Railhouse Brewery opens Penn Station taproom in Southern Pines

Railhouse Brewery is set to open Penn Station in the former Southern Pines Brewing space at Bennett St. and Pennsylvania Avenue, with a Memorial Day debut targeted for Monday, May 25 at noon. The move gives Railhouse a second Southern Pines footprint without the expense and risk of building a full new brewery, a telling sign of how smaller beer brands are expanding in 2026.

The new taproom will be called Railhouse Brewery: Penn Station, and it is taking over a site that already has a brewery history. Southern Pines Brewing previously expanded into the Pennsylvania Avenue corner after starting its first taproom and production facility on Air Tool Drive, then later added the second taproom that Railhouse is now repurposing. By the end of 2025, Southern Pines Brewing had shut down its operations, leaving the address open for a new tenant.

Railhouse’s plan is straightforward and very much in keeping with how neighborhood taprooms win regulars. The room will pour Railhouse beer alongside wine, James Creek Cider, soda, and eventually liquor. It will not serve food, and Chris Weber is steering customers toward takeout from nearby restaurants instead of trying to duplicate the town’s dining scene. That keeps the operation lean and makes the taproom feel like part of the block rather than a standalone destination.

Weber’s own role gives the opening a clearer business edge. Railhouse says he has been part of the brewery journey since 2019 and became majority owner after retiring in 2025. The brewery also traces its roots back to Downtown Aberdeen in 2010 and describes itself as veteran-owned and community-built, which makes the Penn Station move look less like a one-off lease and more like the next step in a longer local expansion.

Railhouse’s Aberdeen base has long been part of Moore County’s beer landscape. Visit Pinehurst describes it as one of the county’s original craft breweries, with 16 taps, live music, and a veteran-owned identity that fits a region where beer, cider, and distilling have become part of the tourism pitch. The 2026 destination guide says Moore County now has five breweries, a cider house, and a destination distillery, so a second Railhouse taproom lands in a market that already knows how to support beverage-focused stops.

Penn Station also keeps the old address in play instead of letting it sit dark. Railhouse is inheriting a well-known corner, bringing in its own beer program, and setting hours that fit both the lunch crowd and late-night traffic, Sunday through Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from noon to midnight. For Railhouse, that is a practical expansion. For Southern Pines, it means one more familiar brewery space stays active.