It's last call for food at Maggie’s Farm Distillery in the South Hills. The local distillery opted to shut down its restaurant operations to pivot its focus more directly on spirits production and event hosting. This change comes after Maggie's Farm opened a substantial 22,000-square-foot facility in Upper St. Clair, which has been serving up both food and drink, but now the kitchen will cease service indefinitely.
Tim Russell, the president of Allegheny Distilling, cited "recent economic uncertainty and rise in food costs" as the primary drivers behind the difficult decision. According to WPXI, Russell articulated in an online statement that "Running a restaurant is hard at the best of times, but between the recent economic uncertainty and rise in food costs, we have had to take a hard look at what we want for the future of Maggie’s Farm Rum." The move, he believes, will allow the company to "refocus our efforts on what we do best, distilling the best rum and spirits that we can."
The facility will maintain its current rum production operations and double down on its suitability as an event space, striving to keep up with the demands of both wholesale and retail markets. While the upstairs restaurant and tasting room are bowing out, the distillery will continue to welcome visitors for weekly tours, tastings, and limited retail hours.
For those loyal patrons of Maggie's Farm looking to grab a drink, fear not; their Strip District bar and retail shop remain unscathed by the recent changes. Audacy reported that the Strip District location "will continue to operate unchanged," still serving the distillery’s signature spirits.
