Even the Freedom Fuel Network promoted by President Donald Trump isn’t immune to rising gas prices.
Yet, the Philadelphia-area network of gas stations is expanding anyway, according to the company’s website.
The enterprise, currently made up of 25 stations spread across the region, garnered national attention earlier this month when it began selling regular gas for $3.47 a gallon — a nod to Trump, and 40 to 50 cents cheaper than other stations.
Gas station owners suddenly undercut, political observers, and government watchdogs wondered how long the promotion would continue.
It turns out, not long.
The Inquirer visited seven Freedom Fuel locations over several days, and while all were still selling gas cheaper than nearby competitors, the deep discounts from earlier were gone.
Gas prices are up everywhere, including the Freedom Fuel Network station on Edgemont Avenue in Brookhaven, Delaware County.Rob Tornoe /
Three Philadelphia gas stations and two Delaware County locations were among those within the network selling gas at $3.92 a gallon Monday. Near Philadelphia’s Freedom Fuel stations, competitors were charging $3.89 to $4.09 for a gallon of gas. The same was true in South Jersey, where Freedom Fuel stations in Marlton and West Berlin were selling gas around 10 cents a gallon less than their nearbycompetitors.
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Selling gasoline is a low-margin business, with owners making just “a few pennies” of profit per gallon sold, according to Eliezer Fich, a finance professor at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business.
“They can sustain those losses for a little while, but it becomes unsustainable if you can’t offset that with a convenience store or a car wash,” said Fich.
Several Freedom Fuel stations visited by Inquirer reporters were small, appeared somewhat rundown, and offered a limited selection of products beyond gas. One location had an inoperable convenience store.
Fich doesn’t know the specifics of Freedom Fuel. He said independent stations banding together can offer purchasing power with refineries, which can be one route to securing lower fuel costs. But those savings wouldn’t come close to supporting the deep discounts the stations were offering.
Despite the White House’s involvement in promoting Freedom Fuel, a spokesperson said the company received no government subsidies and did not obtain fuel at a lower cost. The below-market prices would exist “for as long as the company chooses,” the spokesperson said.
If that’s the case, the business itself was already absorbing dramatic losses before the United States resumed attacks on Iran, leading to a jump in gas prices over the past week.
The average cost of a gallon of fuel in Philadelphia was $4.17 a gallon Monday, up from $3.95 a gallon last week, according to AAA. Nationally, the average cost of a gallon of gas also jumped back to $4 a gallon, up from $3.14 a gallon compared to last year.
While questions remain, Freedom Fuel plans to expand
Little is known about who is taking on the likely losses expected from the promotion.
Former Evesham Township mayor, Baltimore Ravens assistant coach, and self-proclaimed “proud Trump supporter” Randy Brown, along with former commodities trader Yoni Gontownik, both signed the certificate of formation, first obtained by The Newsground, an investigative news outlet. Neither could be reached for comment.
Cherry Hill developer Shamikh Kazmi and his brother Syed Kazmi are linked to at least six locations. The brothers, who have been embroiled in at least two lawsuits related to previous gas station ventures, also could not be reached for comment.
One of Shamikh Kazmi’s businesses was sued as a result of a lengthy trademark dispute with BP America Inc. and BP Products North America Inc. in 2021. That case ended with four deputies with the U.S. Marshals Service seized remaining brand signs in June 2022, according to court documents.
Also in 2021, the brothers were accused by Petroleum Marketing Group Inc, a fuel distribution company, of stealing thousands of gallons of gas from the company. Petroleum Marketing Group sued the brothers, who were ordered by a federal judge in February to pay $600,000.
Still, the people behind Freedom Fuel are looking at expansion.
“Since launch, drivers have flooded us with one request: bring Freedom Fuel Network to my area,” read the website Monday. “We heard you. Due to overwhelming demand for additional locations, we’re expanding to serve more communities with lower prices at the pump.”
