A Neighborhood Institution
After being interrupted by a third straight call in a row on the tavern’s old rotary phone, Bob Loughery tries to finish slicing a block of provolone cheese. He takes his time slicing, as he’s done countless times over the years making roast beef sandwiches. It’s Monday morning and Loughery, 65, Havertown, is preparing sandwiches for another busy day at Cherry Street Tavern, a place with a rich Philadelphia history and a promising future.
“When Bill and I bought it, there was no food at all. Now we do probably a hundred beef sandwiches a day, plus or minus.”, says Loughery.
This particular sandwich is a staple of Cherry Street Tavern, one of Philadelphia’s oldest tap rooms and a neighborhood institution located at 22nd and Cherry Streets in Philadelphia, PA.
First licensed in 1905, the bar has gone through many different variations over the years. During the prohibition years, the bar was taken out and it became a barber shop. It wasn’t until 1975, when then-owner local football legend John “Tex” Flannery hired Bob and his older brother, Bill, to help run the bar.
“We worked for the previous owner, Tex Flannery. He was a football coach for twenty-nine years at LaSalle High School”, says Loughery. “That’s how Bill and I got to know him because we both went there. We used to answer the phone as Flannery’s.”
In 1990, the brothers came to Flannery with an offer to buy the restaurant from him, for which he agreed. At the time, the atmosphere in Philadelphia was rapidly changing and the offer was a welcoming opportunity for everyone involved.
“It just kinda happened. We helped run the place for Tex Flannery for fifteen years and we told him that if he were ever interested in selling, we’d be more than willing to buy it from him.”, says Bill Loughery, 66, Havertown. “The neighborhood was just starting to come up around this time, which was 1990, so it was a good time for him to sell and a perfect time for us to buy.”
The tavern is best known for their famous roast beef sandwiches made fresh daily.
After the purchase, the Loughery brothers developed a simple vision for their new establishment. They chose to make it more of a “tavern” and less of a “bar” by taking out the pool table and shuffleboard and introducing roast beef sandwiches onto the menu. With a staff of only seven people, the owners consider the tavern to be a unique organization that has contributed to their success over the years.
“We run the operation a little different than most places.”, says Bob Loughery. “We don’t have a cook, we don’t have a worker who just serves or someone who just cleans. All of us kind of do everything.”
During prohibition years (1920–1933), the bar was taken out and it became a barber shop.
Aside from the two owners, Cherry Street employs five “barmaids” who are considered to be the backbone of the tavern. One of the longtime servers, Gina Falco, 33, Philadelphia, says that working at such an iconic bar in Philadelphia is difficult but ultimately rewarding.
“There’s definitely a good amount of stress that comes with this job because of how much you’re expected to do. On some level though you push through it because you know that Bill and Bob are dedicated bosses and that this place is so beloved by people.”
Another prominent employee, Jimmy-D, 36, Philadelphia, who co-workers affectionately call “The Manager” because of his tireless work ethic, describes the division of labor between the owners and the employees:
“Bill takes care of the liquor and Bob takes care of the draft beer. Other than that, we all alternate positions equally. You’d think that this would be way too much work for us but it actually takes the pressure off when we all know what to do.”
Ultimately, the customers are the most important part of what keeps the Tavern operating decade after decade. Over the years, Cherry Street has brought in a steady cast of patrons that range from loyal locals to visiting out-of-towners.
“Great, great locals”, says Bill Loughery. “Everyone from construction workers to white collar workers and also the neighborhood people. Everybody’s been great.”
Loughery says Cherry Street has also been a hangout for some famous celebrities that have come through Philadelphia.
“We’ve had some notables here over the years. Larry Bird, when he coached the Indianapolis Pacers, would come in and drink when he was in town. Scotty Hartnell of the Flyers would also come in because he was dating a girl from the neighborhood. The regulars though — they’re our bread and butter.”
For now, things are running smoothly for the Loughery brothers and their tavern. As for the future, Bob Loughery says that they’re going to try and keep ownership in the family when him and his brother inevitably retire within the next decade or so.
“Bill’s son, Drew, works here now and he pulls a lot of hours, especially night shifts. He’s also bringing a lot of the younger crowd. If Drew could take over, that would be fabulous.”
Until then, the owners don’t have any plan to change the tavern much, just like it hasn’t changed much since they starting working here in 1975. For them, they apply the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” to their aesthetic and operational choices.
“We’re not going to change much.”, says Bill Loughery. “It’s a beer-and-a-shot taproom in Center City and we don’t see any reason to mess with that. Our customers would be the first ones to tell you that.”