Bill Madden and Charlie Buettner discuss their Festivus Ale with Bob Tupper at Mad Fox on Dec. 18, 2014.
Sometime in June, microbrewery Mad Fox Brewing could open its DC brewpub (2218 Wisconsin Ave. NW, DC) in the Glover Park neighborhood after a long delay.
The Glover Park neighborhood Twitter account @gloverpark retweeted a conversation between @MadFoxBrewing and local @FarewellHider on May 2, wherein Mad Fox stated, “Still working on the space, at least a month or so.”
@FarewellHider replied, “Hopefully you’ll open before the next @gloverpark Day in June. I still have a coupon you handed out last year!” The annual Glover Park Day is Saturday, June 6, this year.
The conversation highlights the long struggle that Mad Fox Brewing faced in opening its brewpub location at this particular address, last home to a gastropub Mayfair and Pine and once home to Town Hall, now relocate a block or two north (2340 Wisconsin Ave. NW, DC). As Mad Fox Brewer Bill Madden has recounted in interviews with other publications, the process of restoring the restaurant space soon to be home to the Mad Fox Brewpub took much longer than anticipated.
Mad Fox Brewing first announced its plans to open a second location in addition to its Falls Church microbrewery (444 West Broad St., Suite I, Falls Church, Va.) on August 12, 2013. The initial press release touted plans to open the DC location as a 4,590-square foot taproom with 127 seats before the fourth anniversary of the flagship brewpub “by the end of first quarter 2014, depending on the renovations needed and the permitting process.”
“Glover Park is a wonderful neighborhood that deserves a great beer bar like the Mad Fox Taproom,” said Madden in a statement at the time. Mad Fox has been searching for a location in the nation’s capital for the past 20 months, scouting out 27 neighborhoods throughout the District. “Glover Park offers an ideal fit for our concept and shares similarities with Falls Church in its demographics and overall environment. And just like in Falls Church, we look forward to becoming an active and positive member of the community, contributing to both the economy and the culinary options of the area.”
The DC brewpub plans to offer “draught and English-style cask service, with up to 24 draught and cask options. Diners can expect a full menu with appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, salads and small plates.”
Madden confirmed Mad Fox would brew all beers in Falls Church.