Love City Manayunk Sets Its Sights on Spring 2026
Manayunk has never been short on places to grab a drink, but the announcement of Love City Manayunk feels like a meaningful shift—not just another taproom, but a full-on gathering space designed to match the neighborhood’s walkability, weekend momentum, and year-round appetite for community. Love City Brewing—helmed by co-owners and operators Melissa and Kevin Walter—is officially expanding to 4323 Main Street, with a grand opening planned for Spring 2026 and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to mark the moment. Love City Manayunk is the brand’s first-ever tasting room expansion, and it’s arriving with the kind of intention you can feel in the details.
“We have been looking for the right opportunity to expand for a long time,” commented Love City Brewing Co-Owner and Director of Operations Melissa Walter. “We were very conscious about choosing a neighborhood that has great energy and foot traffic, as well as one that would allow our current location at 1023 Hamilton St to continue to be successful – Manayunk checks all those boxes for us.” That quote lands because it’s honest about the tightrope any beloved Philly brand has to walk: grow without losing the soul of the original. And the reassurance is clear—the flagship at 1023 Hamilton St in Callowhill isn’t going anywhere.
Love City Manayunk’s Two-Story Space Is Built to Linger
The footprint alone tells you this isn’t a tiny annex. Love City Manayunk will span a two-story, 5,884 sq. ft. tasting room and events space, built to handle everything from a casual pint after work to full-on private events. The concept is an “elevated neighborhood bar with vintage flair,” carrying over the same welcoming spirit of the Callowhill flagship while leaning hard into the building’s own history. The design reads like a love letter to old Manayunk—mid-century and antique influences nod to the space’s storied past, with warm modern touches and relaxed communal seating that’s clearly meant for settling in, not rushing out.
From the jump, the aesthetic is described as industrial-chic foundations anchored by exposed brick, wrought-iron, and original beams—then softened with draping ivy and tumbling greenery, plus bold, high-color art by True Hand Society. Overhead, a tin ceiling with a vintage feel calls back to early-century bars and breweries, and the building itself carries a résumé that’s pure Philly: it most recently housed the woman-owned Fat Lady Brewing, and before that served as a Woolworth’s retail store, a 5 & 10 shop, and even a family business specializing in collectibles and antiques. You can almost picture the layers—decades of Main Street foot traffic—now being reimagined as a modern “third space” that still respects what came before.
Love City Manayunk’s Beer, Cocktails, and Events
On the ground floor, Love City Manayunk is designed as the primary gathering space, open seven days a week, with a full bar and a capacity of about 75. There’s also a retail and merch area where guests can shop for packaged favorites and branded gear—t-shirts, hats, and more—so you can take the Love City vibe back home. And because this is Philly, there’s one detail that matters more than some folks like to admit: several large mounted TVs are part of the plan, making it a strong option for catching Philly sports all year without losing the craft-beer identity.
Upstairs, the second-floor loft—with the building’s original hardwood floors—will function as the primary events space, opening with selective hours. With a capacity of roughly 60, the loft is built for private parties, live music, and the kind of local vendor markets Love City is known for.
Food plans will be announced later, but the intent is already established: they’re not just moving in; they’re continuing what worked in that room before. “We plan to continue some of the successful events that Fat Lady curated in that space,” Walter continued: “This new location allows us to continue our mission in a way that feels true to who we are: taking care of our team, serving outstanding beer and beverages of all kinds, and creating a welcoming third space where people feel they belong — whether they’re longtime regulars or walking in for the first time.”
And yes—what’s in the glass matters. The Manayunk beverage program will mirror the flagship, bringing staples like Unity IPA, Love City Lager, Eraserhood IPA, and more. Beyond beer, Love City Manayunk will also pour low-, no-, and full-proof cocktails using Pennsylvania spirits and locally sourced ingredients when possible—exactly the kind of offering that fits the neighborhood’s mix of beer lovers, cocktail drinkers, and “I’m pacing myself tonight” crews.
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