For those eagerly anticipating the opening of the Hofbrauhaus at the SouthSide Works, the latest news about the project might leave them in a bit of a froth.

The opening date for the German-style beer hall has been pushed back more than a month, from Jan. 20 to Feb. 24.

Nick Ellison, managing member of Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh, said the opening had to be postponed because of delays in getting utilities hooked up.

"We've got to have utilities to brew beer, and we can't open until we get beer," he said.

Pittsburgh's will be the third Hofbrauhaus in the United States. The first was opened in Newport, Ky., near Cincinnati. The other is in Las Vegas. All three are patterned after Munich's famous Hofbrauhaus, which was founded in the late 1500s.

The $4 million SouthSide Works project will feature bench-style seating for about 450 people indoors and another 600 outdoors.

About 99 percent of the beer consumed at the beer hall will be brewed on site.

Hofbrauhaus already has hired about half its staff.

A soft opening is planned for Feb. 24, to be followed by a grand opening April 1. For those who can't wait that long, a proposed menu can be viewed at www.hofbrauhauspittsburgh.com.