In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Weisbrod & Hess brewed their lager in a facility where Hagert Street meets Frankford Avenue. After prohibition, their buildings sat vacant for decades until Yards took over in 2001, according to Workshop of the World. When Yards moved to a new facility on Delaware Ave. a few years ago, Philadelphia Brewing Company took over the old brewery, where they still brews beer today.
All of this serves as an extended means of introduction to a building at at 2113 E York St., just a stone's throw away from PBC. A few years ago, it looked like this:
At some point in the last couple of years, the old paint was blasted off the bricks on the front of the building. Now it looks like this:
Perhaps you can see in the photo above, there are zoning notices in the windows. For what, you may ask? Why, a restaurant of course!
Last fall, the future operators of this establishment presented to EKNA and got support from the community. According to Fishtown.us, the concept was not completely fleshed out, but the business will resemble a wine bar with Charcuterie and cheese. There will also be venting, so expect more cooking than, say a place like Tria. In February, they got approval from the ZBA, which tells us that this thing is likely gonna happen.
It warms our hearts to learn that this old building will be reused rather than demolished, and for commercial purposes instead of residential. Frankford Avenue has experienced a dramatic resurgence in recent years, and this building is just half a block away and should be able to attract patrons from both the neighborhood and the corridor. Has anyone heard any more details about the planned restaurant? Is the concept more developed? Is an opening date in sight?