(WJET/WFXP)– After closing the doors and saying goodbye to their downtown location on January 11, VooDoo Brewing is returning to downtown Erie under new ownership with a grand opening set for this weekend.

The announcement was made official Monday morning, bringing the beloved brewery back under a familiar face to regulars in Jeff Chiaramonte, who previously hosted the Jason Heberle Memorial Open Mic Competition and other community events at VooDoo.

“The hope is that it becomes what it was when it started. A nice, comfortable place to come and relax, for family, but also have a focus on the local community and local music,” Chiarmonte said.

Chiaramonte is partnering up with two members of his own family, Wendy Chiaramonte and Christine Heberle, to transition the longtime bar to a franchise location, while keeping its signature atmosphere that customers had come to love. They also got some help from Radius CoWork in downtown Erie, whose executive director, Sean Fedorko, said they rallied around Chieramonte’s vision to preserve and evolve the brewery.

Chiarmonte said that while the brewery will be under new ownership, VooDoo will have the spirit with fresh momentum.

“We’re not reinventing the beer, we’re resurrecting the good vibes,” he said. “Same spirit, new ownership, fresh momentum and a real commitment to Erie: great beer, great food and a stage for live local music.”

With Voodoo Brewery opening back up, downtown Erie is welcoming back a business that helps keep the area vibrant

“It’s one thing to build the buildings down here, it looks great when you’re driving down the street, it’s another to have sustainable businesses that are set up for success,” said Drew Whiting, CEO of the Erie Downtown Development Corporation. “And ownership is committed to seeing Erie become a better place.”

“I think the ability to work within the historic Boston Store and keep that alive in some aspect is just a fun way to give back to the community, and have a nice hangout spot again,” Chiaramonte said.

The new owners said they’re excited to see the energy return and bring great food, drinks, and activity downtown with this new commitment to erie.

In honor of their grand return to Erie’s downtown scene, the new owners said they’ll be posting a riddle on the VooDoo social media every day from March 3-6 that will take participants to a local brewery or distillery.

The first 10 people to correctly solve the riddle and visit the designated location will get a custom wooden “tuit,” which can be exchanged for a free beer during reopening week.

There will also be a grand opening celebration set for Saturday, March 7, complete with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m., live entertainment, a new lunch menu and special beer options throughout the day.

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