Official: P.J. Clarke’s Coming to Curtis Center

P.J. Clarke’s is coming to the Curtis at 6th and Walnut | Image via Google Street View

It’s official, New York City’s landmark P.J. Clarke’s is coming to the Curtis Center at 6th and Walnut Streets. A news conference today announcing the restaurant and the rebranding of the building as the Curtis was scheduled to be attended by Mayor Jim Kenney and former Governor Ed Rendell. The restaurant is aiming for a summer opening.

P.J. Clarke’s, which has been a dining destination since 1884 in New York City, has recently added multiple locations in New York, Washington D.C. and Brazil. The Philadelphia location will be an anchor for the revitalized Curtis. Keystone Property Group is in the midst of the ground-floor streetscape and atrium refresh. The redevelopment will also see 59 luxury apartments added to the building’s office and retail space.

Interior of the Curtis | Photo by HughE Dillon

P.J. Clarke’s, known as an architectural holdout in New York City, has survived the Great Depression, two World Wars, Prohibition and the changing face of Manhattan. It has long been a celebrity draw and been known for its “Cadillac of Burgers” (so said Nat King Cole), King George’s Shepherd’s Pie, lamb shank, fish and chips and baked mac n cheese.

The restaurant will occupy 11,000 square-feet of the Curtis and offer outdoor dining on both Walnut Street, facing Washington Square and on 6th Street, across from Independence Hall. The restaurant will include seating for 200, all with views out the windows. The decor will feature the same quirky features the 130-year old original is know for as well as Philadelphia-centri archival decor.

A Philadelphia location for P.J. Clarke’s has been in the works for a number of years. In 2013 it looked like the bar and restaurant was going to wind up at the base of the Atlantic Building at Broad and Spruce. P.J. Clarke’s owner Philip Scotti can claim some local ties to Philadelphia too. He is one of 46 grandchildren of Gasparo Genuardi, founder of the Genuardi’s supermarket chain.

P.J. Clarke’s [Foobooz]