Brewery, chicken restaurant coming to former Fredericksburg Square

Water’s End Brewery will open its third location at the former Fredericksburg Square property at 525 Caroline Street in downtown Fredericksburg, and the concept will also include a second location for a popular chicken-oriented restaurant in Woodbridge.

Water’s End, which has one location in Lake Ridge and one in Woodbridge, plans to open the Fredericksburg brewery later this year. The facility will also be home to a Hot Chickn Kitchn location.

A partnership led by Mike Sarago of Hot Chikn Kitchn and Zach Mote of Water’s End Brewery entered negotiations to purchase the property in the summer of 2019. After significant setbacks resulting from the pandemic and the sad passing of the building’s owner, Van Perroy, the transaction finally closed in late December 2021.

The 19,000-square-foot Fredericksburg Square building will be part of the project. A small brew house will be added in the backyard, and there will be an outdoor covered bar, seating area, cooler storage and bathrooms. A new exterior ADA ramp will be added into the main building at the back of the property as well.

The new taproom will be managed by Water’s End Brewery co-owner Ryan Sharkey, a Fredericksburg native and resident, until operations are fully established and a well-qualified replacement is found. Both businesses are currently hiring for a range of positions; interested people are encouraged to email [email protected] for more information.

Fredericksburg Square has a long history and only a few previous owners. Originally built as a townhouse in 1854, it survived the Civil War and was eventually bought in 1905 and converted to Elks Lodge #857. The Elks constructed a large addition in 1925 and remained in operation until 1996, when the property was purchased by Van and Deborah Perroy. The Perroys operated several businesses within the building over the course of their ownership, notably the four-diamond-rated restaurant Augustine’s. Fredericksburg Square, with its grand ceilings and two stunning ballrooms, primarily became known as a high-end wedding venue.

Visit FredericksburgSquare.com to learn more about the project and its partners. We look forward to the opening of both businesses!