INTRODUCING THE NEW STATION HOUSE

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Wildwood’s MudHen Brewing expands with new event space

WILDWOOD — When Brendan Sciarra opened MudHen Brewing Company in 2018, he thought of ways he wanted to better the city he grew up in.
After six years, the former Harley-Davidson dealership has turned into a 25,000-square-foot brewery complete with a full bar, restaurant, biergarten and patio. Now, there’s also a 140-person-capacity event space.
Over Labor Day weekend, MudHen introduced the Station House, which will keep Sciarra’s little section of Wildwood alive, even in the quiet winter months of a typical Jersey Shore offseason.
“I just think this place definitely offers a year-round experience,” Sciarra said. “I think Wildwood is known for summer. But its offseason and latter part (of the year) has something to offer to guests, or second homeowners or whoever can come down here. I’m a big believer in trying to build those parts. You’re going to have your summer, but you’ll also have your offseason, so that’s what we focus on.”
The approximately $2.5 million expansion, which started in January, extends the brewery at 127 W. Rio Grande Ave. to the corner of New Jersey Avenue. It’s one of the first things visitors to Wildwood see as they drive into the city.
“That’s why we have this beautiful MudHen sign, this beautiful Station House sign with the lights on,” said MudHen’s marketing coordinator Pepa Petrova. “It’s a huge place. You can see it right away. When you pass by down the bridge, not only do you see the MudHen and the huge sign but also the outside area and the patio with the lights on.”
The Station House features two full bars serving craft beer and cocktails, a versatile event space for anything from private parties to weddings, late-night entertainment, weekend brunches and an outdoor courtyard.
MudHen got its name from the train in the late 1800s that would carry passengers from Cape May Court House to Anglesea through the marshlands. The train would washout so often it earned the nickname “The MudHen.”
The Station House leans into that train theme, with its spacious, high ceiling, train station signage and repurposed railroad tracks from Cape May Seashore Lines in Tuckahoe that serve as footrests at the bar.
“It’s been an evolving experience,” said Sciarra, 41. “(MudHen) has a great brand, and we put a lot of hard work into the logistics. Here it is.”
He and his wife, Robin, worked on the décor of the Station House. The pink couches in the center of the room and ornate chandeliers? Those were her idea.
There is a loft that overlooks the event space that features paintings of some of the most iconic musicians with ties to the city: “Wildwood Days” singer Bobby Rydell; Chubby Checker, who debuted his hit “The Twist” in the city; Ella Fitzgerald; and Frankie Avalon. Those, too, were thought up by Robin.
More than 300 people work for MudHen after the Station House created about 60 jobs.
The first weddings planned at the Station House will be in 2025, though there are already events planned through this winter at the main restaurant.
MudHen had a busy summer, Petrova said, taking advantage of the hundreds of thousands of people who visit Wildwood during that period. The brewery hosted musical acts all summer and held various events. The biergarten, an idea born from the COVID-19 pandemic’s calls for social distancing, was transformed from a parking lot in 2020 and has been packed all summer.

MudHen also operates with a restricted brewery license and a liquor license, which allows it to produce its own beer while running a restaurant and a full bar. The only other place like it in Cape May County is Ludlam Island Brewery in Woodbine. Sciarra said the Station House falls under the same license, so that part of the process has been smooth.
MudHen has hosted weddings and other events, but when that happens, parts of the restaurant have to be shut down.
Not wanting to take away from those busy weekends, the Station House expansion will allow the dining room to remain open while guests are entertained just yards away at the new space.
Petrova, who started working at MudHen in 2019, said the locals love seeing the expansion because it helps “bring life to Wildwood.”
“It’s very valuable, especially for local people around here,” she said. “They love it, because with MudHen expanding and with MudHen having so many events and so many things going on, people are coming down, they are traveling all the way from Philly, from (Atlantic City), from New York just to come and see the place, just to attend Oktoberfest then Harvest Fest and all these events we have, just to experience the vibe of it.”
Sciarra matches that energy, adding he “has a passion for this town.”
“I just think (Wildwood is) a hidden gem,” said Sciarra, who graduated from Wildwood Catholic High School in 2000. “You have all these great towns, like Cape May, but (Wildwood) hasn’t hit its full potential.
“I feel like Wildwood has the ability to hit its full potential. Once you put the right people in place to put back into the town for the right reasons, it has that potential.”

Take a tour of MudHen Brewing Company's expansion project in Wildwood

MudHen Brewing Company sits off Rio Grande Avenue, in Wildwood, and is working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek

The main dining room presently at MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood. They are working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek

One of the outdoor dining areas presently at MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood. They are working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek

One of the outdoor dining areas presently at MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood. They are working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, is working on an expansion project called the Station House which is still under construction but near completion, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
A loft that overlooks the event space features paintings of some of the most iconic musicians with ties to the city, including Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, Ella Fitzgerald and Frankie Avalon.

Vernon Ogrodnek, Staff photographer
MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, is working on an expansion project called the Station House which is still under construction but near completion, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. Alexander Sebaqvijay and Eva Cruz work on one of the bar areas in the new space.

Vernon Ogrodnek
MudHen Marketing Director Pepa Petrova, left, and Nano Jevtic of Nanotech work near one of the stages in the Station House.

Vernon Ogrodnek, Staff photographer
MudHen Brewing Company owner Brendan Sciarra, in Wildwood, is working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
Vernon Ogrodnek
MudHen Brewing Company owner Brendan Sciarra sits in the middle of the Station House, an event space expansion of the Wildwood business. He says the pink couches were his wife’s idea.
One of the outdoor seating areas at MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, which is working on an expansion project called the Station House, in background, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek Staff Photographer
One of the outdoor seating areas at MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, which is working on an expansion project called the Station House, in background, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, is working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
Bryan Tolands takes a sample in the brewing area of MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
Tony Cunha, brewmaster, works in the brewing area of MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, is working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, is working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
MudHen Brewing Company owner Brendan Sciarra, in Wildwood, is working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, is working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, is working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
Alyssa Campione, bartender, draws a draught of one of the beers made by MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
Alyssa Campione, bartender, draws a draught of one of the beers made by MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
Alyssa Campione, bartender, draws a draught of one of the beers made by MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Vernon Ogrodnek
One of the outdoor seating areas at MudHen Brewing Company, in Wildwood, which is working on an expansion project called the Station House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
Vernon Ogrodnek
Contact John Russo:
609-272-7184
jrusso@pressofac.com

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