The website did not give a timeline for when those additional stations could come online and did not respond to a request for comment.
A newly created nonprofit wants to borrow $617 million through tax-free bonds to buy Advantage Behavioral Health, a fast-growing South Jersey behavioral health company.
The current owner, a Connecticut private equity firmcalled Clearview Capital, isn’t walking away from Advantage, which it bought 15 months ago.
Clearview Capital and current executives will continueto own the for-profitentity that manages Marlton-based Advantage, according to a preliminary bond offering statement filed late last month.
Advantage’s proposed sale to a nonprofit called QCF Advantage LLC is noteworthyfor mixing for-profit and nonprofit business interests. It would make aprivate-equity company a keypartner ina nonprofit organization with financing from the tax-exempt municipal bond market.
Advantage’s sale price is about $520 million. That price includes $80 million being held back to see if Advantage hits profit targets after the sale. The company had $141.6 million in revenue in the 12 months that ended May 31. Most of the remaining money from the bond sale will go into reserve funds.
Like many other mental health service providers, Advantage does not accept Medicare or Medicaid. Taking only private insurance and out-of-pocket payments helps Advantage register strong profit margins amid growing demand for mental health and addiction services.
The transition to nonprofit ownership creates “a structure that’s designed for long term stability, reinvestment, and patient care,” James D. Golden, CEO of QCF’s parent company, told prospective investors in a recorded presentation.
“We can provide an efficient exit to private capital,” he said in the recording,published June 30 on a website that tracks documents related to the municipal bond market. “Tax-exempt financing is really the mechanism that makes all that possible.”
That financing will leave Advantage with an extraordinarily large debt load, said Robert Q. Kreider, a former nonprofit CEO who has no ties to Advantage. He noted that debt of that sizerequires continued strong growth to make the debt payments and have enough money to continue growing.
“The bondholders are getting such a juicy rate, they’re willing to accept the risk,” said Kreider, a consultant and former CEO of Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.
Officials at Clearview Capital, Advantage, and QCF Advantage did not respond to requests for interviews.
Advantage’s founding and growth
Advantage has expanded to Pennsylvania and six additional states beyond New Jersey since its founding in 2017.
It initially providedintensive outpatient therapy through a business called Victory Bay in Laurel Springs.
It launched a telehealth version of its services, called Harmony Bay, in 2020. Outside of New Jersey, Advantage uses Harmony Bay as a way to build a presence in a new state, before introducing in-person services through Victory Bay.
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Advantage alsooperates 17 sober-living houses under its Dignity Hall brandin Blackwood, Laurel Springs, Sicklerville, and several other South Jersey towns.
The average daily census of patientsat Victory Bay has soared over the last five years to 805 in the three months that ended June 30, from 81 in the first quarter of 2021, according to data in the bond disclosures. The company employs more than 700.
Despite the expansion to Massachusetts, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, and California, the services provided in a string of buildings along Chews Landing Road in Laurel Springs accounted for 55% of revenue, most of the company’s cash flow last year.
The parking lots at several of those buildings were packed last Thursday. As part of the bond financing, 20 New Jersey properties valued at $14.4 million are being mortgaged.
New projects are under development in Absecon and Pine Brook, N.J.; Scranton, Pa.; and Lancaster, Ohio, the bond prospectus said.
A nonprofit buyer as a vehicle for private equity sales
QCF Advantage was created in April to acquire Advantage.
Owner QCF/I Inc., a tax-exempt organization based in Houston, acquires healthcare facilities that can be paid for with tax-exempt financing, according to its 990 tax form. Founded in 1997, QCF stands for Quality Care Foundation.
“We’re a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of care in the behavioral health industry. We believe mental health is one of the most persistent, complex, and costly challenges in our country today,” Golden told prospective bond investors.
QCF/I’s niche is buying for-profit businesses, often from private equity firms, while giving the sellers the option to keep managing the business, he said.
