Spring House Brewing Company is planning a new craft brewery in Lancaster that will replace its municipal tavern on West King Street.
The as-yet-unnamed Spring House Brewery will replace the Alley Kat restaurant and bar at 30 W. Lemon St., which closed July 17. With the opening of the new brewery, Spring House plans to close its bar at 25 King Street West
Spring House is owned by brothers Matt and Greg Keasey, who bought the Alley Kat property on July 22 for $550,000. Matt Keasey said they hope to open in October after some renovations which will include the installation of overhead doors on the Lemon Street side of the bar and raising the ceiling.
Matt Keasey said they were still working out the details of what he said would be an “upscale bar food” menu. He said they’re moving out of 25 W. King St. because it’s just a rented space with limited cooking options. On Lemon Street, they will own the building and have a much larger kitchen, he said.
Operating under a brewery license, the new brewery will offer Spring House beer as well as Pennsylvania-made wines and spirits.
Keasey said they hoped to sell the West King Street dining hall and, depending on when a buyer was found, could end up closing it early or operating it at the same time as the new Lemon Street brewery.
Launched in 2007 in a converted barn in Conestoga, Spring House moved its brewing operations in 2015 to the town of Lancaster where it renovated an old warehouse at 209 Hazel St. for a brewery and restaurant. The Lancaster Town Bar on West King Street opened in 2010, and the Spring House Brewing Company Tavern opened last fall in Strasbourg.
The 70-seat Alley Kat opened in 2003 in what was previously Jamie’s Place and before that was the longtime home of Cassidy’s Tavern. The Alley Kat has expanded these restaurants by incorporating space into a neighboring house.
Alley Kat owner John Katras originally had two partners in the restaurant whose name was derived from part of his own last name and its location on the corner of narrow Market Street.
