A ‘inside out’ view of why business is booming
By Kim Chiomento, News Editor, The Times
Victory’s spacious bar with a backdrop featuring local reclaimed mushroom house wood
KENNETT SQUARE – Victory Brewing Company’s second brew pub location is now open in Kennett Square and has a great story to tell. The Times ‘dutifully’ attended Monday’s Philadelphia-area media grand opening and tasting on behalf of our loyal readers. While certainly a fun assignment, we set forth on a mission to dig a bit deeper and offer our readers something they might not already know. It’s a tough job…BUT, as the old adage goes, someone has to do it.
Victory’s impressive brew collection
Let’s start with production. Did you know Kennett’s brewing facility is the smallest of the three Victory locations, and that’s a good thing for its patrons? Since it is the smallest, it is also the easiest to run test batches and will be treating its customers to unique brews prior to being released to a larger market; adding a bit of panache for local beer aficionados. Kennett is considered to be Victory’s “R & D” (research & development) location and there are plans to offer some Kennett only beer options.
For the ‘foodies’ in the house, you will find comforting staples that the Downingtown eatery has become known for, along with some Kennett-specific cuisine like the mushroom sandwich and mushroom soup.
(from left) Victory’s General Manager- Diane Desiderio and Director of Marketing – Amy DePaoli
General Manager, Diane Desiderio says that Victory places a strong focus on quality food; explaining that there is not a traditional commercial freezer on premises because everything is fresh. “We are as fresh as fresh can be…we even make our own ice cream incorporating flavoring from wort; which is used to flavor beer prior to the fermentation process…pretty much everything, except our breads, are made on premises.”
The simple, warm backdrop for Kennett’s expansive bar and more intimate dining area features reclaimed wood from local mushroom houses that was hand cleaned and finished by Victory employees.
“Because it is a new building, we are able to maintain a focus on efficiency an environmental sustainability,” says Victory’s Director of Marketing, Amy DePaoli, “But thanks to the charm of historic Kennett Square and the pub’s finishing touches, we have achieved a quaint and warm venue…the end result is that each of our three sites has its own unique personality. The community has been awesome and is extremely welcoming.” Another example of this uniqueness is customers can enjoy self-guided tours at Victory’s Parkesburg brewing facility.
We spent time mingling with many friendly Victory employees and representatives including Founder and CEO, Ron Barchet. Barchet’s background is an interesting one; he holds an Economics degree from UCLA and originally worked for the Department of Defense in Washington, DC.
After some time, Barchet decided to take a new path and followed an interest in brewing and a passion for good beer. His success today is a credit to his focused journey that included completing an internship at the Baltimore Brewing Company as a prerequisite for acceptance into Germany’s prestigious Weihenstephan – Techical University of Munich, one of the oldest and most highly regarded brewing schools in the world.
Victory’s eye-catching bright red V logo, branding and car stickers are have become easily identifiable across the region. Interestingly, Barchet shared with The Times that he was originally planned to name his new venture Independence Brewing Company. He learned that the Independence name had already been coined by a local brewery and had to cease using it immediately. Today Victory is brewing (a nod to their catchy motto) and here to stay.
New Manager in Training – Danielle Harley
“Why Kennett?” we asked; Barchet enthusiastically responded, “We saw a unique opportunity in an up-and-coming, growing community that was thirsty (yes, he said thirsty!) for something like this… the deeper we became involved in the project we saw what an incredible fit it was…Kennett has great demographics, location and terrific business partners, including the Pia Group.”
After processing all of this great information, it was definitely time to rehydrate. Behind the bar we found Danielle Harley, a Pocono, PA native who is in her senior year at West Chester University. Danielle’s enthusiasm for Victory was infectious, “I love working for Victory, the staff is incredible…we are like a family…super cohesive and there is a definite team atmosphere.” Danielle is in Victory’s Manager Training Program and will commence her employment following her college graduation in a few weeks.
For those readers who are curious about the patio flanking West Cypress Street, yes, outdoor seating is coming; and it is expected to receive final Borough approval later this month.
Victory Brewing is located in the new Magnolia Place mixed used development complex, 650 West Cypress Street, Kennett Square. For hours, menus and latest brews visit Victory Brewing’s website: hwww.victorybeer.com