In the Advantage arrangement, QCF/I will collect 2.25% of revenue for administrative services — to be paid before bondholders.
Clearview Capital, the current private equity owner, will stay involved through an existing management entity that will collect 5% of monthly revenue under an initial 15-year contract.
Golden and Richard T. Needham together form QCF’s board. They have a background in private equity at a Houston private equity firm called Domain Capital Partners that is not related to Clearview. The phone number on the 990 led to a voicemail box that was full. A voicemail at Domain Capital got no reply.
QCF’s other businesses include a psychiatric hospital in Las Vegas and an addiction treatment center in North Jersey.
Surging debt load
Advantage had about $6 million in long-term debt at the end of 2024, three months before itssale to Clearview for an undisclosed price.
A year later, the debt totaled $52.5 million, not including a $10 million line of credit.
If the bond sale happens as expected, the company’s long-term debt would skyrocket to $604 million at the end of this year, according to the bond document.
That large debt means the success of QCF Advantage depends on continued dramatic growth in revenue and profits, according to a deal summary from Stacy DiStefano, CEO of Consulting for Human Services, a Philadelphia-based advisory firm.
Advantage’s projected annual interest expense is $42.7 million. For context, that’s about the same as the combined $42.2 million in interest paid last year by three large unrelated health systems in the same South Jersey market, Cooper University Health Care, Inspira Health Network, and Virtua Health.
Colin Studwell, Advantage’s CEO, said during the investor presentation available on Munios.com that the company is well-positioned for strong growth. He credited the management entity, known as a management servicesorganization, or MSO, that Clearview and executives, including Studwell, alreadyown.
Studwell will continue to runthe MSO, which handles operations support, billing, collections, human resources, information technology, and everything else it takes to run the business.
“Our MSO capabilities are the engine which allow us to continue to scale our services and treat more patients without any decay in clinical or operational efficiency,” Studwell said.
Restaurant group CookNSolo will close three Center City Federal Donuts & Chicken locations and shrink its Goldie falafel chain from four shops to one as owners Steve Cook and Michael Solomonov retrench, citing weakened demand for fast-casual dining, particularly at weekday lunch.
Federal Donuts’ shop at 1909 Sansom St. — designated only months ago as the company’s flagship after the South Philadelphia location closed in February — shut down after business Sunday. Locations at 21 S. 12th St. and 18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway are expected to close by July 31, although Cook said staff departures could accelerate the timetable.
Of Federal’s 45 employees, 27 will be laid off, Cook said. Eighteen employees will be retained to staff the two remaining Philadelphia stores, on Fairmount Avenue and on South Street. Federal launched in 2011 in South Philadelphia with a menu of fried chicken, coffee, and hot doughnuts from a robotic fryer.
Federal Donuts founders (from left) Tom Henneman, Michael Solomonov, and Steve Cook at the Federal Donuts & Chicken location at 1776 Ben Franklin Parkway in 2022.Michael Klein / Staff
Goldie, which debuted in 2017 with a menu of falafel, fries, and tehina shakes, will close its restaurants at 1218 Sansom St., Franklin’s Table food hall at 34th and Walnut Streets, and the Whole Foods Market at 2101 Pennsylvania Ave. in late July or early August. The lone remaining Goldie, at 1911 Sansom St., will absorb the chain’s delivery, takeout, and catering business.
Eighteen of Goldie’s 36 employees will lose their jobs. Cook said the company is working to help find former Federal Donuts and Goldie workers other roles. Hourly staffers will not be given severance, Cook said, as is standard industry practice.
Cook said the closures reflect a restaurant landscape that has changed dramatically since the pandemic.
Dozens of fast-casual and quick-service restaurants have opened in recent years. “We feel like we’re oversaturated in the city, given the economy right now and the demand for fast-casual restaurants,” he said. Federal Donuts has experienced “significant” year-over-year same-store sales declines, he said. He hopes the closures stem the losses.
“We have two great brands here that are worth saving, and we feel like economically this is the best way to preserve those brands.”
