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, adding to Ardmore’s growing portfolio of restaurants.
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, adding to Ardmore’s growing portfolio of restaurants.
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. The new restaurant by Sam Li offers a modern Japanese steakhouse experience with tabletop cooking, adding to Ardmore’s growing portfolio of restaurants.
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.
A dozen new businesses have opened in downtown Ardmore so far this year, bringing Japanese barbecue, build-your-own salads, and organic dog treats, among other goods, to the Main Line community. New and incoming businesses include mom-and-pop shops, national chains, and expansions of popular Philly-area names, such as decorated Szechuan eatery EMei and New Jersey-based burger chain Gouldsburger’s.
Here’s a breakdown of the new retailers that have opened in Ardmore this year, and some others that are on the horizon.
What’s new?
OGYU Japanese BBQ
OGYU Japanese BBQ (60 Greenfield Ave.) is a tabletop cooking Japanese steakhouse experience from Osushi owner Sam Li. OGYU offers an all-you-can-eat, tiered, fixed-price menu, as well as a full bar. Li has opened Osushi locations in Wayne, Ardmore, and Marlton, as well as upscale eatery Hiramasa in Newtown Square. OGYU opened last month.
Just Salad
Healthy food chain Just Salad (167 W. Lancaster Ave.) opened in Ardmore in May, adding to the company’s more than 100 locations across seven states. Just Salad serves fast-casual salads, warm bowls, wraps, and smoothies.
Barizi
Barizi (29 W. Lancaster Ave.) is a design, home, and gift store offering curated ceramics, textiles, leather goods, vintage furniture, and self-care items. Barizi’s Ardmore store opened in May and is its second after New York City.
Gouldsburger’s
Gouldsburger’s (4 Station Rd.), a Jersey-based mini-chain serving up burgers, cheesesteaks, chicken sandwiches, and other fried snacks, opened across from Ardmore’s train station in February. The restaurant has vegan and vegetarian options, and its cheesesteak has even made the ranks of the Inquirer’s favorites.
Inside OGYU Japanese BBQ in Ardmore.
CorePower Yoga
CorePower Yoga (169 W. Lancaster Ave.), a heated yoga and strength training studio with hundreds of locations across the U.S., opened in Ardmore in April. This is the chain’s third location in the Philadelphia area, after Center City and Northern Liberties.
Bikini Burger
Penn Valley resident Mia Robertston opened Bikini Burger (44 Rittenhouse Pl.) in January with the goal of bringing a simple and “really good burger” to the area. Robertson’s Burgers are made with beef from a Lancaster County butcher, can be topped with Cooper Sharp, among other accoutrements, and are never smashed.
R3 Gaming & Toys
R3 Gaming & Toys (6 W. Lancaster Ave.) is a toy and game shop built for collectors and “curious minds of all ages.” The store stocks classic toys, board games, puzzles, comics, graphic novels, and other novelties.
Jersey Mike’s
Sub sandwich giant Jersey Mike’s (20 Greenfield Ave.) opened its doors in the former Revitalize Aesthetics storefront in March. The sub shop is open seven days a week and offers both hot and cold sandwich options.
Mia Robertson, owner of Bikini Burger, makes a cheeseburger at the Bikini Burger in Ardmore. The burger joint is one of a slate of new businesses to open in Ardmore this year.
Revivéa Health
Revivéa Health (20 Ardmore Ave.) opened in Ardmore in April and offers various wellness treatments including IV therapy, vitamin injections, and red light therapy. Ardmore is Revivéa’s second local storefront after West Chester.
Raffs Italian Cuisine
Raffs Italian Cuisine (65 Cricket Ave.) is the second restaurant of chef and owner Raffael Kupa, who also runs Buona Vita in Somers Point, N.J. Raffs, which opened in April, is BYOB, open for dinner seven days a week, and offers traditional Italian fare.
