One of Peekskill’s best-known restaurants will serve its final pint. Birdsall House, the craft beer gastropub at 970 Main Street that opened in 2010, will close on Sunday, July 26, ending a 16-year run in downtown Peekskill.
In a statement shared with the Peekskill Herald, co-owner John Sharp said the decision was driven by economics rather than a lack of community support.
“For nearly two decades, Birdsall House has been a home for craft beer lovers, live music, celebrations, neighborhood conversations, and countless friendships. We have watched Peekskill grow, weathered recessions, survived a pandemic, and adapted to every challenge that came our way,” Sharp wrote.
Sharp said rising operating costs ultimately made continuing the business unsustainable.
“Independent restaurants operate on thin margins,” he wrote. “When rent escalates 7 percent every year while major building costs continue shifting onto the operator, the business eventually reaches a point where continuing is no longer responsible or sustainable.”
The closure comes less than a month after another of Sharp’s restaurants, Gleason’s, served its final customers on June 28, marking the second recent restaurant closure for the longtime Peekskill restaurateur. Sharp remains involved with several other local businesses, including The Central on Railroad Avenue and several restaurants at The Factoria, on Charles Point.
The announcement comes as Sharp remains involved in ongoing litigation with the property’s owners over an alleged rent dispute. He is scheduled to return to city court on July 24. During previous court appearances, Sharp disputed claims that he owed approximately $40,000 in unpaid rent and said he was working to make payments.
In a phone conversation with Sharp on Wednesday morning, he declined to comment further on the closure or the pending court case, saying he would prefer to discuss the circumstances after the restaurant closes.
Sharp said ensuring his employees were taken care of has remained his top priority. He said most have already been placed at his other businesses, while the remaining employees either have other opportunities lined up or chose to take a break.
“Everybody’s taken care of,” he said. “That has always been my priority throughout this.”
Attempts to reach landlord Jim Connelly for comment were unsuccessful.
A restaurant that helped define downtown
When Sharp and partner Tim Reinke transformed the former Connelly’s bar into Birdsall House in March 2010, they combined Peekskill’s history with the emerging craft beer movement. The restaurant was named after the historic Birdsall Tavern, which once stood across Main Street from where the restaurant is located and, according to local lore, hosted George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
Over the years, Birdsall House earned recognition from Westchester Magazine, Hudson Valley Magazine, and Chronogram for its craft beer selection, food, and historic setting.Its reputation eventually reached well beyond Westchester County.
In 2024, reality television personality and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel made an unannounced stop while traveling through the Hudson Valley and documented her visit for millions of social media followers.
Calling Birdsall House “a little place of heaven on earth,” Frankel praised its smash burger, fries, music, and atmosphere before giving it a “10 out of 10” rating and urging followers to “run like you’re being paid to run to this place.”
The viral endorsement generated thousands of new social media followers and renewed attention for the restaurant.
At the time, Sharp said he had no advance notice of Frankel’s visit.
“We’ve been here a long time,” he told the Peekskill Herald. “It’s nice for people who know us to have a fresh reminder.”
Community Reaction
Following the news of the closure, patrons shared memories across social media, describing Birdsall House as a cornerstone of downtown Peekskill.
For Sharp, the closure represents more than the end of a business.
“Closing Birdsall House is not a reflection of our staff, our guests, or this community,” he wrote. “It is a reflection of the pressure independent restaurants face when local rent structures outpace what small businesses can reasonably support.”
“The doors may close,” he added, “but the memories belong to everyone who found a piece of themselves here.”
Bill Powers, executive director of the Peekskill Business Improvement District, said the news reflects the growing pressures facing independent restaurants.
“Like the rest of the community, we are saddened to hear about the closure of Birdsall House and Gleason’s. Independent restaurants are enduring a set of simultaneous challenges including skyrocketing supply costs, high energy prices, a shortage of qualified employees, rent increases and less frequent paying customers. The Peekskill BID focuses our limited resources on special events, stepped-up social media promotion and support for the free shuttle service to attract people with disposable incomes into the downtown.”
According to the Discover Peekskill website, the BID promotes downtown’s growth through business recruitment and retention, capital improvements, marketing, beautification, event programming, and advocacy for small businesses.
Powers encouraged businesses within the BID to share upcoming events and promotions so they can be highlighted on the organization’s social media channels, which he said have seen strong engagement recently.
Birdsall House will remain open through July 26. Hours are noon to midnight Monday through Thursday, noon to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to midnight on Sunday.
Eric Harvey contributed additional reporting to this story.
