Philadelphia, PA – Internationally-celebrated dining destination, P.J. Clarke’s, announced today plans to open a location in Center City Philadelphia this summer. It will situate itself in the newly re-positioned Curtis Center – now known as The Curtis – a historic, mixed-use 900,000 square-foot office, apartment and retail property overlooking Independence Hall and Washington Square and Center City, Philadelphia.
An iconic dining destination since 1884, P.J. Clarke’s has garnered a reputation of being, quite simply: “The place”, with multiple locations in New York City, Washington D.C., and Brazil. A cultural and architectural holdout, P.J. Clarke’s has soldiered on through the Depression, Prohibition, two World Wars, and an onslaught of high-rises and office towers. Philip Scotti, Owner of P.J. Clarke’s, is now returning home to Philadelphia, where his family grew a small Philadelphia corner store, Genuardi’s, into an eminent supermarket chain.
P.J. Clarke’s Announcements and Events
P.J. Clarke’s is coming home to Philadelphia, and they’re looking for people to join their team! Though there isn’t an official opening date just yet, P.J. Clarke’s will hold a job fair next week at the Penn Mutual Building on 530 Walnut Street for its front and back of house positions. On July 9-11 from 12pm to noon, they will be interviewing for servers, bartenders, bussers/baristas, food runners, hosts, sous chefs, line cooks, prep cooks, dishwashers and oysters. The P.J.s team is looking to hire about 100 full time and part time employees.
“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.
P.J. Clarke’s boasts a history of guests including notable names like Elizabeth Taylor and Nat King Cole, who declared the cheeseburgers “The Cadillac of burgers,” establishing the name of what would become P.J. Clarkes’ signature dish. Along with the famed cheeseburgers, diners can enjoy menu item staples like King George’s Shepherd’s Pie and the Natural Braised Lamb Shank, along with well-known classic American cuisine such as Tottenham Fish N’ Chips and Cast Iron Baked Mac N’ Cheese. Timeless menu items will be accompanied by innovative cocktail classics including the Patrick Joseph Clarke Sidecar and the Bee’s Knee’s.
“Since the beginning, P.J. Clarke’s has been a place for everyone to be social, have fun and feel comfortable, said Philip 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.”
P.J. Clarke’s is the newest addition to The Curtis, where Keystone Property Group has launched a transformative repositioning initiative which includes a revitalized ground-floor streetscape and building atrium. The program also includes the development of 59 luxury apartments in a portion of the building's existing office space and the addition of a retail component to the property, with the aim of creating a renewed experience for office users and patrons alike.
“After three years of searching for restaurant space, I am thrilled that the iconic P.J. Clarke's will be coming to Philadelphia. It has been an honor to work with Phil and to see this project come to fruition is a very exciting moment in my career,” said Joshua M. Haber, Vice President at Binswanger.
P.J. Clarke’s Coming to Curtis Center in Philly
It is located in The Curtis at 601 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA. To learn more about P.J. Clarke’s visit www.pjclarkes.com