Falafel from Goldie.Craig LaBan / Staff
The company’s full-service restaurants — including Zahav, Dizengoff, K’Far Cafe, Jaffa Bar, and Laser Wolf — are unaffected by the shutdowns.
“Post-COVID, while we’ve seen really good rebounds in the dinner, more fine-dining side of our business, weekday lunch traffic has never really returned to full strength,” he said. “The $10-to-$15 lunch is an easy thing to kind of do without.”
Cook’s assessment reflects broader industry trends.
Tehina shakes are a signature product at Goldie.Tim Tai / Staff Photographer
While some national fast-casual brands such as Chipotle and Cava continue to post strong results, many regional chains are struggling as consumers increasingly choose prepared foods from grocery stores and convenience stores instead of restaurant meals, according to R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, a location analytics and foot-traffic company.
While fine-dining restaurants have generally continued to gain traffic through much of 2026, “fast-casual has been more of a mixed bag,” Hottovy said.
Placer.ai’s findings show visits to grocery stores, convenience stores, and wholesale clubs increasing from a year earlier while overall restaurant visits have declined. “Middle-income consumers are increasingly substituting restaurant visits with meals at home,” Hottovy said.
Restaurants also continue to battle rising labor costs while customer traffic softens as menu prices rise. “Price increases are increasingly showing up as lost visits,” he said.
Federal then operated 11 locations and arena concessions, and executives envisioned a franchise system that eventually could reach 150 stores.
The company’s largest franchisee later closed its restaurants in Radnor, Conshohocken, and Willow Grove and returned several Philadelphia stores to the company. In April, Cook and Solomonov announced plans to regain control of those city locations, simplify operations, and improve execution.
At the time, the Sansom Street restaurant was designated as the flagship to redevelop menu items. “I thought we would get a significant bounce in sales [there] and it just didn’t happen,” Cook said.
Cook said NewSpring remains the majority owner of Federal Donuts, while he and Solomonov retain a significant ownership stake and seats on its board. Representatives of NewSpring did not respond to requests for comment.
Under the restructuring, two Philadelphia stores will remain. CookNSolo will take over the location at Seventh Street and Fairmount Avenue, now owned by the company, as a franchisee around Aug. 1.
Federal cofounder Tom Henneman confirmed that he was in talks to operate the location at Sixth and South Streets as a franchisee.
Cook said those stores were chosen because of their historical performance and geographic separation. Consolidating delivery and takeout in two locations instead of five should improve profitability, he said.
Besides the two city stores, Federal will continue operating independently owned franchises in Marlton, Lancaster, and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, along with its licensed airport and stadium locations.
Goldie, unlike Federal Donuts, is owned entirely by CookNSolo.
CookNSolo has also been the focus of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and boycott campaigns since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, 2023. Activists have criticized the restaurant group for raising money for an Israeli emergency medical nonprofit as well as Cook’s and Solomonov’s outspoken support for Israel. The chefs have said their support for Israel was “not unqualified” and have criticized the Netanyahu government’s efforts to thwart a two-state solution.
A group with the Instagram handle @boycottcooknsolo on Monday reported word of the store closings, contending that the boycott had softened sales.
Cook disagreed. “Any time there’s been a protest, it’s always resulted in a short-term increase in business,” Cook said. “This is really an economic decision that goes back many years at this point.”
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In building the concept for his newest restaurant, Sam Li flew halfway across the world for a culinary research journey. He traveled across China, Japan, and Korea to study, and sample, the three countries’ ways of doing barbecue. It was at a Japanese yakiniku — or grilled meat — restaurant that he knew he had found his next project.
Li is the owner of OGYU Japanese BBQ & Bar, an upscale, grill-it-yourself Japanese barbecue restaurant that opened in Ardmore last month. The restaurant offers a tiered, fixed-price menu with a focus on “higher quality premium Wagyu beef.” OGYU is located in the former Iron Hill Brewery at 60 Greenfield Ave., which closed in 2024 before Iron Hill filed for bankruptcy last year.
