North Wales- no idea at all.
Maple Shade- venturing into a new State and market.
The Lehigh Valley is a decent guess based upon some of this criteria.
I’m guessing the college connection has more to do with employment than patrons.
The county seats would seem to guarantee very good lunch crowds.
I know where my heart would like them as well, but it would dilute their product.
My guess would be a change of pace. Maybe a more urban location. They don’t seem to have explored anything to the South.
Fun exercise Jack!
You know, Reading is kinda hurting for a brewpub, and might be a great addition if the location is right (duh). And, I could crawl home if need be!
I heard there is a place in Kennett Square available for a brewpub … oh wait … you posted that
If Reading ever had a shot, Steve, you raising the specter of yourself as a regular probably shot it down.
And Scott? Funny.
Lehigh Valley is ripe with opportunity, and the Brew Works currently have it almost all to themselves. Iron Hill’s clearly not afraid of a little competition…
Don’t forget the Victory brewpub in Easton that is going to open Any. Day. Now.
I see south, not north, as the preferred direction for Iron Hill.
If not afraid of competition, I’d see them going farther down south and taking on Sam and his Dogfish restaurant spinoff. Thinking Maryland….places like Frederick, Baltimore, Bel Air, Annapolis, Gaithersburg. Maybe eventually, but not Virginia quite yet, though.
These are each a bit of a hike from their homebase, but seeing as how each in essence runs as a self-contained brewery, that may not matter so much.
If any of these are too much of a stretch, Oxford, York, and the aforementioned Kennett Square in Pennsylvania could work well.
Plus, just because I can’t put an end to this…..I wouldn’t rule out that someday a good beer option like Iron Hill may show up in an affluent, year-round residential Shore Town like Cape May.
Dang, someone beat me to my off-the-wall wild-posteriored guess at Baltimore.
Though I should point out that there ARE two prime locations in downtown Baltimore that were occupied by “brewpub chains” (Capitol City Brewing, Inner Harbor and DuClaw, Fells Point), but I wouldn’t wish the seasonal traffic woes of both places upon Iron Hill……. But given the analysis of the other locations, could I possibly suggest Annapolis or Dover?
I’d say Philadelphia, Fairmount specifically. There’s a coffee shop at 26th and Brown that would probably make a great brewpub. Don’t know why I think this, just intuition I guess.
More fine guesses, even Lappy’s desperate and none-too-subtle plea to be set free from his banishment to New Jersey.
Unless, of course, he is trying to tell us something….
sounds kinda like an invitation to stop over for a cup of coffee in his kitchen?