Bored Trading Café
Bored Trading Café (43 Cricket Ave.) is an all-day eatery serving bagels, sandwiches, salads, wraps, smoothies, and burgers, among other items. The cafe held its grand opening in January.
What’s coming soon?
Mango Mango
At Mango Mango (38 Greenfield Ave.), an Asian-inspired dessert chain with locations across the U.S., “mango’s our muse.” Mango Mango serves mango- and non-mango-flavored cakes, waffles, smoothies, ice creams, and teas. Its Ardmore franchisewill be opening later this month.
Vintner’s Table
Vintner’s Table (24 Cricket Ave.) is an Italian-inspired wine bar affiliated with Folino Estate Winery & Restaurant in Kutztown. The Ardmore location will be the third Vintner’s Table after Phoenixville and Wyomissing. Vitner’s Table has not shared an anticipated opening date yet.
Chef Yongcheng Zhao preparing a crispy whole boneless sea bass dish at EMei in Chinatown. The restaurant is set to expand to Ardmore.
EMei
Inquirer food critic Craig Laban says EMei (98 Cricket Ave.) is a “Szechuan feast with few peers in Philly.” The lauded Chinatown eatery, owned by Dan Tsao, is expanding to South Philly and Ardmore in the near future, though the timeline for expansion has been pushed back due to permitting and architecture hiccups.
Pure Green
Cold-pressed juice company Pure Green (56 E. Lancaster Ave.) is set to open in Ardmore next year. Pure Green offers superfood smoothies, acai and pitaya bowls, steel-cut oatmeal bowls, sourdough toasts, and cold-pressed juices.
Calm and Strong Yoga and Pilates
Calm and Strong (46 Rittenhouse Pl.) is a yoga and pilates studio bringing a variety of sculpt, flow, and strength classes to Ardmore. The studio is set to open this fall.
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.
🍦 Stella’s Ice Cream out of Idaho (yes, Idaho) just opened on Front Street in Fishtown/Kensington, and Bea has the early scoop.
🍦 Winners, rocking a feel-good message, is new on South Street in Graduate Hospital. As Kiki Aranita says, Winners’ appeal is more than just the flavors, like Sweet Success S’mores.
🍦Our guide to our favorite ice cream is right here.
Critic Craig LaBan is back from his annual Jersey Shore exploration, and he’s shaking the sand out of his notebook. In Part One of his roundup, he heads to the mainland to find some gems. Read that here.
Looking ahead: Part Two, Craig’s reviews from Long Beach Island and thereabouts, will be online this weekend. On July 11, he’ll share his discoveries from points farther south in Part Three.
Ember & Ash on East Passyunk Avenue will be closed for an undetermined period after smoke and flames shot up through the ventilation last week just after closing time. No injuries were reported.
This weekend will see the debut of Broad Street Beer Garden at LOVE Park, the first phase of a planning reuse of the so-called flying saucer building at 16th and JFK. Here’s the long history of the city landmark.
We munched on fried silverfish that reminded us of French fries in Little Saigon, Argentine empanadas in West Philly, and a vegan po’ boy in Old City that tasted like the original.
Scoops
Intrigue! Albert Zheng, whose holdings include Javelin in Fairmount, is backing a yet-to be-named dual concept on the way to 808 Chestnut St., formerly a Dunkin’ Donuts. In front, the feature will be wagyu omakase, while the rear will be what he calls a Cambodian speakeasy. He says it’s six or seven months out.
Mylar Bar, a cocktail bar inspired by the spirit of South Philly’s Dino’s Party Center, is expected to open later this summer from hospitality veterans Liv Arterbridge and Gina Piccari. They bought the former building at Ninth and Morris Streets where Dino’s sold balloons, decorations, and party supplies for decades before it moved across the street. “We want the whole thing to feel like a party,” Arterbridge said. “Nostalgic, fun, a little silly, intentionally unserious — but not a theme bar,” Piccari said. Cocktails will include martinis, punches, and classic drinks, alongside draft beer and familiar favorites. A full kitchen, led by chef Colin White, formerly of Sally and Emmett, will serve shareable “party snacks” and larger plates. They plan to offer late-night desserts, so food will be available until 1 a.m. with the bar wrapping at 2. Arterbridge, whose resume includes Cry Baby, Poison Heart, and a.bar, met Piccari while working at Boot & Saddle, where Piccari was manager. Piccari is now behind the bar at Le Virtù.
