READING, Pa. – Customers at Saucony Creek Brewing at Franklin Station in Reading are enjoying one of the last lunches they’ll ever eat at the place.
“I think there’s just not enough people downtown with pocket money to keep these restaurants all going,” said Andrew Fick of Wyomissing. “I think parking is an issue. We have some parking lots and garages, but there’s not enough on-street parking for folks.”
It’s been there since 2018, but last call is fast approaching.
“I think I see a lot of good development coming to the city, but I think we have some really good story lines moving forward, but obviously we’re dealing with some growing pains to get to that point,” said Jess Royer of Spring Township.
The location will close as a full-service restaurant on August 1st. Company officials say they will still operate for private events and other activities. One fan of the restaurant says a bustling downtown restaurant is hard to find these days.
“It doesn’t exist anymore,” Fick said. “The jobs, the offices, they’re not downtown anymore.”
Owners say the impact has a lot to do with losing the Downtown Improvement District and other events — Saucony Creek provided a statement to 69 News saying in part …”Today those types of events that attracted people to the downtown area are a fraction of what they were. The sale of the Reading Eagle and the closure of several large downtown banking services centers, along with the COVID-19 remote work adoption and changing spending habits, have resulted in many fewer people traveling, working, and socializing downtown.”
“I look forward to seeing the growth of reading, but I lament that we’re losing one of our partners here, a very valued partner,” Royer said.