ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A new brewery and small restaurant could be coming to the former K2 Brothers Brewing taproom on Empire Boulevard in Penfield.
The Penfield Town Board held a public hearing Wednesday to consider a special use permit for a microbrewery operation with a small restaurant on the first floor and possible office space on the second floor at 1221 Empire Boulevard in the LaSalle’s Landing Development District.
Town officials said the district requires a public hearing and formal application whenever there is a change in use, occupancy, owner or operator. The site was previously used as a microbrewery and restaurant, with residential space upstairs. The new proposal would potentially use the second floor for offices.
Applicant Philip McArthur told the board his team intends to acquire the site and reopen it as a brewery with a small restaurant. He said planned improvements would be limited to updates such as signage, exterior painting, cleanup, interior maintenance, furniture, fixtures and equipment. No new building construction, site expansion or land disturbance is expected.
McArthur said the brewery’s public hours would likely run from late afternoon until about 10 p.m. on weekdays, noon to 11 p.m. on weekends and earlier on Sundays. He said the business would close no later than 11 p.m. each day.
The proposal comes months after K2 Brothers Brewing temporarily shut down its original Penfield taproom in November 2025. At the time, the brewery told Mug Club members the pause was due to “unforeseen circumstances” and said the break would allow the team to make repairs and internal changes aimed at improving customer experience. K2 said then that it intended to reopen in time for the holiday season, but no specific reopening timeline was provided. The Penfield pause also came after K2 closed its Walworth location at the former Freewill Elementary School.
The new brewery would also host prescheduled live music, both indoors and outdoors depending on the weather. McArthur said music would end by 9 p.m., including on weekends, and would be intended as background entertainment rather than a concert-style venue. He said performances would likely be held Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from about 6 to 9 p.m., ranging from solo performers to small trios.
Parking was among the issues raised by board members. McArthur acknowledged past concerns with overflow parking at the property and said the new operators would look at ways to manage capacity, including moving staff parking off-site and scheduling larger events during slower business periods.
Tom Quigley, who was identified during the meeting as part of Birch Creek LLC and the prospective property owner, said there have been discussions about purchasing the adjacent former Agway property. He said the group is exploring ways that property could be used for parking or other community-oriented uses, such as a farmers market or garden-related business.
The proposal also includes possible low-occupancy professional office space on the second floor. McArthur said that space would likely operate during daytime hours, reducing the chance of overlapping traffic with the brewery’s busier evening hours.
No members of the public spoke during the hearing. McArthur said there is no firm opening timeline yet, adding the team would need to assess the condition of the building before determining next steps.
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