Restaurant report
Sixteen restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and bars — including Lillian’s, shown above — are opening in July. Read on for the rundown.
Penny’s Bagels, on its way (for the last two years) to 212 Kings Highway East in Haddonfield, will hand out 250 red, white, and blue bagels on July 3 at the borough’s parade. The shop is eyeing an August opening, says owner Chris Fetfatzes.
Maru, a fast-casual Korean-inspired restaurant from David Backhus and the team behind the now-closed Oori, is expected to open in August in what is now Collective Coffee & Bakery, which Backhus also owns, at 2922 Conestoga Rd. in Glenmoore. Maru’s menu will feature Korean fried chicken sandwiches, wings, tenders, house-made mochi doughnuts, and specialty coffee, while continuing to serve Collective Coffee and honor existing coffee subscriptions.
Briefly noted
Ota-Ya in Newtown has announced that Friday will be its last day after 30 years with the retirement of owners Jeff Wong and Cindy Tam.
PETA is launching its “Nice Cream Trail,” highlighting 10 shops across the state serving vegan ice cream, and there are five local spots on the list: Dreams Ice Cream Factory in Glenside, Lu & Aug’s in Ardmore, the Main Freeze in Lansdale, Milk Jawn in South Philadelphia and Northern Liberties, and Scoop DeVille in Center City and Queen Village. The first Pennsylvania resident to complete the trail by visiting all 10 participating shops through August will win a vegan ice cream party with PETA’s “iScream” truck for themselves and up to 50 guests. Details are here.
Two local BBQ chefs, Matt Groark (Medford Lakes, N.J.) and Maxwell McGibbon (Newark, Del.), are competing on Food Networks’ Pitmasters, premiering July 13 at 9 p.m.
Diner en Blanc registration is still open. This year’s version of the pop-up picnic is Aug. 20.
Miller’s Ale House, in the shopping center next to the Home Depot in Springfield, Delaware County, closed this week after 13 years, while Fishtown is abuzz with speculation that Bottle Bar East, which opened at 1308 Frankford Ave. around the same time in late 2012, has closed. The phone is down, and owners could not be reached for comment
When is Adda ever going to open in Fishtown? — Rich C.
True, Adda has been a long time coming, since I initially wrote about it in June 2025 with an end-of-2025 target. Adda — from New York City’s Unapologetic Foods, whose establishments are acclaimed for their bold, no-holds-barred approach to Indian cooking — is now looking at a late-fall opening at 1700 Frankford Ave., the new building across from the Fishtown post office.
Corrigendum: Reader Stephanie points out that Kalaya is the third Philadelphia restaurant, not the second, to win the James Beard Award for outstanding restaurant, as I wrote two weeks ago. Zahav was the first in 2019, while Friday Saturday Sunday won in 2023.
📮 Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter.
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Danny’s Guitar Shop, an independent guitar store and lesson center run by musician Dan Gold, closed its doors after 17 years in downtown Narberth.
Over nearly two decades, Gold forged connections along the Main Line, sold guitars to celebrities, brought outdoor music to Narberth’s streets, and, briefly, starred in a TV show that drew on his talents as a self-proclaimed “kibitzer.”
Gold, 72, said retirement was already on his mind when his landlord raised the rent beyond what Gold could pay. Danny’s officially closed at the end of May. As Gold prepares for the next chapter, which will be filled with swimming, traveling, and playing bassin Broken Arrow, his Neil Young cover band, he said his time in Narberth was “just perfect.”
