East Falls is getting a riverside beer garden this summer.
Megan Keel, formerly co-owner of Bishop’s Collar, will create a pop-up drinking and dining destination beneath the Roosevelt Expressway, right next to Kelly Drive. Using reclaimed pallets and string lighting, she’ll transform the parking lot owned by East Falls Development Corporation into a cool place to sip outside.
“I love this neighborhood, I’ve lived here 13 years,” Keel said, “It felt like everywhere else in the city had a beer garden, I want people here to have the experience.”
To start, the East Falls Beer Garden will run from 6 to 11 p.m. every third Thursday from May through October, although Keel is open to adding more days if the pop-up proves successful. She’s planning a drink menu featuring several craft beers on tap, a few in cans and bottles and also wine. A rotating cast of food trucks — yet to be finalized — will provide the eats, and there will be seating and table games throughout.
Keel owned Bishop’s Collar with her husband Jeff for the past decade, but the couple is now divorcing. He’s getting the brick-and-mortar spot, she’s getting the events and catering business. Hence, the pop-up garden.
In past summers, the location has been used for the East Falls Farmers Market. It’s right between two existing restaurants — In Riva and Trolley Car Diner — and Keel is excited to create a connector of sorts. “I think it can only help draw more people to the area.”
Opening day is May 18. Stay tuned for a Facebook page and event listing.
