ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The transition of a popular spot for local beer, hand-crafted pizza and other tasty eats and drinks is set to take place later this year in Allentown.
Bru Daddy’s Brewing Co. and McCall Collective Brewing Co. on Wednesday announced the upcoming transition of Bru Daddy’s downtown Allentown restaurant to McCall Collective.
Brü Daddy’s Brewing Co. opened in November 2019 at 732 Hamilton St. in downtown Allentown.
Ryan Kneller
Bru Daddy’s opened in November 2019 at 732 Hamilton St., across from the PPL Center, and it will continue to operate at that location through late summer, Bru Daddy’s CEO and president Rich Ryan told 69 News.
Aug. 29 will be the last day of operation for Bru Daddy’s location on Hamilton Street, and details regarding a farewell party will be announced soon, Ryan said.
McCall Collective is tentatively set to open its new location at the site a few days later, in early September.
The primary reason for the upcoming transition is due to the rapidly growing distribution aspect of Bru Daddy’s business, Ryan said.
Brü Daddy’s Brewing Co.
The Bru Daddy’s team built a production brewery in 2022 on South 10th Street in Allentown, and distribution has steadily grown over the past few years.
“We started distributing our beer locally in the Lehigh Valley and then a year later, we expanded to Philadelphia, and then again, we expanded out to south central Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, Lancaster and York,” Ryan explained.
Bru Daddy’s has wholesale distributors in the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and south central Pennsylvania, and it’s looking to expand even further in the state, Ryan said.
Currently, Bru Daddy’s beers can be found at prominent Philadelphia locations such as Lincoln Financial Field, Parx Casino and Helium Comedy Club, along with popular Lehigh Valley spots such as Shangy’s, F&A Grog House, Union & Finch, The Wooden March and Ringer’s Roost.
Brü Daddy’s Brewing Co.
“We’re also in Giant, Wegmans, Weis, Acme and package stores,” Ryan said.
“So, we’ve got a super big footprint right now, and we’re looking to support and build on that. In order to do that, though, we had to shed the restaurant to really focus on distribution.”
McCall Collective Brewing Company, a family-run craft brewery and restaurant, is set to take over the Hamilton Street space in early September, according to Chris McCall, McCall Collective’s co-founder and CFO.
McCall Collective’s forthcoming taproom and restaurant in downtown Allentown will be the business’ third brick-and-mortar location.
McCall Collective originally opened in August 2020 at 102 E. Susquehann St. in Allentown.
McCall Collective Brewing Company operates at 102 E. Susquehanna St. in Allentown.
Ryan Kneller
In 2022, the team opened a second taproom, dubbed Taphouse on Hamilton, at 7743 Hamilton Blvd. in the Breinigsville section of Upper Macungie Township.
McCall Collective is a family-run operation led by McCall’s wife, Kaitlin McCall, who serves as CEO.
Also involved in the operation is Chris’ brother, Matt McCall, who serves as head brewer.
“We have a very good relationship with the Bru Daddy’s team,” Kaitlin McCall said in a news release.
“Our very first craft beer was a collaboration with them. We congratulate them on the growth of their craft beer distribution and appreciate them thinking of us as they look to transition out of the restaurant. The timing could not be better for us, as we have been looking to expand our beer production and our restaurant business to new locations.”
Ryan Kneller
At its forthcoming Hamilton Street location, McCall Collective will offer its full lineup of beers, along with Pennsylvania produced wines and spirits, Chris told 69 News.
It will utilize the space’s existing brick oven to offer artisan pizza, and it also will offer popular food selections from its two current locations, Chris said.
“This is really amazing for us,” Chris said.
“We have a chance to expand in Allentown, which we’re super excited about because Allentown has always treated us well. We’re also excited to work with City Center as they’ve been a great partner to us.”
The Susquehanna Street location will remain McCall Collective’s main production facility and will continue operating as a restaurant.
McCall Collective Brewing Co.’s original location operates on Susquehanna Street in Allentown.
McCall Collective Brewing Company
“We’ll start brewing there [in downtown Allentown] in the next year or so depending on how quickly we can get equipment in the spot,” Chris added.
McCall Collective will immediately start working with the Bru Daddy team on the transition, and the restaurant will remain open as Bru Daddy’s until the scheduled September launch of McCall Collective on Hamilton Street.
The McCall Collective team is planning to implement some minor cosmetic touches to the Hamilton Street space, but the location is “mostly move-in ready with beautiful brick walls, a beer garden and other aspects,” Chris said.
“We are looking forward to meeting new customers and working on some new menu items,” Chris said. “We plan to merge some of our most popular food items with theirs to create a unique menu.”
“Although we love our Allentown brewpub and will miss our customers, the demand for our beer has been growing, which requires us to focus on our core strength,” Ryan added.
Brü Daddy’s Brewing Co. operates on Hamilton Street in downtown Allentown.
WFMZ-TV | Ryan Kneller
“As we build our manufacturing and distribution business, we can’t think of a better successor for the brewpub. We have been working with Kaitlin and Chris since they launched and congratulate them on all their successes.”
For updates on the opening, visit McCall Collective Brewing at mccallcollectivebrewing.com.