WHITEHALL TWP, Pa. — Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant, which unexpectedly closed all of its locations last month, has officially filed for bankruptcy.
The filings, which occurred over the past few days in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey, are individual filings of LLCs, including Iron Hill Brewery of Lehigh Valley, LLC.
The local chain, which opened at the Lehigh Valley Mall Lifestyle Center last summer, listed just $1,460 of assets, with total liabilities of around $17.5 million, according to court documents.
A separate court filing for Iron Hill, LLC, identified as a parent company, said it owes more than $20 million and has about $125,000 in the bank.
The entire chain filed under Chapter 7, which allows for liquidation, rather than Chapter 11, which lets a company reorganize and possibly remain open — something the company initially said it hoped to do when it announced the closure of its flagship location Sept. 10.
Additional bankruptcy filings pending
The company, founded in Newark, Delaware, in 1996, had expanded beyond the Mid-Atlantic region in recent years, opening restaurants as far away as Georgia and South Carolina.
There were 11 separate bankruptcy filings in New Jersey, with 21 additional affiliates and the parent company listed as “pending bankruptcy.”
Ten were filed Oct. 3 and the last on Oct. 4.
The Whitehall locationopened to great fanfare, including a mock dinner service July 12, 2024, which showcased some of the chain’s food offerings — such as jumbo Bavarian pretzels and Philly cheesesteak egg rolls — alongside its signature beer.
An official ribbon-cutting was held the following day.
Senior head brewer Matt Gundrum had about 15 beers on tap for the grand opening, including rotating seasonals and a “Hometown Tap” featuring “Steel Works IPA.”
A mural also stretched across the dining room showcasing the Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces, tying the restaurant to the Lehigh Valley.
There was no immediate response Tuesday to calls and emails to Simon Property Group on the future of the space.
AG's office has received complaints
It’s unknown how many Iron Hill workers lost their jobs, as a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN notice, was not filed in Pennsylvania advertising layoffs or closings.
A filing in New Jersey indicated at least 108 employees lost their jobs at two locations.
Sauder Schelkopf Attorneys at Law said on its website it is investigating a potential class action lawsuit related to the abrupt shutdown of Iron Hill Brewery.
“On September 25, 2025, Iron Hill announced that it was permanently closing all of its locations effective immediately. Among other things, the WARN Act requires businesses to provide 60 days’ notice prior to engaging in mass layoffs," the website says.
"If Iron Hill’s actions are found to violate the WARN Act, it could entitle workers to back pay and benefits for up to 60 days.”
It encourages those affected to fill out a form and contact the firm.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office said its guidance is that any Pennsylvania consumer who feels they’ve been harmed by the bankruptcy — specifically as it relates to those with gift cards they can’t get refunded — should file a complaint with its Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Director of Communications Brett Hambright said via email the office has received “some complaints of this nature” but did not have information on the number of complaints filed overall.
Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, a gift card purchased within 60 days of the statement on which the charge appeared is entitled to a refund.
In that case, customers can dispute the transaction with their card issuer.
