Rivertowne Brewery’s North Shore restaurant and tavern between PNC Park and Heinz Field likely will close at the end of the month, a victim of the parent firm’s bankruptcy, it was revealed Tuesday in federal court in Pittsburgh.

Attorney Michael Roeschenthaler, representing Rivertowne and its interlocking companies, told federal Judge Gregory Taddonio that no entity offered to buy the restaurant during a bankruptcy auction last week and the existing lease is too much of a burden for the company. If it were to remain in operation, Rivertowne would seek to void the lease, Roeschenthaler said.

Rent for the past two months is overdue, and the lease will not expire for two years, which could cost Rivertowne between $300,000 and $400,000, said Eric Nelson, an attorney for landlord Continental North Shore II L.P. If Rivertowne did not vacate the North Shore site, Continental would void the lease at the end of November, Nelson said.

Taddonio said he had been told the North Shore was one of Rivertowne’s more profitable locations. But after listening to forecasts of a bleak future for the once-popular pub, the judge remarked that “it is essentially ‘last call’ for that location.”

While the destiny of the North Shore site appears sealed, a proposed sale of Rivertowne’s Export brewery and restaurants in Monroeville and Verona was postponed Tuesday to allow more time for the tentative buyers to reach an agreement with the brewery in the complicated bankruptcy case.

Taddonio scheduled a hearing for Monday to approve the sale of the three Rivertowne assets to Brewery Acquisition Co. LLC and Helltown Brewing LLC of Mt. Pleasant for about $2.1 million. Helltown intends to operate the brewery and the two restaurants and made commitments to extend job offers to current employees, Roeschenthaler said.

“(Helltown) has a very good reputation and a good product,” Roeschenthaler said, noting it has the financial resources to close the deal.

Rivertowne Brewery filed for bankruptcy in May under the corporate names of Rivertowne Growth Group LLC, Fybowin LLC and Fybo Management. It is controlled by a group of investors that include Christian Fyke, Amelia Boros, Lisa Fyke, Joseph Boros and Andrew Maxwell. Christian Fyke operates the brewery.

Attorneys for about 10 of Rivertowne’s 40-some creditors said they did not object to the sale of the brewery or the two restaurants. Roeschenthaler said there have been objections to how money from the sale would be allocated to creditors. An agreement has to be reached on dividing the money, he said.

Any lingering objections by creditors could “ultimately crush the sale,” Taddonio said. Either the creditors and Rivertowne investors buy into the sale “or we don’t do it,” he added.

The fate of Rivertowne Pub & Grille along Route 30 in North Huntingdon remains unclear. Gery Steiner, an attorney representing Helltown and Brewery Acquisition, said the buyers were interested in that site but needed more time to for due diligence.

PNC Financial said it is owed $361,245 on the Rivertowne Pub & Grille in North Huntingdon and has not received any payments for the past few months.

Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.

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