Iron Hill Brewery, with locations in West Chester, Phoenixville, and Exton, is planning to boost its presence in existing markets and expand into new states, writes Laura Smythe for the Philadelphia Business Journal. 

The expansions are part of the brewery’s “pretty aggressive growth plan,” said Iron Hill Brewery CEO Chris Westcott. 

Westcott took over as CEO in October and has since been focusing on growing the brand in an effort to position it as “a bigger player” in the hospitality industry. The plan is to open five locations each year for the next five years. New markets will include Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Columbus, Ohio. 

Westcott said that the brewery is using “a hub and spoke model” for its expansion, meaning that it plans to first enter new markets with a few full-service restaurants and then add locations for its more fast-casual TapHouse model that first opened in Exton last year. 

The aim is to increase brand awareness in a new territory with a full-size outpost before branching out. 

In existing markets, the brewery plans to start rolling out new TapHouses immediately. 

Read more about Iron Hill Brewery in the Philadelphia Business Journal.