The Falconer Brings RiverWalk Brews, English Pub Feel To Beverly

BEVERLY, MA — The concept was as simple as it was motivating.

When RiverWalk Brewing Co. owner Steve Sanderson first started talking with his leadership team about opening a second location on the North Shore, deciding on a concept that would complement — but not duplicate — the flagship Newburyport location came down to the desire to open a spot Manager of Operations Chuck Barbato called: "A place we want to hang out — and hope that resonates with the community."

Barbato said the early returns have been most favorable for The Falconer Pub — designed as an English-style pub at 280 Cabot Street that serves a variety of RiverWalk brews, craft wine and cider, and a menu that Barbato described to Patch as geared toward "familiarity, affordability and just good."

"We wanted to keep things fresh for the community and us," Barbato said. "It was the ability to test ourselves and do something new."

Barbato, who lives in Salem, said the expansion to Beverly provided the chance to open a second spot on the North Shore that was something a bit different and not right on top of the Newburyport location.

"We've had a partnership with The Cabot for many years now," he said. "When that space became available, it was as a no-brainer for us as a no-brainer can be."

Sanderson posted initial plans for The Falconer Pub — named after the Lynch Park statue — early in the summer with the target to open late summer or early fall. While the process slowed, it was Dec. 8 when the last of the licenses came through and the team decided it was fitting to open up on the fly.

"What's great (about the delay) is that it gave us the ability to really dig in with the community with regards to getting to know the neighbors, the people out of City Hall," Barbato said. "Not opening, but being present in the process was such a great opportunity to be in the space, have the doors open, talk to people.

"Some people who came by almost got a time-lapse video seeing us when we were in there by ourselves scrubbing walls and swinging hammers. Now there is new paint on there, new fixtures up, and it's open. We've made it through the opening weeks without any major hiccups and now we're trying to dig in and put our roots down."

The Falconer Pub has 12 rotating taps that will include many brews familiar to RiverWalk fans — along with a few that are brewed specifically for the Beverly location. Those include the Falconer Light Lager, an Ambler Dry Stout fitting the pub theme, and a hazy session IPA that Barbato said currently remains nameless.

The Falconer Pub also has an extensive wine and cider list with the ability to brew on-site.

Those who enjoy the Newburyport location's pizza will be able to find that at The Falconer Pub, along with pub fare such as fish & chips and meat pies, and more traditional bar food.

"Sometimes you just want to watch a football game, eat some chicken tendies and have some nachos," said Barbato, adding that the menu and portions were designed to keep affordability in mind amid rising prices within the industry.

The Falconer Pub now opens seven days a week at noon and is open until 8 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays, and until 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

"It's going good and we're having fun," Barbato said. "There is a huge team out of RiverWalk providing input — from bartenders to hourly staff to leadership staff. Everyone has skin in the game. Everyone has worked really hard to get it open.

"There have also been a wonderful amount of people who have shown up already and shown a ton of support. The biggest thing for us right now is to do right by the community. That's our main focus."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)