Crooked Hammock Brewpub wants to build brewery, beer garden in Middletown

Crooked Hammock is bringing beach life to Middletown.

After two years of "wild success" in Lewes, the owners and brain trust behind the Crooked Hammock Brewpub thought it was time to expand and targeted Middletown because of its growth and varied demographics.

General Manager Matthew Frey said the clientele played a big role in the decision as people from the northern part of the state are constantly telling him a Crooked Hammock could be just as successful up north as it is in Lewes. 

"Expansion has been a part of the conversation since we opened in Lewes," he said. "Within six or seven months of opening, we started hearing people say we could mimic the restaurant and brewery in other parts of the state. It's been a grassroots campaign by our clientele and employees."

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Frey said La Vida Hospitality, which owns Crooked Hammock and other popular brands – like the Big Chill Beach Club in Bethany Beach and The Fork + Flask at Nage, among others – wanted to expand in a place where a growing number of young families were located.

"We're a family-friendly brewery, which may sound odd, but we cater to everybody," Frey said. "What we've seen in Lewes is oftentimes parents are being dragged to the Hammock by their kids. We want that to continue and to be a big part of the Middletown community."

During a review of the concept plan for a brewpub and beer garden at the Middletown council meeting Monday night, Managing Member of Operations Rich Garrahan said the plan is for the brewpub to be open in the first quarter of 2019.

During his presentation to the town council and the public, Garrahan said the restaurant and brewery would be located in Westown adjacent to the new Holiday Inn Express and Grotto Pizza on Auto Park Drive.

The new brewpub will have inside seating for about 175 people – including a screened porch, a dining room and a bar area – and room for about 100 more in outside dining areas. A brewery also will be operated out of the 7,000-square-foot facility.

Garrahan couldn't give an exact number of people who would be employed at the Middletown Crooked Hammock but said there are more than 300 employees at all of La Vida Hospitality's restaurants during the peak summer months.

"The Crooked Hammock is inspired by the backyard cookout. The way you feel when you have people come to your backyard is the design and inspiration of the Crooked Hammock," he said. "We have unique dining spaces at the Hammock."

Frey believes the craft beers brewed at Hammock are unique in that they appeal to craft beer lovers and those who aren't that immersed in those types of beers.

"We don't have a problem brewing drinkable beers that appeal to the non-hardcore craft beer drinkers," he said. "Our beers still fit the craft profile but are drinkable by all." 

One Middletown resident asked if Crooked Hammock beer would be served in other Middletown restaurants and bars, as well as at liquor stores in the area. 

"It's a small part of our business now, but a part we want to do more of in Middletown," Garrahan said.

The only other brewery in Middletown is Volunteer Brewing, which opened in August.

When talking about the demographics the restaurant is hoping to draw, Garrahan said he would like to see 20-somethings or millennials interested in craft beers, as well as families and active retirees.

"We felt our community (in Lewes) was starved for a place where we wanted to be and our kids wanted to be," he said. "We've really hit a home run in Lewes."

There will be live music at the Crooked Hammock in Middletown, Garrahan said. He said music is really important to the Crooked Hammock and that they look for a diverse sound in Lewes.

"It will be similar in Middletown with soloists and duos mostly," he said. "Occasionally we'll have a band." 

Garrahan told the Middletown council and the 20-25 people at Monday's public hearing that backyard family fun is a key piece of what the business hopes to offer.

The Lewes facility has ping-pong tables, a playground in the back for kids, cornhole and ring toss games and actual hammocks for guests to enjoy.

"We want to take advantage of the space we have in Middletown and make that an even more important part," he said.

Much like the Lewes location, Garrahan and Frey would like to see the Middletown Crooked Hammock and Brewpub become a community center, a place where families go after sporting events and tournaments and other events.

When asked by an audience member why Middletown, co-managing member Mitch Rosenfeld said that the owners are all longtime Delaware guys who wanted to have the second location in the state. 

"We feel like we know the community and want to be a part of it here," he said. "Middletown had the feel we wanted and it felt like home."

Middletown Mayor Ken Branner recently took a trip down to Lewes to get a feel for the Crooked Hammock there and said it will be a welcome part of the Middletown community.

"It is pretty unique," he said. "There's a family atmosphere there and it will fit in well here. We view it as a good partnership and we're sure it will work out just fine."

The plan will next go before the Planning & Zoning Committee this month, then is subject to preliminary and final approval by the mayor and council.  

Reach Jerry Smith at jsmith17@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JerrySmithTNJ.