Though OGYU has found a home in what was onceIron Hill, Li and his team have transformed the former brewery’s space into a sleek, club-like atmosphere, with black and gold detailing, marble-paneled walls, and an opulent, fully stocked bar.
OGYU Japanese BBQ restaurant is shown on Tuesday, July, 7, 2026 in Ardmore. The new restaurant by Sam Li offers a modern Japanese steakhouse experience with tabletop cooking.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
He now sits at the helm of seven restaurants in the Philly suburbs, including sushi restaurant Osushi, with locations in Marlton, Ardmore, and Wayne; upscale Japanese restaurant Hiramasa in Newtown Square; and fast-casual chain bb.q Chicken, with two locations inSouth Jersey.
While Li has built his brand largely around sushi, he said he saw an opportunity in the market when it came to Japanese barbecue. There aren’t many yakiniku restaurants in the region, he said, and it’s a relatively new concept to many of his diners. People tend to be familiar with Korean barbecue, which leans more into marinades and flavors than its Japanese counterpart, which more often lets the meat speak for itself, Li said.
“We felt that it could be a new concept that we could bring into the U.S, and it’s something new to Ardmore,” Li said.
Restaurant owner Sam Li is photographed at OGYU Japanese BBQ restaurant on Tuesday, July, 7, 2026 in Ardmore. His new restaurant offers a modern Japanese steakhouse experience with tabletop cooking.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Bringing a new concept to customers has meant lots of education, both for OGYU’s staff and its customers, who need to learn how to operate the tabletop grills and cook pieces of Wagyu to perfection. OGYU is an interactive experience, in addition to a meal, with flashy dry ice presentations and the challenge — and excitement — of grilling your own dinner in the middle of the table.
The main difference in the tiers is the quality of the meat, Li said. The introductory tier is best for diners who “just want to experience and explore what yakiniku is about.” The Diamond tier will be “the ultimate experience.”
OGYU Japanese BBQ restaurant is shown on Tuesday, July, 7, 2026 in Ardmore.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Beyond what goes on the grill, OGYU offers a menu of à la carte dishes, including spicy kani salad ($9.95), Wagyu truffle fried rice ($21.95), wasabi lobster tempura ($19.95), butter cheese corn ($9.95), and various hand rolls and sashimi. Li describes the à la carte menu as inspired by Japanese street food.
OGYU is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Confusion about the potential closing of Brio Italian Grille in Cherry Hill has felt like a nightmare, Grace Ortiz, the restaurant’s general manager, said.
Staff have been inundated with calls inquiring about the closure, which hasn’t been made official by the restaurant, its landlord, or the Brazilian steakhouse interested in the property, causing confusion for some of the employees.
“We’re here. We want to be busy,” Ortiz saidFriday. “Hopefully this blows over.”
Brio has 19 remaining locations nationwide, including the last New Jersey location at Cherry Hill’s Towne Place at Garden State Park. That retail complex, a five-minute drive from the Cherry Hill Mall, features about 20 eateries from the Cheesecake Factory to Kabuki Japanese Cuisine.
The next closest Brio Italian Grille for South Jerseyans is 200 miles away in Farmington, Conn.
42 Freeway, a publication covering development in South Jersey, first reported in May that chain Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse would replace the restaurant. NJ.com followed suit, attributing the news to project plans filed by Fogo de Chão and the owners of Towne Place to the Cherry Hill Township Zoning Board in April.
Those plans propose a remodeled restaurant with 296 seats. Cosmas Diamantis, the municipal attorney for Cherry Hill Township, said in an email that the required zoning permits for the conversion from Brio Italian Grille to Fogo de Chão were already issued.
One zoning permit, obtained in a records request to Cherry Hill Township, referred to the restaurant property as “the former Brio Italian Grille.” A design development presentation dated November 2025 shows renderings for what the Brazilian restaurant could look like at 901 Haddonfield Rd.
