READING, Pa. – A restaurant serving up burgers, beers and more is bidding farewell in Berks County.
The full-service restaurant at Saucony Creek Franklin Station Brewpub will hold its last day of operation on Aug. 1 at 100 S. Seventh St. in downtown Reading, according to an online announcement.
Saucony Creek plans to continue operating the historic Reading Railroad Train Station as an event center for private company parties, corporate events, weddings and other functions.
For the next two weeks, the Reading restaurant will operate regular hours from Tuesday through Saturday (closed on Sunday, July 19, and Sunday, July 26).
The Saucony Creek team announced the “difficult decision” on the business’ Facebook page, attributing the upcoming closure to a changing downtown Reading business climate and cultural scene.
“This was not an easy choice,” the online announcement reads.
“When we opened the location in 2018 the business climate, energy and foot traffic in downtown Reading was much different than it is today. The Downtown Improvement District held events such as Fire & Ice that brought people downtown. Berks Arts Council held the summer concert series in City Park. Many headline entertainers were being booked at the Arena and the Performing Arts Center. Today, the many cultural events that brought people to the downtown area are a fraction of what they were. The sale of the Reading Eagle and closure of several large downtown banking service centers, along with COVID remote work adoption, has resulted in many fewer people traveling, working and socializing downtown. These and other factors have made it difficult to staff and operate a full service restaurant in downtown Reading.”
Saucony Creek Brewing Company, founded in 2013, is an award-winning, Kutztown area microbrewery producing a wide variety of flavorful beers, including IPAs, lagers, porters, sours, stouts and white ales.
Its location at 15032 Kutztown Road in Maxatawny Township features a gastropub, which will continue to operate as normal.
In Reading, guests can enjoy Saucony Creek’s full lineup of beers along with a wide selection of Pennsylvania wines and spirits.
Additionally, a hand-crafted food menu includes starters such as fried pickles, jumbo wings, chorizo egg rolls and ultimate pub nachos; handhelds such as a cheesesteak, chicken Caesar wrap, spicy fried chicken sandwich and “Bleu Dutchman” burger; flatbreads such as caprese, elote, pepperoni and turkey pesto; and “main events” such as crab cakes, steak and mushroom marinara, chicken Florentine linguini and 4-ounce petite flat iron.
Other menu highlights include a variety of salads, sides and desserts.
“We want to thank our loyal staff for their hard work and our great customers who have enjoyed our beer and dined with us over the years in Reading,” the closing announcement continues.
“We would love to see you at our Kutztown Brewery location some day! To our Franklin Station Mug Club members – all of your Mug Club benefits will be available to you at our Kutztown Brewery location. Unless you request otherwise, we will transfer your mugs to Kutztown on August 2.”