Bankruptcy filings show Lower Gwynedd’s restaurant not included in the group expected to reopen
More than a month after Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant abruptly closed all 16 of its locations and filed for Chapter 7 liquidation, a former national barbecue-chain executive has stepped in with plans to bring at least 10 of the shuttered restaurants back to life -- but not in Lower Gwynedd.
According to reporting from The Philadelphia Inquirer, former Famous Dave’s CEO Jeff Crivello received court approval last week to acquire a group of former Iron Hill sites through a $12 million credit bid in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey.
Crivello told the newspaper he intends to reopen the restaurants — either under the Iron Hill name or new concepts — depending on negotiations with individual landlords.
The locations included in the acquisition span the region. Crivello’s group is positioned to take over the closed Iron Hills in Center City, Huntingdon Valley, Newtown, West Chester, Wilmington, Lancaster, Hershey and Rehoboth Beach, along with two South Carolina sites, according to reports.
Notably, the former restaurant at English Village in Lower Gwynedd — a longtime Montgomery County destination — is not on the list of properties Crivello is taking over.
Remaining Iron Hill properties not purchased in the deal are scheduled to be auctioned off in early December, the Inquirer reported.
Iron Hill’s collapse followed years of expansion, including new restaurants in the South, canned beer distribution, and a planned Temple University location.
Despite that growth, bankruptcy filings show the company owed more than $20 million and had roughly $125,000 left in its accounts.
According to the Inquirer, management disclosed the liquidation plan to employees in late September, citing “ongoing financial challenges,” and simultaneously posted a public message expressing hope of returning someday.
In earlier local coverage, the company thanked guests for “wonderful years of serving communities” at locations including English Village, where it had been a staple in Lower Gwynedd.
Crivello, now CEO of Ciao Hospitality, has a history of acquiring and reviving distressed restaurant brands, including Cowboy Jack’s and Rubio’s. The acquisition marks Crivello’s first venture into the Philadelphia-area dining market.
As reported previously, Stove & Tap’s parent company offered a gift-card swap following the closures, and Chef Peter Chang extended job opportunities to furloughed staff ahead of the opening of Mama Chang in Colmar.