But Ortiz said Brio Italian Grille’s corporate office told her that there are no current plans to close down, and that her restaurant just got its liquor license renewed last week. So what’s going on?
Brio Italian Grille in Cherry Hill is located at Towne Place at Garden State Park.Sarah Nicell
Is Brio Italian Grille actually leaving Cherry Hill?
That depends on whom you ask. Brio Italian Grille did not respond to a request for comment, and a spokesperson for Fogo de Chão declined to discuss the potential project.
In Cherry Hill Township and elsewhere, restaurateurs must apply for zoning permits before any changes in occupancy are set in stone. That means there’s no guarantee that Fogo de Chão actually has a lease in hand for 901 Haddonfield Rd.
It’s common for work to never actually start on projects even when they receive zoning permits, a Cherry Hill Township attorney said. In Fogo de Chão’s case, the zoning permit just means the proposed project is permitted to happen, even if it never does.
Since rumors of Brio Italian Grille’s closure have swirled, Joe Morris, an executive for M&M Realty Partners, which owns the landlord entity that manages the site’s tenants, said he has received an influx of people interested in developing the property.
Morris, said Monday that Fogo de Chão has not signed a lease for a lot at Towne Place, but the chain has inquired about joining the Cherry Hill retail center for the last 12 years.
M&M Realty, a New Jersey-based real estate development company, has kept a close eye on Brio Italian Grille after it declared bankruptcy in August and recently closed its Marlton location. Morris said those problems could mean the chain might not reup its lease at Towne Place, and M&M Realty might have to find other viable tenants. Morris declined to share when that lease will expire, though he said the restaurant has “a semi-limited period of time before important decisions have to be made.”
Still, Morris said he has no idea whether Brio Italian Grille is in conversations with Fogo de Chão about giving up the property. He said Brio Italian Grille is “alive and well,” isn’t behind on payments, and continues to spend money on its business.
“There are certain things I know I can’t say. There are certain things I can speculate,” Morris said. “I can absolutely tell you, if Brio gives their space back, Fogo is 100% a tenant we would be interested in speaking with.”
The World Cup officially lands in Philly on June 14, when the Ivory Coast takes on Ecuador at the temporarily-renamed Philadelphia Stadium (aka Lincoln Financial Field) in South Philly, with five more games to follow.
But let’s be real: Getting into a match is going to be difficult. And besides, nothing screams Philly more than taking in a game at a local bar alongside strangers and Citywides that will give you the courage to cheer even louder.
Here are 19 bars in Philly and the suburbs that are going all-in on the World Cup, including four planning to be open until 4 a.m. for late-night matches.
🍺 Bars allowed to stay open until 4 a.m.
Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a bill into law permitting Philly bars to stay open until 4 a.m. for the duration of the World Cup. Just over 50 bars in the city thus far are eligible to apply for a permit to stay open that late, according to a list from the City of Philadelphia, and several told The Inquirer that extending their hours just wasn’t worth it.
On the eve of the World Cup, several bars were still waiting to get permit approval to stay open late.
These are four spots that plan to be open until 4 a.m. in Philly, from a bowling alley to a Latin American club-staurant.
The bar at Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse, 1941 Sansom St., on Aug. 31, 2022.MICHAEL KLEIN / Staff
While Cavanaugh’s Headhouse location has a rep among Newcastle United and Liverpool fans as a solid bar for soccer matches, the sports bar’s Rittenhouse location is the one that will be open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup. Cav’s will be serving daily drinks and food specials, and is one of more than 20 bars participating in the Crawl for the Cup, a citywide World Cup-themed bar crawl, including a scavenger hunt, on June 20.
