22-04-2025
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Human Robot Brewing taking over former Crime and Punishment space
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Crime and Punishment Brewing shuttered last week after 10 years in operation in Philadelphia's Brewerytown neighborhood.
Human Robot Brewing is taking over the former home of Crime and Punishment Brewing in Brewerytown.
The West Kensington brewery closed on its $760,000 purchase of the building at 2711 W. Girard Ave. on Tuesday, Human Robot co-founder Jake Atkinson told the Business Journal. The deal did not include the Crime and Punishment business or any licenses.
Human Robot bought the building from Crime and Punishment Brewing owner Mike Paul. The brewery closed on April 15 after 10 years in operation.
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In the ground-floor space previously home to Crime and Punishment Brewing, Human Robot plans to open a taproom that will operate under the name Human Robot Girard. The location is meant to replace the brewery's Schuylkill Banks location at 2401 Walnut St., which shutters on May 31. Human Robot subleases that space from Montreal-style bagel maker Spread Bagelry, which decided not to renew its lease in the building after it expires next month.
Atkinson said the turnkey nature of the space will allow Human Robot to get the taproom up and running as quickly as possible. The brewery is keeping all of Crime and Punishment's furniture and fixtures, except for the brewing equipment in the back room, which will be converted into another seating area for customers. The location will also offer outdoor seating.
All three staff members from Crime and Punishment have been offered positions at Human Robot Girard, according to Atkinson. The brewery will also relocate its two employees from Human Robot Schuylkill Banks to the Brewerytown outpost.
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Human Robot Brewing opened in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood in 2020.
Ryan Sharrow / Philadelphia Business Journal
The interior of the space, Atkinson said, will remain largely the same as it looked during its Crime and Punishment days.
"We're not going to change much," he said. "It's not like they didn't do well there. The neighborhood loved them."
Human Robot Girard will offer a limited food menu curated by Rich "Poe" Tamaccio, who runs Poe's Sandwich Joint at the brewery's flagship location at 1710 N. 5th St. in West Kensington, which opened in 2020. It will serve the same beers that it offers at its other taprooms.
Atkinson said the brewery also hopes to work with Crime and Punishment Brewing's Paul to make new beers for the taproom in the future.
"We really want to honor the tradition of that space and what he's already done in the community and not just come in and change everything up," Atkinson said.
The three-story, 3,700-square-foot Brewerytown building also has one vacant apartment on each of the top two levels. Atkinson said Human Robot plans to refurbish the two apartments and put them up for rent by August.
This will be Human Robot's second new taproom in the works. The brewery also plans to open a tasting room at 12 W. Mechanic St. in New Hope. Atkinson said the group is shooting for a July 1 opening date for that location.
In addition to its West Kensington brewery, Human Robot also operates taprooms at 1646-1648 S. 12th St. in South Philadelphia and in the suburbs at 208-210 York Road in Jenkintown. Those locations opened in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
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