[caption id="attachment_239380" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Betsy Hussey, left, Philip and Kate Ferro are investing in the ownership of the historic Augustine Inn and plan to reopen i come October. | DBT PHOTO BY KATIE TABELING[/caption]
PORT PENN — Philadelphia-area restaurateurs Philip and Kate Ferro are returning to Port Penn to take over the historic Augustine Inn that overlooks the Delaware Bay, with plans to re-open for the Middletown community by the end of October.
The Augustine Tavern on Route 9 will be the fourth restaurant owned and managed by Five Star Restaurant Group, sharing the same concept: an approachable white tablecloth sit down restaurant that offers a fine meal for everyone.
The other key aspect to Five Star Restaurant Group’s brand is they work and renovate older — and sometimes historic — buildings. The group first bought the 217-year-old Chadds Ford Tavern in 2018, as its first restaurant. The former Augustine Inn is estimated to be 220 years old.
“Phil’s obsessed with old buildings, and this building could be the oldest we have, though we’re working with the historical societies here to get accurate dates,” Kate Ferro told the Delaware Business Times. “When we first came down, we saw the view of the bay, and we couldn’t not do this.”
The Ferros, with the support of their financial partners and silent partners Leo and Betsy Hussey, bought the Inn in July for $586,000. Right now, the restaurant group is investing an estimated $200,000 in renovations. Augustine Tavern is expected to seat about 200 people. The Ferros expect to hire around 40 staff, with interviews for job candidates to start in September.
But it’s an investment the Ferros are betting will pay off. The couple had managed the site with previous ownership in 2019 before they sold their shares back to the business, then known as Augustine Inn Seafood & Chop House.
The restaurant then closed for good under the previous ownership on New Year’s Eve in 2023.
Kate Ferro said that when the couple was in business at the Augustine Inn in 2019, business was booming, largely because the area has been growing in leaps and bounds. It did so well, it was on track to outpace Chadds Ford Tavern, which opened just a year prior.
For context, Chadds Ford Tavern closed at $2.1 million gross revenue in 2019.
“People are excited for a higher-end concept that has something for everyone, whether that’s a date night that can offer a 40-ounce steak or lunch with the girlfriends. All our desserts are made from scratch. We want to be accessible and have a family-friendly atmosphere,” Kate Ferro said.
Five Star Restaurant Group has since opened Kings Tavern in Coatesville, Pa. and opened Main Line Tavern in Paoli, Pa. in May. Reportedly, the Ferros are also working on two other projects in Coatesville, including a brewery and a steakhouse.
