KENNETT SQUARE, PA — Square Roots Collective opened the 125-seat Opus restaurant in Kennett Square on Sept. 10, completing an 18-month renovation that expands the nonprofit organization’s hospitality presence along Birch Street.
The roughly 3,600-square-foot, two-story restaurant at 201 Birch St. combines New American dining with an upstairs cocktail lounge, espresso bar, outdoor terrace and rentable gathering space. Opus currently serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday, with entrées generally priced between $30 and $40.
The opening moves Opus from a planned project to an operating business and completes the reuse of a property that had been temporarily occupied by Hank’s Place.
Opus sits immediately adjacent to the Artelo hotel, further expanding the cluster of hospitality and arts properties developed around Birch Street by Square Roots Collective.
The organization spent 18 months renovating the building’s interior and exterior. The finished restaurant includes more than 30 curated artworks, including original murals and installations.
Executive Chef Matthew Anderson, whose previous culinary experience includes Longwood Gardens and Winterthur, leads the kitchen. The opening menu draws on Brandywine Valley ingredients, with dishes including Kennett Square mushroom bisque, Parisian herb gnocchi with local mushrooms, butternut squash agnolotti, dayboat scallops and apple tarte tatin.
Beau Fournier manages front-of-house operations after previous hospitality roles at Sovana Bistro and The Pear.
The restaurant’s art program includes work by Jacintha Kruc and Freiman Stoltzfus, rotating pieces from local high school students and an exterior mural by Philadelphia artist Phillip Adams depicting Birch Street history.
“What started as an idea is finally coming to life,” Opus stated in connection with the opening, inviting customers to “enjoy a meal, raise a glass, and be part of the very first chapter of Opus.”
Opus operates under Square Roots Collective’s social-enterprise model, with 100% of its net profits directed to community initiatives and nonprofit partners in southern Chester County. Those partners include Family Promise, The Garage Community & Youth Center, and Brandywine Red Clay Alliance.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.