The World Cup is practically a 24 / 7 event at Mamajuana. The Latin American Northern Liberties club-staurant will be staying open until 4 a.m. on match days while also hosting Sunday brunches and watch parties for 10 games from June 13 through July 19. The club’s World Cup special promises mascot appearances, daily food specials, and limited-edition cocktails, such as the Golden Cup, an old-fashioned served in a gold globe-shaped goblet. A full schedule can be found on Mamajuana’s Instagram.
This lively Hunting Park institution will be open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup to broadcast games in its downstairs bar and upstairs night club. Tierra Colombiana’s menu spans Latin America, which means you can have arepas while Colombia plays, ceviche during Ecuador’s matches, and extra large mojitos all tournament long.
Soccer at a bowling alley? That’s literally the vibe at Oregon Avenue’s South Bowl, a bowling alley and bar (with an outdoor lounge) that is staying open until 4 a.m. to broadcast the following matches: Australia vs. Turkey on June 14, Austria vs. Jordan on June 17, and Tunisia vs. Japan on June 21. Games will play on the screens above each lane, which means there’s the potential to land a strike while watching pro athletes score goals.
If the 4 a.m. crowd isn’t your speed, these 10 Philly bars are hosting World Cup watch parties that don’t skimp on the fun — even if they aren’t going all night long.
Scenes from the opening night of Bok Bar — initially called Le Bok Fin — in 2015.Michelle Gustafson
The Black Taxi
This Irish pub in Fairmount has long been a host for English Premier League matches, at one point even displaying the trophy for an afternoon of photo ops. Roughly a half-mile from the FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill, this is the spot to take in a game with a perfect pour of Guinness.
📍 745-747 N. 25th St., 📞 215-232-1086, 🌐 theblacktaxi.com
All of Philly’s tournament matches will be simulcast on screen’s atop Philly’s most famous rooftop bar, which is hosting Puyero Venezulean Flavor for a monthlong food pop-up in June that includes arepas, empanadas, and bite-sized churros. Where else can you see the lights from the Linc — I mean, Philadelphia Stadium — twinkle in distance during a knockout game on July 4?
The crowd at Brauhaus Schmitz in Philadelphia cheers USA’s first goal against the Netherlands in the World Cup on Dec. 3, 2022.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Bella Vista’s sprawling German biergarten is taking the party to the streets, closing down the block for free outdoor watch parties for matches on June 25, June 27, July 3, July 4, and July 19. Games will be broadcast on 20-foot-tall TVs in the middle of South Street, while indoors will feature 34 beers on tap, surprise giveaways, and burgers with novelty soccer ball pretzel buns. And on non-block party days, Brauhaus Schmitz will be still be airing World Cup matches indoors.
This Brazilian sports bar in Northeast Philly is the place to be for fans of team Brazil and is hosting not one, but two lively watch parties during the team’s match against Morocco on June 13 and Haiti on June 19. And if you’re only there for the vibes, Guanabara has a rooftop, three types of caipirinhas, and Brazilian-style cheesesteaks.
Known for its supremely satisfying smashburger, this neighborhood bar with a French twist has big plans for the Group Stage. Good King Tavern will open daily starting at 3 p.m. with an extended happy hour that features mini cocktails and street food-style snacks. Its upstairs wine bar, Le Caveau, will also be getting in on the action, which means you can sip a draft negroni and nosh on a fancy hot dog while watching your team of choice.
A bar where you can play 18-holes of mini golf between matches? Sign us up. Libertee Grounds will be gamifying its World Cup watch parties with the Pitch Passport, a punch card that rewards guest for watching every game at the bar-slash-indoor-mini-golf-course. How it works: Earn a punch for each nation when you a watch a match, which are redeemable for rewards such as a free beer, mini golf passes, or a lifetime membership. Drink specials will also be available.
This Chinatown sports bar is committed to soccer year-round, airing everything from Premier League matches to La Liga games on its 35 TVs. Expect the World Cup to be no different. Lion Sports Bar will be airing all matches at its original location and taking over Yamitsuki Ramen across the street for a ticketed open bar and buffet. Also available at both locations: a signature World Cup pink margarita garnished with collectible Lionel Messi stickers.
