New Restaurants Opening Soon

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
Spring Township
Projected Opening: Fall 2027

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, a national chain with more than 200 locations, is set to be one of the anchors of the new Broadcast District at Spring Township. The mixed use development, which will be on Broadcasting Road opposite Broadcasting Square (Target) should see its first tenants in the Fall of 2027. BJ’s has locations in Lancaster and Allentown.

Cafe Folino
Temple
Projected Opening: 2026

Cafe Folino is expanding to a second location in 2026. The announcement was made on the cafe’s social channels on December 8. On December 30, it was revealed that the new location would be the former Oliver’s Place at 1007 Mount Laurel Road in Temple. The exact opening date is still unknown at this time.

Cocina Salazar
Reading
Projected Opening: Unknown

Cocina Salazar is set for a return in 2026. The restaurant, which was located at 440 Lehigh Street, closed in 2023. However, a December Instagram post touted the restaurant’s return in 2026, though further details are not known.

Drunken Chicken
West Reading
Projected Opening: Summer

With Takkii Ramen becoming West Brew Izakaya and moving to Penn Avenue, it left their original location vacant. But the corner of Sixth and Reading Avenues in West Reading will not be vacant long. Drunken Chicken, a Korean fried chicken spot, is set to open in the space. The new restaurant is tentatively scheduled to debut in the summer and will be by the owners of West Brew Izakaya, Winnie Tea Bar, and Winnie Mochi.

First Watch
Spring Township
Projected Opening: Fall 2027

A location for First Watch, a brunch restaurant chain, is slated to be part of the upcoming Broadcast District at Spring Township. The mixed use development, which will be on Broadcasting Road opposite Broadcasting Square (Target) should see its first tenants in the Fall of 2027. The nearest locations currently are Audubon, Hershey, and King of Prussia.

KPOT Korean BBQ and Hot Pot
Wyomissing
Projected Opening: February-March

After months without movement on the project, it appears that KPOT Korean BBQ and Hot Pot will open soon in the Berkshire Mall. The restaurant was recently added to Yelp and passed its opening inspection at the end of January. There were questions about the project before the announcement of the pending sale of the Berkshire Mall (which the developer hopes to finalize in May) and the plan for the new owner to demolish the majority of the structure.

MaGerk’s Pub & Grill
Wyomissing
Projected Opening: Fall 2026

MaGerk’s Pub & Grill, a Baltimore-based cheesesteak shop and bar, is coming to Wyomissing. The liquor license application is in a window at The Block at Wyomissing Square, home to Cafe Folino, Vintner’s Table, and other businesses. MaGerk’s has two Maryland locations and six in eastern PA. The current closest location to Berks County is in Royersford, Montgomery County. In a statement to WFMZ, the owners projected a Fall 2026 opening.

Mochipop
Wyomissing
Projected Opening: In Question

Originally scheduled to open in the Berkshire Mall, Mochipop debuted on Instagram on September 4 advertising mochi ice cream, milkshakes, and more. However, with the recent announcement about the sale and redevelopment of the Mall, the original “coming soon” post and the address have been deleted, though the account remains. We are watching to see if the business moves forward with a new location.

Peach Cobbler Factory
Sinking Spring
Projected Opening: May

A new dessert spot is coming in Sinking Spring. The Peach Cobbler Factory recently announced that they would be opening at 2647 Shillington Road in the GIANT shopping center. The menu includes cobblers, cookies, shakes, brownies, and cinnamon rolls. PCF is aiming for an opening by May.

The Philly Jawn Cheesesteak
Boyertown
Projected Opening: April-May

The former Mario’s in Boyertown has new owners and will see a new restaurant arriving in the spring. That’s when The Philly Jawn Cheesesteak is tentatively scheduled to open in the space at 159 S. Reading Avenue. The new restaurnat is from the family behind Pepe’s Pizza & Grill in Gilbertsville. According to a December Facebook post, there is work to be done on the space and the current timeline has them opening in April or May, though that could change.

Play it Back Sports Bar
Reading
Projected Opening: Unknown

The former California Bar & Grill is currently under renovation. Previously, there was a planned sports bar called Play it Back that was looking to open in 2022, but that had seemingly fell through. However, a new sign has been installed and the electronic message board is operational. So far, there has been no official update.

The Post
Bernville
Projected Opening: Unknown

Renovations are back under way at the former Hitching Post 2747 Bernville Road (Route 183). The owners of Reverb have been planning a new bar and restaurant for the site but renovations were delayed because of zoning variances. The project has been restarted and Goodfellas Granite has posted about their work in the space, and a new sign is up out front, but there is still no timeline for an opening.

Raising Cane’s
Spring Township
Projected Opening: Unknown

Preliminary plans are calling for a Raising Cane’s in Spring Township near Wyomissing. Developers are seeking a variance to add the restaurant to the parking lot of Kohl’s. Previous plans for a 7 Brew in the location were dropped. Raising Cane’s is a fast-food fried chicken spot with more than 900 locations nationwide and 17 in Pennsylvania.

The Rooted Roastery Kafe by Kari
Fleetwood
Projected Opening: March-April

The Rooted Roastery Kafe by Kari is coming soon to the former location of The Shop Eatery at 29 W. Main Street in Fleetwood. The cafe now has an Instagram account, and the owner posted on Facebook on February 5 saying the Rooted Roastery would open “in the next several weeks.”

Ruby’s Restaurant
Muhlenberg Township
Projected Opening: In Question

A coming soon sign is up on the former Wegman’s Reeser Restaurant on Route 61. The name on the sign advertises Ruby’s Restaurant. However, work appears to have stopped, and the building is for sale. It’s unclear what that means for the planned restaurant.

Shake Shack
Spring Township
Projected Opening: Fall 2027

Berks County is getting a Shake Shack in 2027. The burger and shake chain will be part of the new Broadcast District at Spring Township. The mixed use development, which will be on Broadcasting Road opposite Broadcasting Square (Target) should see its first tenants in the Fall of 2027. Shake Shack has nearby locations in Lancaster, Whitehall, and King of Prussia.

Special Blends Cafe by JPII
Reading
Projected Opening: June

The John Paul II Center for Special Learning is partnering with Alvernia University to bring a new cafe to downtown Reading. Special Blends Cafe will provide work experience for students and adults with special needs when it opens at the University’s American House on Penn Street. The target opening date is June 2026.

Valley Bar & Grill
Sinking Spring
Projected Opening: February-March

It was announced at the end of October that the Valley Bar & Grill is coming to the former Bar-B-Q Pit in Sinking Spring. The restaurant is from the team behind Giuliana’s on Fritztown Road. Their Facebook announcement listed January as the opening date, but there have been no updates since.

Velvet Restaurant
Laureldale
Projected Opening: Unknown

The former Margherita Restaurant in Laureldale closed in October. A month later, the property was sold to Velvet Property, LLC, with the liquor license transferring to Velvet Restaurant, a business that was registered in the spring. No other information is available at this time.

Vinny G’s
Wyomissing
Projected Opening: Unknown

It was announced on social media in late January that a new restaurant – Vinny G’s – will be coming soon to Wyomissing. The restaurant is from the same family as the former Giannotti’s in Robesonia and Ciabatta in Wyomissing. A later post revealed that the restaurant will take over the restaurant space at the Bell Tower in Wyomissing. The space was most recently home to the second location for City Girl Juice and before that, it was home to Greenhouse Cafe. No opening date has been announced.

Wit or Witout 610
Wyomissing
Projected Opening: Unknown

Wit or Witout 610, which was serving cheesesteaks at the IA Club of West Reading, has registered as a business at the Berkshire Mall Food Court.