MaGerk's Pub & Grill plans to open at 3 W. Gay St. in downtown West Chester by late 2026. The Maryland-based pub chain will fill the former Iron Hill Brewery space, which has sat empty for more than a year.

MaGerk's confirmed the move in an interview with the WCU Quad, published Monday, Oct. 5. West Chester will be MaGerk's 10th location and its seventh in Pennsylvania, joining spots in Fort Washington, Horsham, Lionville, Langhorne, Royersford and Wyomissing.

"West Chester felt like a natural fit for MaGerk's, and there's a personal connection here as well," director of marketing Mary Kate Manzo told the Quad. "One of our founders, John Dolaway, is a West Chester University graduate, so coming to West Chester has always had a little extra meaning for us."

Iron Hill Brewery closed Sept. 25, 2025, after the regional chain filed for liquidation bankruptcy. The brewpub had anchored the old Woolworth's building at the corner of High and Gay streets since 1998. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in December 2025 that building owner John Barry was seeking a new tenant for the roughly 10,000-square-foot space, which can seat about 300 people.

MaGerk's said it will position the West Chester location as a Philadelphia sports viewing destination, with TVs throughout, sound on for major games and food and drink specials tied to Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and Sixers seasons. Manzo said the restaurant will also feature black-and-white photography on its walls celebrating West Chester and the surrounding area, a tradition the chain follows at each of its locations.

The pub's menu leans on shareable items. Manzo listed nachos, wings, cheesesteak eggrolls, cheesesteaks, bowls and salads on the menu.

MaGerk's first opened in 2000 near Baltimore and expanded into Pennsylvania around 2009, starting in Fort Washington. It also operates in Federal Hill and Bel Air, Maryland, and Elon, North Carolina. Manzo pointed to the Elon location as a model for how MaGerk's plans to engage with the West Chester University community through promotions and events.

When Iron Hill closed, local restaurant owners voiced hope that something different would take its place. "The last thing I feel West Chester needs is another American-style restaurant, selfishly because I have one there," Joe Monnich, chef and owner at Stove & Co. Restaurant Group, told the Philadelphia Inquirer in October 2025.

No specific opening date beyond "late 2026" has been announced. No borough building permits or liquor license filings for the location have appeared in public records as of Friday, Oct. 9.