Future of Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh is uncertain
The future of Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh is uncertain, as the building in which the brewery is housed is set for a sheriff's sale.
This comes after the brewery's owner, who also owns the building, announced in April that he was filing for bankruptcy as a "strategic tool" aimed at securing a "stronger future." At the time, owner Stefan Nitsch said the brewery would remain open.
However, in a statement shared with KDKA-TV on Thursday, Nitsch appeared less certain of that being possible.
"While we do not know what the future may hold, we do not believe the sale itself will have any immediate direct impact on brewery operations beyond the possibility of a new landlord," Nitsch said. "As we understand it, any future changes involving the brewery's portion of the property would require a formal lease non-renewal and legal eviction process."
He bought the building, which also houses other businesses, two years after taking over the brewery, he said. The building has been listed for a sheriff's sale scheduled for June 1, and the opening bid is set at $2,720, indicating Nitsch failed to pay a debt.
"I hope that it continues on," customer and former longtime employee Tom Auchter said. "I think it's important for most people in Pittsburgh that this place stays here."
He told KDKA on Thursday that he was concerned about the impending sheriff's sale, saying that when he first heard about it, it was hard to understand. Asked what he would want a new landlord to know, Auchter said, "There's a whole bunch of good beer to be sold here and drank. So, I'm here to help."
Penn Brewery is known as the city's oldest brewery, and the site itself has been a brewery since 1848. When Penn Brewery opened in 1986, it was one of the first craft breweries in the nation.
"German immigrants built the beer garden," manager Amy Huseman said on Thursday. "We have original lagering caves in there before refrigeration was commonplace."
For now, it's business as usual at the brewery, including its Halfway to Oktoberfest celebration set for Saturday.
