After an unsuccessful effort to change a Delaware law that limits the number of breweries owned by one company, Wilmington-based Iron Hill has signed a lease to build a production brewery in Exton, PA.

The brewery is expected to open in the summer of 2020 at The Shops on Eagleview Boulevard (240 Eagleview Boulevard).

The location will be known as Iron Hill Brewery & Taphouse.

Iron Hill has three breweries in Delaware and needed a change in the law that limits it to that number. (See story link below). The state’s liquor laws also ban supermarket sales, while limiting the number of liquor stores owned by one entity to two.

Pennsylvania, while maintaining a system of state-owned liquor stores, has loosened regulations on sales of beer and wine at grocery and convenience stores.

The brewery marks a change for Iron Hill, which has brewed beer in each of its brewpub-restaurants and had to outsource canning operations. Unlike most brewpub restaurants, Iron Hill does not sell beer it does not brew.

The Exton Iron Hill Brewery & Taphouse will also serve as an innovation kitchen for future companywide menu offerings, a release stated.

Initial capability to will be 6,000 barrels annually, with the ability to expand to 20,000 barrels.

The 18,000-square-foot site will house a 10,000 sq. ft. brewery while the taproom will occupy 4,500 square feet and share the training room for use as a private dining room with approximately 150 seats.

Iron Hill taphouse iskey to the company’s expansion goals to reach “20 by 20”, – Iron Hill’s plans to have 20 operating locations by the close of 2020.

The company has expanded its Delaware Valley footprint to include Greenville, SC and a planned brewery in Atlanta.

In keeping with Iron Hill’s philosophy of offering items directly from the tap to the table, Iron Hill’s newest concept will offer what it describes as “casual, elevated pub fare,” with a continued focus on craft beer production and pairings.

“Iron Hill Brewery & Taphouse is the next logical step in our expansion efforts to make sure we are staying true to our commitment of serving the freshest beer, maintaining our high standards and encouraging our brewers to experiment all the while giving our customers even more reason to keep coming back to their favorite Iron Hill”, says Kim Boerema, CEO of Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant. “We are very excited to enter into this new venture and we look forward to continuing to serve our loyal fanbase in this new capacity.”

Iron Hill will once again partner with Boulder, CO-based Bray Architecture to design the brewery and taphouse.

Iron Hill Brewery and Taphouse will be joining a number of businesses developed by Eli Kahn Development Corp. and J. Loew & Associates, both of Malvern, PA, at The Shops on Eagleview Boulevard. “We are absolutely delighted to have Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant anchor the redevelopment of the space at The Shops on Eagleview Boulevard”, says developer Eli Kahn. “This will help the transformation of this center into a premier destination for both dining and shopping in Chester County.”

Iron Hill was the second Delaware-founded restaurant company to build a brewery in Pennsylvania. Two Stones Pub, which does not brew at its restaurants, opted to open a production brewery in Delaware County, PA.

In the case of Two Stones, the head of brewing for the company had ties to Delaware County.

See below for a response from Republican legislators to the news. They cited opposition from the liquor lobby, often comprised of distributors and liquor store owners, for Democrats not moving it out of committee.

It was reported in October by Delaware Online (paywall) that Iron Hill was eying the site of the former Don Pablo’s restaurant near Christiana Mall, but could not move forward, due to the three location limit.

Iron Hill locations each typically employ about 100 full and part-time staff.