With 14 restaurants under his restaurateur belt, Dave Magrogan recently dropped the news that he intends to expand his restaurant group by three more by the finish of 2014. Of the upcoming openings, the 41-year-old Magrogan gears up to bring the Red Star Craft House to the Exton Square Mall by October 2014.
The new Red Star Craft House is a spin-off of the Magrogan Group’s Stella Rossa Ristorante that will be paired with a booming craft beer program. Curious to learn more about what’s in store for the coming-soon Exton restaurant? Full report from Magrogan himself below.
Exton Dish: You’ve just announced your plans to expand and open three more restaurants through 2014, including Red Star Craft House. What inspired you to branch off and debut a brand that is heavily craft beer-focused?
Dave Magrogan: We have over 11 years experience in selling craft beers at Kildare’s, where some of our pubs carry over 100 beers, so premium beer has always been an area we enjoy. The purpose behind Red Star is to focus on artisan foods and craft beers. The artisan foods will include some Stella Rossa-inspired pizzas, meats, cheeses and olives. We are very excited by the craft beer and craft pizza combinations. We are also excited by the creative freedom our chefs will enjoy by not being specifically anchored in Italian cuisine. The menu will feature artisan-inspired dishes from around the world.
You’re bringing the Red Star Craft House concept to Exton, promising it’s unlike anything else in the Chester County area. Throw us some selling points as to what makes this extensive 3,000-square-foot space so special.
The patio will truly be unlike anything in Chester County. The inside bar and craft beer selection will connect to a large outdoor bar. There will be two fire pits, extensive lush landscaping and covered and open areas. There will be several different entrances to the patio from the restaurant. The restaurant will also feature a cafe section connected to the mall that will feature premium to-go craft beers, pizzas, salads, wood-fired entrees and sandwiches.
Red Star was inspired by your Stella Rossa concept. Will the food program mirror that of Stella? Have you named a chef to reign over the kitchen at this new hub?
Red Star’s basis came from the pizzas, meat, cheeses, olives and wood-fired dishes that are so popular. But the concept is not limited to Italian. There will be creative and artisan-inspired dishes from around the world. We are working with our chefs from Stella, Doc’s and Harvest on the initial menu testing. We are actively interviewing internal chef candidates from DMG and also interviewing outside talented chef candidates.
What do you think this new restaurant will add to Exton’s food scene and culture?
We often hear from our friends in Chester Springs, Exton, Malvern and Downingtown that the Exton food scene needs some new additions. We have watched this space at Exton Mall for five years and been in discussions with PREIT. The addition of Main Line Health and the future plans PREIT has for the property make it an ideal location for the Red Star concept. We will also be the only full-service, liquor-licensed restaurant in the mall property. Outdoor dining is very important at all of our restaurants, and this patio is going to be exceptional.
You’ve opened (soon) 17 restaurants in 11 years. What’s next?
We are really heavily focused on the growth of our Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar brand. We plan to grow at least four to five units per year if our execution can continue to meet our guests’ expectations. Our objective is to stay focused, stay humble and strive to improve our culinary reputation every day. We are very thankful for our growth and success; keeping guests first will be our top priority as we continue to grow.
Dave Magrogan and his team anticipate an October opening for the Red Star Craft House concept at the Exton Square Mall. Expect extensive seating options at the spacious venue, with more than 150 dining and 40 cafe-style seats inside and 80 outdoor seats. Stay tuned to ExtonDish.com for the updates on the new restaurant opening, or visit davemagrogangroup.com.
