Mad River Bar And Grille, 'Anchor Business On Main Street' In Manayunk, Closing After 11 Years Due To Pandemic
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A popular bar in Manayunk is the latest business in the Philadelphia area to close its doors because of the coronavirus pandemic. Flowers were placed on the front door of the Mad River Bar and Grille, which was a mainstay on Main Street in Manayunk for just over a decade.
Jamie Powell, the general manager, wrote about its closure on Facebook on Saturday night, saying, "Welp. With a heavy heart, it's time to announce the ol' Riv won't make it thru this mess (I truly hope this doesn't start a string of these announcements)."
"There are so many rumors out there but the biggest truth of all is that Manayunk is just a different town anymore as far as nightlife goes," Powell wrote. "We decided as a squad it was just time to cash em in. No one should hang their head, a place like ours had no business making it ELEVEN YEARS. It's wild and honestly impressive."
Residents say they'll miss the bar.
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"What happens now? That's a major part of the building," Lou Grimaldi said. "It's a draw to the building. It's an anchor business on Main Street."
Meanwhile, across the bridge in South Jersey, a Cape May County business called The Gift Shop at Sunset Beach will be closed until further notice after a Lower Township police officer threatened arrest if it stayed open.
"We're all concerned about it. No one wants to shut no one down," Lower Township Mayor Frank Sippel said, "but we're following the governor's office. We have no choice but to follow the law."
The owner says he's disappointed, but he did talk to the mayor and hopes to reopen soon. Lower Township police did not respond to a request for comment.
