Jacob Wirth, the storied Stuart Street beer hall, may finally be on its way back. The owners say they plan to rebuild the fire-damaged landmark with a roughly $5.5 million restoration that preserves its old German beer hall bones while adding five apartments upstairs. Construction is expected to start later in 2026, and, if approvals and financing cooperate, the team is eyeing a reopening in late 2027, with an acknowledgment that the schedule could slip into early 2028. The plan follows years of limbo after two major fires left the interior charred and the restaurant dark since 2018.
Owners Outline $5.5 Million Restoration
The ownership group says the revival will keep Jacob Wirth’s mahogany bar and vintage character, while giving the menu a lighter, more modern touch. Above the restaurant, the proposal calls for new residential units. The numbers only work, the group says, if they can tap state and federal historic tax credits that could cover roughly 30 percent of eligible construction costs, with total construction estimated at about $5.5 million. Work is slated to begin later in 2026 and is expected to take at least a year, with a target reopening of late 2027 or early 2028, according to reporting from The Boston Globe.
Who’s Behind the Rebuild
City Realty Group is leading the development side, while Royale Entertainment Group is set to run day-to-day operations. Jacob Simmons and Jamison LaGuardia are listed among the partners, reporting by Boston.com shows. City Realty bought the Stuart Street building in February 2023 for about $5.3 million, as reported by Bisnow.
Two Fires Left It in Ruins
The comeback bid follows a brutal stretch for the property. A fire in 2018 forced the original closure, and a second, four-alarm blaze in June 2024 tore through the three upper floors while the space was under renovation. Local coverage showed extensive firefighting efforts and early damage estimates of about $3 million, WCVB reported. Later coverage described a wrecked interior, including a charred backbar, a collapsed ceiling, and a soot-coated piano in the scarred dining room. Boston Magazine detailed the destruction and the long, complicated push to bring the space back to life.
Deep Roots and Money Troubles
Jacob Wirth dates to 1868 and for generations stood as a symbol of old Boston’s beer hall tradition. William J. Fitzgerald bought the restaurant in 1975. Financial problems helped topple the most recent era: bankruptcy filings and contemporaneous reporting showed about $1.43 million owed to creditors and nearly $70,000 in unpaid wages to employees in 2018, context that still hangs over the current reset, as outlined by The Boston Globe. The new partners say the challenge now is to keep the bar’s historic feel while building a business that can survive in today’s market.
What’s Next
From here, the owners say they need to lock in historic tax credit approvals, finalize design work, and secure city permits before any construction can start. The National Park Service explains that the federal rehabilitation tax credit equals 20 percent of qualified rehabilitation expenses, and many states layer on their own incentives. Combined, those breaks can significantly reduce a developer’s actual costs for a certified historic rehab, according to the NPS.
