Sports bar chain a step closer to opening in downtown State College after council meeting
A Midwestern sports bar chain is now a step closer to opening a new location in downtown State College, after borough council approved on Monday a liquor license transfer — with limited conditions — that could’ve otherwise ended the chain’s plans.
Brothers Bar & Grill, which has 17 locations nationally and five in other Big Ten towns, will take over the site of the former Amazon Pickup Store at 134 S. Allen St. The Wisconsin-based chain founded in 1990 is known for its daily drink specials and casual dining with a menu that features burgers, chicken sandwiches and wings.
An official opening date has not yet been determined but, according to chief marketing officer Anthony Cortese, Brothers would “absolutely love” to open its doors sometime in 2023. Significant renovations remain.
“Brothers Bar & Grill will not disappoint the borough,” Cortese told the CDT in a written statement.
Monday’s approval wasn’t without debate and the bar wasn’t without its detractors. Because the liquor license was transferred from Fuji & Jade Garden and, because Fuji’s former Westerly Parkway location received its liquor license from outside the borough, council was legally able to impose restrictions on the transfer that it couldn’t have otherwise. But it largely decided not to.
Last month, during a public hearing, State College Police Chief John Gardner recommended requiring 60% of Brothers’ sales to come from food, not allowing alcohol to be sold in containers above 22 ounces (i.e. no pitchers) and not permitting advertising or drink specials. The chief justified his recommendation by pointing out specific studies and data that showed the bar/restaurant opening could result in an additional strain on police. (For example, Gardner reported the average number of police calls to establishments with restaurant liquor licenses was 16 times greater than calls to other borough properties.)
Chain owners Eric and Mark Fortney, along with their attorney, intimated in January they couldn’t open under such conditions. And some council members believed it was unfair to impose such limitations on Brothers, especially considering their competitors had no such restrictions.
Councilman Gopal Balachandran reiterated that stance Monday night.
“... I think what is legally available is different than what I think is fair to businesses,” he added.
At least one member of the public wanted to address council before a vote but, because a public hearing was held last month, the borough solicitor said it was no longer an appropriate time to comment. Mark Huncik, president of the Highlands Civic Association, publicly opposed the bar and grill last month due to concerns over crime. However, borough staff also acknowledged last month that similar municipalities with a Brothers location said the owners were good partners.
Council voted 5-1 Monday to approve the liquor license transfer with limited conditions — and none of the harshest proposed restrictions by Gardner — such as alcohol sales being allowed only when food is still being served. (Brothers’ owners have said the full menu is available until 10 p.m. with a limited menu then available until close.)
Peter Marshall was the lone dissenting vote, and Divine Lipscomb was absent and did not vote. Marshall believed council should better take into consideration the research Gardner had undertaken, while Deanna Behring softly countered that council also shouldn’t serve as staff’s rubber stamp.
The proposed Brothers Bar & Grill in downtown State College is expected to have 232 seats at tables, with another 35 seats at the bar. And it would remain open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Although no renderings of the restaurant have yet been made publicly available, the owners previously said they hope to have an “operable storefront” that would allow up to 20% of the restaurant to have a sort of open-air feel.
Food prices mainly range from $12-$20, and weekly specials are a staple at other locations. In Columbus, Ohio, near Ohio State, Tuesdays feature $2 cheeseburgers and Wednesdays feature 40-cent wings while in Bloomington, Indiana, near the University of Indiana, it’s $2 cheeseburgers on Tuesdays and 25-cent wings on Wednesdays.
This story was originally published February 7, 2023 at 1:43 PM.
