Chestnut Hill residents were surprised Wednesday morning, Sept. 10, to find Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant permanently closed.

In a press release, the company announced they were shuttering their Chestnut Hill location along with additional restaurants in Voorhees, New Jersey and Newark, Delaware, “as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to adapt to a changing business landscape while focusing on strengthening its long-term growth and success.”

The statement continued, “Iron Hill emphasizes that this decision was not made lightly, and it remains deeply appreciative of the opportunity to be part of these local communities.”

Iron Hill was founded in Newark, Delaware, in 1996, serving craft beer and comfort food, with multiple locations across the Mid-Atlantic region. According to an article in “Craft Brewing Business,” the quality of the company’s output at its peak made it “one of the country’s most decorated brewpub groups.” Their Chestnut Hill location opened in 2012.

In a statement, Mark Kirke, CEO of Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, said, “We’re proud of the strong relationships we’ve built with our guests over the years and incredibly grateful for their loyalty. None of this would be possible without our dedicated teammates, who have made Iron Hill a place where great beer, great food, and genuine hospitality come together. We look forward to welcoming you to enjoy any of our other 16 open restaurants.”

Iron Hill said the company “continues to grow” despite the recent closures.

In a statement to the Local, Danielle Guzzetta, a spokesperson for the company, said, “All employees in good standing with the company were offered positions at any of the 16 open locations.”

Guzzetta said the employees at the Chestnut Hill Location were “notified individually” on the day of the closure.

In the press release, Iron Hill said, “This decision was not made lightly, and it remains deeply appreciative of the opportunity to be part of these local communities. Guests are encouraged to visit nearby Iron Hill locations, where they can continue to expect the same great food, fresh craft beer, and friendly service that have defined the Iron Hill experience for nearly three decades.”

On the same block, several other restaurants remain closed, including Campbell’s Place, Fiesta Pizza, and Roller’s.

Reacting to the closure, the Chestnut Hill Business District wrote, “We are speaking for the business community in Chestnut Hill when we say how sorry we are to learn of the abrupt and surprise closing of our local Iron Hill Brewery in addition to two of their other locations, Voorhees, NJ, and their original flagship location in Newark, DE.”

The statement continued, “We send best wishes to all the Iron Hill employees and others who will feel the repercussions of the closure. To lose any of our businesses is disheartening. And losing a food and drink establishment is particularly painful because we’re so focused on broadening our restaurant options.”

While several Chestnut Hill restaurants have closed in recent years, Business District officials said they are “thrilled that we have three restaurants in the works and soon to open: Lovat Square at 184 E. Evergreen Ave., The Blue Warbler at 8001 Germantown Ave., the expansion of Matines Cafe to a second location at 23 W. Highland Ave., as well as one other restaurant that cannot yet be disclosed but is in the design phase.

They added, “We’re confident that this momentum will carry forward to bringing a great new tenant to the Iron Hill space.”

The nearest remaining Iron Hill locations are in North Wales, at 1460 Bethlehem Pike; Center City, at 1150 Market St.; and Huntingdon Valley, at 785 Huntingdon Pike.

Tommy Tucker can be reached at Tommy@chestnuthilllocal.com.