House Restaurant Expansion Expected for May

House, the quaint restaurant that sits on Jackson Street just off of State in Media Borough, is currently undergoing renovations to expand in to the neighboring properties.

After Tea and Cakes Tea Room closed earlier this year, House took over the connecting properties and will bump through to create a larger House.

Owner Mike Hackett says House is tripling its square footage and more than tripling its seating with the expansion.

House, which has been in Media for six years, currently seats about 16, both indoor and outdoor, but soon customers will fill about 75 seats with more seating both inside and outside. A private room will also be available for parties.

Hackett, along with his co-owner and wife, Ginny, were looking for about two or three years to grow House. In fact, they were in the process of negotiating a different location when word came about the closing of neighbors Tea and Cakes.

"As soon as I found out this was available, I stopped everything and focused on this because this is a great spot," Hackett says. "We've been dying for something like this."

One landlord owns all three properties that will become the new House, which allowed for a new lease agreement and renovations.

There will be a slight transition period as one side of the "new" House will open, once construction is complete, and the "old" House will close briefly to revamp as well before the entire, renovated House will open. But construction is expected to be completed in early May, Hackey says.

Along with the restaurant expansion, House will also expand its menu. Now just serving lunch, House will soon serve lunch, dinner and brunch on the weekends, Hackett says.

They plan to keep much of the menu the same however they plan to add to it as well, he says.

"We're going to expand what we have," Hackett says. "We've spent years working up a client base, I don't want to change that."

Along with the construction and menu expansions, House will also expand its staff. They are currently hiring waitstaff and kitchen staff at both the Jackson Street location and at Broomall's Lake Country Club, where House will serve up at the snack bar this summer.