Lost Tavern Brewing will be located on the first floor of the RMI building at 782 Main St., Hellertown. Pictured: Building owner Ken Rampolla surveys the renovations under way along with brewery partners Kenny Rampolla, Anthony Gangi and Rob Grim. Rampolla said most of the work is being performed by local companies.
Work has begun in earnest on a microbrewery and tasting room several local entrepreneurs hope to open by late spring inside a landmark building on Main Street in Hellertown.
Lost Tavern Brewing will occupy the 5,000 square-foot first floor of the RMI building, which owner Ken Rampolla said was originally a 1920s-era garage.
Over the years it has functioned as everything from a men’s clothing store to a pet store where–according to lore–a mountain lion once resided, but since Rampolla purchased the property nine years ago it’s been a big empty space. The offices for his business are located on the already-renovated second floor.
Rampolla said that in spite of interest from various parties, he resisted leasing the space until he was approached by Anthony Gangi and Rob Grim–two lifelong friends who have been home-brewing award-winning beer for about six years.
Childhood friends Gangi and Grim grew up in Saucon Valley, and during a recent interview said they never considered any properties besides the RMI building, which has an industrial atmosphere that includes exposed brick walls and steel beams.
“Really it’s the perfect location for us,” Grim said. “We fell in love (with the building) the first time we walked in there.”
The third member of their brewing group is Rampolla’s son, Kenny Rampolla, who was introduced to Gangi and Grim early on in the site selection process.
“I’ve always had an interest in the beer industry,” he said.
All three agreed that their project will be something new and different in Hellertown, but also a return to a type of establishment that has largely fallen by the wayside: “a place where people can enjoy a drink and a conversation.”
“Certainly we have the population to support a small brewery in every town,” Grim said.
And the location on Main Street–which is traversed by thousands of vehicles a day–makes it an ideal one for a
When it opens, Lost Tavern Brewing will serve at least five different varieties of beer on a regular basis. Most will take one to three weeks to brew.
Other specialty beers will be available seasonally, and hard cider made with apples from Bechdolt’s Orchard in Lower Saucon Township is even a possible product.
All of the equipment used in the brewing process will be brand new, Ken Rampolla said.
How long until that equipment can come online will be determined by the federal and state brewer’s licensing processes.
Grim said the Lost Tavern group submitted their applications for the required licenses in early December, and the review process normally takes about 130 days.
In the meantime, they are receiving guidance from a consultant who has helped with the opening of similar establishments.
Local officials in Hellertown have been helpful and receptive to the project since it was first announced last summer, the men agreed.
Neighboring businesses are also getting behind the plans, and partnerships with everyone from local restaurateurs to a Wassergass farmer who’s planting hops are either in place or actively being pursued.
Although Lost Tavern Brewing won’t include a restaurant when it opens, it will serve snacks and foods, which is a legal requirement for all tasting rooms. A full-service restaurant could be part of a future expansion, Ken Rampolla said, but at present it’s too early to know whether that plan will ever be brought to fruition.
Total seating at the new bar that will be built will be about 18; seating at tables will be for about 85 to 100 people, Rampolla said. And there are plans for outdoor seating in front of the building during the warmer months.
Lost Tavern, at least initially, will primarily be a weekend establishment.
The tentative hours of operation are Thursday and Friday until 10 p.m., Saturday from noon till midnight and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m.
Parking will be available alongside the building, on the street and possibly in a nearby business’s lot.
The hope is that in time it will become a community cornerstone, as was the original “Lost” Tavern–which was located near the Heller-Wagner Grist Mill, according to legend.
That was where the brewers held a free tasting in December and received much positive feedback on their products, they said.
For more information as well as updates about the project, like Lost Tavern Brewing on Facebook and follow them on Instagram (@lost_tavern_brewing).
The main seating area will be located along the building’s north wall, which is lined with large windows.
The tasting room and bar area will be located near the brewery’s front entrance.
Steel beams help give the future brewery space a rugged, industrial feel.