If you’ve driven by Funck’s Restaurant near Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery lately, you may have noticed that the restaurant is now named Snitz Creek Restaurant & Brewery. It was rebranded late last month.
Alan Funck, co-owner of Funck’s, said he and his brother Matt, operate Funck’s together, while he and his wife Victoria operate Snitz Creek. He said the Fort Indiantown Gap Funck’s has been operated by the Funck family for “decades”.
Carmen Lawrence, Funck’s events manager, said the Funcks purchased Snitz Creek Restaurant & Brewery in Lebanon last summer. “They decided to make this restaurant (near Indiantown Gap) into a (satellite) brewery. This was the only restaurant in the Funck’s group that didn’t have a liquor license,” she said, “We want to build our connection to the community. We want people to let us host their next event here.”
Lawrence explained that craft beer continues to be produced at Snitz Creek in Lebanon and served at the brewpub there. Kegs are also sent to the rebranded Snitz Creek at 1805 Fisher Ave. (Route 934), Annville. Lawrence said there are 20 beers on tap at the new restaurant. “At this point it’s all Snitz Creek craft brews, but we may introduce some additional brews in the future,” she said.
Snitz Creek’s brewery license allows for a retail location in Lebanon (the brewpub) as well as additional locations including the Annville restaurant. Lawrence said it also allows the restaurant to offer Pennsylvania wine and spirits. Snitz Creek’s Annville location now serves wine from Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery, Manheim, as well as spirits crafted by various Pennsylvania distilleries. “Our focus is on local crafters,” she said.
A search of state Liquor Control Board licenses indicates that one of the licenses Snitz Creek holds is a brewery storage license. Shawn Kelly, a, LCB spokesperson, said 2016’s Act 39 allows holders of brewery storage licenses to sell wines and spirits crafted by state wineries and distilleries.
Lawrence said one of the distinctions between the brewery license and a traditional restaurant (or retail) liquor license is the hours. Kelly said licensees holding R or Retail liquor licenses may serve alcohol from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday with a Sunday Sales license. Establishments with a brewery storage license can serve alcohol until midnight and also need a Sunday Sales license to sell alcohol on Sunday; Sunday sales hours are limited—9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Snitz Creek does hold a Sunday sales license.)
As part of the transition to Snitz Creek, a bar was installed in Funck’s Annville location. It seats 13, and the restaurant seats an additional 103 guests. The restaurant itself also had a “facelift to make it feel more like a brewery”. “There now more of an industrial look to the restaurant. The new look gives the restaurant a cleaner, crisper feel,” she explained.
While the look of the restaurant has changed and alcohol is now available, one thing that hasn’t changed is the staff. “We have the same smiling faces we had before, and we hope to add some new faces, too,” Lawrence said adding that there are currently 25 team members in Annville, and the restaurant is searching for a few more team members.
Snitz Creek Annville normal hours are Monday through Thursday 6:00 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 6:00 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 6:00 a.m. to 9 p.m. There’s a breakfast menu as well as a lunch/dinner menu. (Editor’s note: This article was reported before the COVID-19 restrictions were in place.)
Funck’s operates Funck’s Restaurant & Bar locations in Palmyra and Leola as well as Mount Gretna Hideaway Restaurant Tavern & Deck, Mount Gretna, and the Rising Sun, Campbelltown. There’s also a gas station and convenience store adjacent to the Annville location. Lawrence said although the restaurant has been rebranded as Snitz Creek, the gas station and convenience store will remain as Funck’s.
For more information on Snitz Creek Restaurant & Brewery, Fort Indiantown Gap, visit the restaurant’s Instagram site: SnitzCreek_Annville; its Facebook page: SnitzCreekBrewingAnnville; and the website: www.snitzcreekbrewery.com.
This story has been updated to correct the name of Funck’s event manager. We sincerely regret the error. We have also updated the opening time which is 6:00 a.m., not 6:30 a.m. as originally published.