Tap Factory owner says Dollar General isn’t buying business

Rumors of a sale spread throughout the township after the establishment was closed for all of July.

Rumors recently circulating about a potential Dollar General being developed at the site of a bar/restaurant in Fallowfield Township are just that — rumors.

The Tap Factory, an industrial sports bar and grill that sits along Coyle Curtin Road, has been up for sale for the past few years. However, it hasn’t been sold and owners say there are currently no plans to close.

Paul Rock has run the restaurant for the past several years, in addition to his other businesses that include five pizza shops and a security/safety company.

The restaurant opened in 2017 and was successful in its first few years, serving up a full menu and a large selection of craft beers and cocktails. But it was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic like most bars and restaurants.

Not only did business take a hit, so did the ability for owners to properly staff their restaurant and find reliable people willing to work.

With a small staff, Rock and his wife have done their best to keep the doors open and their other business running simultaneously. The couple put the business up for sale two years ago.

The asking price has dropped since it was first put on the market, and while there have been offers, none of them worked out.

Rumors that a Dollar General bought the property recently began to circulate, which Rock believes is the result of a sign placed on the door while he and his family were on vacation.

On June 29, the business posted that it would be closed during July and would reopen Aug. 1.

Rock said he and his family take a trip to their vacation home each July. Because of staffing and other conflicts, he decided it would be best to the close the restaurant while they were away rather than putting a strain on the small staff.

A group had an event booked at the restaurant before ownership made that decision and asked if the event could be rescheduled or if they would consider moving to another venue.

Rock said the group decided to hold its event at another location and was informed by someone who watches over the property while he was out of town that a note placed on the restaurant indicated it had been purchased by Dollar General.

“Someone called to tell me, and it wasn’t true, so I had them take down the sign, but that’s how rumors like this start,” Rock said.

According to real estate records, the property at 164 Coyle Curtain Road was listed on July 28, 2024, for $415,000.

Subsequent price reductions occurred Aug. 22, 2024, when it was reduced to $375,000 and again Dec. 12, 2024, when it was reduced by $25,000.

It remains up for sale for $350,000, which includes the liquor license and all furniture, security systems, full kitchen, storage and mechanical rooms and a private office.

The bar features 24 different taps, has a lower-level bar and can host private parties and events. There’s also a tiki bar that can seat up to 60 people outside and a stage for live entertainment.

“It’s been up for sale for a while, it’s no secret,” Rock said. “We’ve had a few offers from families, and Dollar General did approach us, but it (the offer) wasn’t anywhere near what we were looking at. They basically wanted us to give it away.”

The property sits on about 1.8 acres in a commercially zoned district, meaning it would be possible for a different type of retail business to be built there. But no offers have been accepted from Dollar General or any other company.

Township supervisors were questioned about the speculation at last week’s regular meeting, and Supervisor Joe Sopcak immediately said it was only speculation.

“It’s a rumor,” Sopcak said. “That’s all it is.”

Some in attendance asked if a business like Dollar General could be built there.

Solicitor Tom Agrafiotis said if the parcel is zoned commercially, there would not be anything the township could do from preventing that type of business from being constructed there.

“If they are in the right zoning district, I would have to double check to confirm, but if they are it would be no problem for (a business) to go there, unless it is a residential district,” he explained.

Rock said if a corporation wants to purchase the property, he would entertain fair offers, given he would be able to transfer the restaurant’s liquor license to one of his other establishments, but that has not happened.

“People are spreading rumors that it’s a done deal, but we did not accept an offer from them (Dollar General) and we have not heard anything back since we declined it,” Rock said. “If they want that property, they would have to come back with something that is a lot more reasonable.”

A spokesperson from Dollar General would not directly comment on the transaction or previous offer.

“Dollar General is always looking for opportunities to grow in a number of different communities around the country,” the company said in a statement. “We do not have a signed lease for Monongahela (Fallowfield Township) and it is our longstanding policy to not respond to real estate speculation.”

Until The Tap Factory is sold, whether it be to someone who wants to operate it under new ownership as a restaurant or otherwise, Rock doesn’t plan to close the doors.

The family intended to open after returning from their trip Aug. 1, but needs more time to prepare.

“We were supposed to open already, but we are still figuring it out,” Rock said. “We’re not closing, and we plan to be open in the next few weeks. We had a great year in 2019, but then the pandemic just swept our feet out from under us. We haven’t been as busy, and we’re having a hard time with staffing, but that’s just the nature of the business. We’re going to get things moving in the next week or two and open back up.”