This longstanding Irish Pub in Center City is the official home of Philly’s Chelsea FC and Manchester City FC clubs, so you can expect that it will be a hub for World Cup games. The bar will air all 104 matches (with the sound on!) across 14 TVs and two projectors. Weeks one and two of the tournament are bringing specials on Michelob Ultra and Stella Artois, plus a ticket giveaway on June 13 for a future match.
The real fun at this rowdy, double-decker sports bar comes during the USMNT’s matches against Paraguay on June 12, Australia on June 19, and Turkey on June 25. The American Outlaws — the official support group for Team USA — will be taking over Top Tomato during those games for block parties with a live DJ that are open to all, no RSVP required.
The newly renovated (and re-christened) Stateside Live! now includes a rooftop bar and beer garden. Just steps away from the action at Philadelphia Stadium, what will it offer soccer fans? The entertainment complex is hosting the official World Cup pregame for ticketholders. A match ticket and $50 will get you expedited entry and access to a tailgate with a food voucher, while $175 buys a spot at a prematch buffet with cheesesteaks, roast pork sandwiches, and open bar.
Stateside Live! will also be open to the general public during all six of Philly’s World Cup games. Matches will be simulcast on the venue’s new outdoor stage alongside a selection of food trucks.
But if you’re looking to keep it extra local during the World Cup, these bars in the Philly suburbs are going above and beyond for the World Cup, from erecting a pop-up beer garden to brewing a special IPA.
The Landing Kitchen, an all-day cafe created by Nicholas Elmi and Fia Berisha at the riverside redevelopment of the Pencoyd Ironworks on July 10, 2021.CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Located in Bala Cynwyd, just across the Pencoyd Bridge from Manayunk, this all-day riverside cafe with a family friendly vibe will be broadcasting all quarterfinal, semifinal, and finals matches outdoors on a 164-inch screen. Chef Nicholas Elmi will be firing up a smoker for barbecue specials during the games, and guests are strongly encouraged to play bocce or relax at a fire pit during halftime.
Named one of the 10 best bars for watching soccer in the U.S. by the Men in Blazers, Bucks County’s Villa Capri is one of the only bars in the Philadelphia suburbs that has committed to airing all 104 World Cup matches — with the sound on. The Doylestown bar is also rolling a limited-edition cocktail menu for the tournament that includes drinks such as the $14 Equalizer margarita, which comes in passionfruit, pineapple, strawberry, or pomegranate.
This haunt for West Chester University students already has a reputation in Chester County as a Liverpool bar that airs Philadelphia Union games. During the World Cup, Kildare’s is going all in on USMNT. The bar will be shutting down a portion of Gay Street for a free, 21+ watch party during Team USA’s matchup against Paraguay on June 12. Kildare’s will also be showing a selection of other games starting at noon daily, with to-be-announced drink and food specials on offer.
Malvern’s Locust Lane Craft Brewery is hosting a pop-up World Cup beer garden in Upper Merion’s Nor-View Farm Park with free entry from June 11 through July 19. Games will be broadcast on TVs under the park’s pavilion, where attendees can bring their own chairs and enjoy a selection of $8 beers on tap, plus food from the Epicurian Garage Truck. The beer garden will open one hour before the first broadcast game and close before midnight; schedule can be found here.
A former New Jersey Brewery of the Year, Zed’s Beer takes the World Cup as seriously as it takes its brews. The Marlton bar will be airing all Team USA matches, alongside several other key games as designated on the bar’s digital calendar. Also on offer: Soccer-themed quizzo and a new limited-edition IPA called the “48 hops for 48 teams.” Made with hops from each country with a qualifying FIFA team, this beer will be available for the duration of the tournament.
📍19 N. Maple Ave., Ste. A, Marlton, N.J. 📞 856-872-7632, 🌐 drinkzeds.com
