A craft cocktail bar is coming to the Gamble Mill in Bellefonte. Here’s what’s planned
Work at the Gamble Mill in Bellefonte has been ongoing for several years, but construction is beginning to wrap up, and a craft cocktail bar in the building — called The Republic — is slated to open early this summer.
Megan Marcaurelle-Jones said that when she and her husband, Cody, found out last summer about an opportunity to lease the bar space on the first floor of the Dunlap Street building, they were immediately interested. Brothers Chris and Jonathan Virgilio acquired the waterfront property in 2019 and also plan for a restaurant, short-term suites and retail space in the historic building.
“A lot of thought has gone into this space and what we want it to be,” Marcaurelle-Jones said. “Ultimately we want to complement the building’s history with our vision while incorporating modern elements in an intimate setting.”
The process has not been without its setbacks.
“The pandemic has definitely affected the progress on our space, in particular, as well as the whole Gamble Mill’s renovation progress,” Marcaurelle-Jones said. “Building materials and equipment are harder to come by and have longer delivery times.”
But now, she believes the building will open at “exactly the right time.”
“People are ready to go out and have a good experience after the solitude of this past year,” she said.
According to The Republic’s website, the venue will focus on “crafted cocktails that focus on simplicity and getting back to their origins.” The “carefully-created drinks” will be reminiscent of the pre-Prohibition era, Marcaurelle-Jones added.
The featured drinks on the venue’s website include well-known classic cocktails, like dirty martinis and old fashioned’s, but also a few retro drinks that the average bar-goer might not be familiar with, like the Mexican 75, traditionally a mixture of tequila, lime juice and Champagne, and the Fontleroy, a bourbon-based cocktail that typically includes St. Germain, lemon juice and rosemary.
But craft cocktails aren’t the only thing on the menu at The Republic.
“We want people to be able to come in and have a specialty cocktail, quality wine or a Pennsylvania microbrew in a cozy, intimate environment,” Marcaurelle-Jones said.
The Republic’s focus will be on bar drinks only, highlighting local breweries and distilleries where possible, but a restaurant is planned for the Gamble Mill’s second floor, christened Creekside at the Gamble Mill. The restaurant is also scheduled to open in June, along with hotel suites and a yet-to-be-announced retailer.
The Republic will also feature an event venue called The Speakeasy Event Space, which is on track to open at the same time as the bar.
“This area will hold about 50 people and is going to be a beautiful and versatile space for many different types of events,” Marcaurelle-Jones said. “We are so incredibly excited and humbled to be joining the already thriving community of Bellefonte.”
Keep track of The Republic’s progress and stay tuned for an official opening date, at www.instagram.com/therepublicgamblemill/.