Photos courtesy of P.J. Clarke’s.
Internationally-celebrated dining destination P.J. Clarke’s has announced plans to open a location in Philadelphia this summer. The restaurant will open in The Curtis—a historic, mixed-use office, apartment and retail property overlooking Independence Hall and Washington Square Park in Center City.
This dining establishment debuted in 1884 and today has multiple locations in New York City, Washington, D.C. and even Brazil. P.J. Clarke’s survived the Depression, Prohibition, two World Wars and an onslaught of high-rises and office towers in New York. Owner Philip Scotti is now returning home to Philadelphia, where his family grew a small Philadelphia corner store, Genuardi’s, into an eminent supermarket chain.
“It’s incredibly fitting that a restaurant with a history as rich as P.J. Clarke’s will open in such a special landmark building in Philadelphia’s most historic and charming neighborhood,” said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “We are thrilled to welcome our friends at the Clarke’s Group to Philadelphia and are honored that they have selected our great city as their newest location.”
Designed by Vincent Celano, P.J. Clarke’s Philadelphia will evoke a sense of hospitality based on pointed familiarity and a touch of irreverence. The 11,000-square-foot restaurant will feature outdoor dining space on both 6th and Walnut Streets, offering up some of the best views of historic Philadelphia. It will have the same quirky features that the 130-year-old saloon is well known for and will include Philadelphia-centric archival décor.
“Since the beginning, P.J. Clarke’s has been a place for everyone to be social, have fun and feel comfortable,” says Scotti. “Thanks to Bill Glazer and his team of visionaries at Keystone Property, my partner, John Murphy, and I have found the perfect home in one of the most exciting cities to be in business. We have a vibrant communal spirit at P.J. Clarke’s, where everyone is considered an ‘old friend,’ and we cannot wait to meet and serve all of our new ‘old friends’ in Philadelphia.”
The restaurant is expected to open late this summer, at 601 Walnut Street.
