VooDoo Brewing Returns to Downtown Erie Under New Local Ownership

VooDoo Brewing Company will return to downtown Erie with a grand re-opening set for March 7 and an 11:00 a.m. ribbon cutting, led by managing partner Jeff Chiaramonte and partners Wendy Chiaramonte and Christine Heberle as the location transitions to a franchise model. GoErie reports the new arrangement is a “majority woman-owned franchise ownership,” and local outlets say VooDoo beer will continue to be served at the reopened taproom.

The downtown taproom had served Erie for roughly a decade before closing its doors on January 11. Jeff Chiaramonte, a Radius CoWork member who previously hosted the Jason Heberle Memorial Open Mic Competition and other community events at the original VooDoo, framed the reopening as a restoration of the bar’s original feel and mission: “The hope is that it becomes what it was when it started. A nice, comfortable place to come and relax, for family, but also have a focus on the local community and local music.” He added in separate comments, “We’re not reinventing the beer, we’re resurrecting the good vibes,” and “Same spirit, new ownership, fresh momentum and a real commitment to Erie: great beer, great food and a stage for live local music.”

VooDoo plans a four-day lead-up celebration March 3 through March 6 with a social-media scavenger element: Erie News Now reports the brewery will post a riddle each day leading participants to another downtown brewery or distillery; the first ten people to arrive at the designated location each day will receive a custom wooden “tuit” that can be redeemed at VooDoo for a free beer during opening week. The march-through-downtown riddles and the wooden “tuit” giveaway are designed to reconnect the taproom with the wider downtown bar and distillery scene before the March 7 reopening.

The March 7 program will include live music, new menu items and specialty beer promotions, according to Erie News Now and aggregator reports; details on which specific beers or menu items will be featured have not yet been published. Chiaramonte also referenced working within the historic Boston Store and keeping that space alive as part of the reopening strategy: “I think the ability to work within the historic Boston Store and keep that alive in some aspect is just a fun way to give back to the community, and have a nice hangout spot again.”

Downtown development leaders welcomed the move: Drew Whiting, CEO of the Erie Downtown Development Corporation, said, “It’s one thing to build the buildings down here, it looks great when you’re driving down the street, it’s another to have sustainable businesses that are set up for success.” Radius CoWork’s executive director Sean Fedorko has been reported to have rallied around Chiaramonte’s vision to preserve and evolve the brewery.

VooDoo’s Instagram already lists recurring community programming, with “Singo” returning on Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., free to play. Several operational details remain to be confirmed publicly, including the precise franchise agreement terms, ownership percentages, regular hours, and the full live-music schedule; organizers and local outlets say updates will appear on the brewery’s social channels as opening week approaches.