First came love.
Over the course of a decade, the community has made The Creamery in Kennett Square part of their routine, from its community center to its beer garden. Some even met their future spouse there.
Then came marriage. Or, at first, wedding inquiries.
“I think the community tells us what they want us to be, and we were just getting so many inquiries about weddings and people love the space as it is,” said Michael DePaolo, managing director of hospitality at Square Roots Collective, an organization that creates businesses and invests its proceeds back into the community. “It just made sense.”
The Creamery is no stranger to private events; it’s even hosted weddings in the past. But this new venture scales up what it’s able to offer.
The space, which will be adjacent to The Creamery, will soon take bookings for 2027. It will have its own identity — a website, a different name, and branding. It will be “slightly elevated” from the feel of The Creamery’s beer garden, said Shelby Deskin, director of brand and design at Square Roots Collective.
“It is a stunning backdrop for any ceremony or event, and we have the capacity to invite people in, and the ability to renovate it and keep the historic aspects of it,” she said. “Just the size of the space lends itself to an event.”
The new venue will accommodate up to 300 people in a historic structure on the site, and will serve a “middle of the market” crowd, DePaolo said. The price point would range from $100 to $175 per guest, depending on the scope of the event.
Square Roots Collective is working with a local design firm and National Park Services to maintain the existing stone and preserve the historic nature of the building, Deskin said.
It will be a fairly open venue — 6,341 square feet — that they want to make feel comfortable and cozy. They’ll have an outdoor ceremony space, with the ability to add tents or move inside in inclement weather. There will be a cocktail reception spot, separate from the event and ceremony areas, and a primary and secondary suite for getting ready, Deskin said. The venue will be one level, with a ramp to the ceremony and event spots, and they’re building an elevator tower to make it accessible, she said.
Their goal is to keep The Creamery open to the public, so they had to navigate designing a venue that has the look and feel of The Creamery, but the privacy of an event space, DePaolo said.
All food and beverages will come from The Creamery, but they’ll outsource to vendors on items like wedding cakes and upgraded china and glassware, said DePaolo, who has spent 25 years working in weddings.
“It’s been really beautiful seeing the space come together,” he said. “There’s a lot of really talented people that have touched it and made sure that it was being done appropriately and intentionally, and I think it’s going to be one of the better halls in the area.”
And the new venture comes as they’ve created a network along Birch Street to support the effort: Opus, which opens in late August, will offer a space for an engagement party or rehearsal dinner. Their two hotels, Artelo and The Francis, are within walking distance.
“We’re really fortunate to be able to offer the total package, where you could bring your guests into town, stay, have different events in different locations, and ultimately have the big game with us also,” DePaolo said.
It’s been a goal in the last 10 years to renovate the building on the site, said Stephanie Almanza, co-CEO of Square Roots Collective.
“It’s a natural extension of our heart for hospitality, and we can’t wait to host celebrations for people from our community and beyond,” she said.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
