When Nick Wendowski began frequenting the beer distributor at N. 17th Street and Fairmount Avenue as a college student at Temple, he didn’t know what the space meant to the community. 

It wasn’t until he and his wife purchased Stone’s Beer & Beverage Market in 2019, a neighborhood spot since the 1950s, that he really came to understand the depths of the corner store’s cornerstone in Fairmount. 

“People in this neighborhood really have an affinity for this place in a way that was really surprising to me when we first bought the store,” Wendowski said. “I lived in the neighborhood, so I had an affinity, but I didn’t know that everyone shared a very similar take on it all.”

Five years after buying the beer distributor, he and wife Jen (owner of Yoga Habit in Fairmount) are reopening in the original location at 1701 Fairmount Ave. after the landlord tore down the building, forcing a move to Brewerytown for two years. Opening in mid-April, the revamped location will include three beers on tap for customers to sample, a walk-in fridge for keg selection and a seating area where people can have a beer and read a book or work, Wendowski said. The on-tap brews will be a rotating mix of local breweries they want to highlight and imported brands. 

With the new space, Wendowski said he wants to reimagine what a distributor can look like and host non-traditional events to bring the community together, starting with a party on June 8 to celebrate the reopening that will feature a food truck. 

“This is usually a very transactional experience and we’re trying to see it as something that’s more experiential,” Wendowski said. “There’s never been somebody in the corner of a beer distributor playing guitar while you shop on Friday, and we’re just kind of saying like, ‘Well, why can’t there be?’“

Adding a walk-in keg fridge was also a necessity, he said, because most of the time, they’re stored in the back area of distributors where customers aren’t allowed. With the remodel, Stone’s will have a walk-in, refrigerated section with pricing and descriptions under everything, making the experience similar to buying a regular six-pack.

To Wendowski, the newly revamped space is a bit of a mix between a warehouse-style traditional distributor and a curated bottle shop experience. With the kegs, the drafts and the sit-down area, though, he’s really hoping that the new-and-improved Stone’s will build relationships in the community and inspire connection with a drink that’s meant to be shared. 

“Having something that people can feel comfortable in and can bump into their neighbors at and can be a bit of a staple of the neighborhood was really important to me as the owner and to the rest of our team,” Wendowski said. “[We] were focused foremost on making sure that we’re good community stewards, and that we really care about the folks that shop here and how we are perceived and how we act as business owners and as citizens in our neighborhood.” 

As the local expert, we had to ask for a few recommendations for purchase after the store opens. Some of his current favorites are Belgica Beer, Brewery Techne, Lost Time Brewing, Widowmaker Brewing and Cerveza Rrëy. 

Stone’s Beer & Beverage Market will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.