The former storefront of Danny’s Guitar Shop in Narberth.
Gold opened Danny’s Guitar Shop in June 2009, right as the country had begun to dig itself out of the Great Recession. Guitar store Medley Music of Bryn Mawr had closed the year prior, and Center City’s 8th Street Music had moved across the bridge to New Jersey, leaving a vacuum for guitar lovers in Philly’s western suburbs.
Gold, a Newtown Square resident, grew up in Havertown and graduated from Haverford High School and Temple University. He started his career as a schoolteacher before taking a gig as a district sales manager for Fender Guitars, traveling across the region, from rural Pennsylvania to North Jersey, selling instruments and accoutrements.
Though it was risky to open a brick-and-mortar store at the heels of the financial crisis, Gold was bullish on the prospect. His mentors told him that as long as he ran guitar lessons, he’d be able to pay the rent. Gold had always loved Narberth’s “very distinct, charming personality” and was smitten with the Forrest Avenue storefront right away, with its ample natural light and welcoming front porch.
When Danny’s opened in 2009, the Main Line Times described it as having promptly “established itself as that rare kind of clubhouse — the kind where everybody’s allowed in.”
Over the years, the storefront’s shaded porch became the site of dozens of guitar recitals and summer evening jam sessions. Narberth residents gathered outside of Danny’s to talk about the news and the neighborhood gossip, and Gold always had treats for local dogs. Gold helped bring live music to Narberth during First Fridays and the annual July Fourth celebration. Ahead of a recital last fall, Gold posted on Facebook: “Students playin’ on the porch this Sunday 3:00! Bring a chair and come hang out!”
“Danny is loved around here and for good reason,” said Ed Ridgway, president of the Narberth Business Association, who took guitar lessons at Danny’s.
Ridgway described Danny’s as resembling an“old-timey barbershop.” If you asked Ridgway to make a list of 10 things that define Narberth’s downtown, he said Danny‘swould be on the list.
“He was just such a good presence in Narberth,” said Tracy Tumolo, owner of Narberth art and gift shop Sweet Mabel Store.
“This place,” Gold said. “It just fit me like a glove.”
Danny Gold (center) pictured at Danny’s Guitar Shop in Narberth in 2018 with partners Larry Freedman (left) and Ron Stanford.
Every once in a while, a star or two would stop into Danny’s Guitar Shop while visiting the area or prepping for a show at Ardmore Music Hall. The Eagles’ Timothy B. Schmit bought a few guitars and gave Gold backstage passes when the band played Atlantic City. Wilco’s John Stirratt stopped by, as did Dweezil Zappa, Frank Zappa’s son. Tumolo said Gold always encouraged them to shop at Narberth’s other businesses.
In 2014, Gold starred in a 13-episode series on WHYY-TV’s YArts cable channel, which aimed “to do for guitars what Anthony Bourdain has done” for international cuisine or ”Mike Rowe for the art of cleaning septic tanks,” according to an Inquirer story from the time. In the series, Gold explored the origins of Klezmer music, interviewed the scholar who wrote the definitive book on the history of the accordion, and spent quality time with electric guitar giant Paul Reed Smith.
Lessons were the biggest part of Gold’s business model at Danny’s, as his mentors predicted. He did a large consignment and secondhand business, as well, as he was mostly selling to first-time and beginner players.
“The lessons made me a destination store. It’s never like I carried away wheelbarrows full of money, but we were able to make a modest living and enjoy doing what we were doing,” Gold said.
Like many brick-and-mortar merchants, Gold said it became more difficult over time to keep up with the ubiquitous online marketplace. Consumers can now buy any model of guitar, in any color, at any time. Music stores across the countryhave shuttered in recent years, pointing to online shopping as a factor in their decline.
On one hand, Gold feels somewhat liberated from the day-to-day responsibilities of running his namesake storefront. On the other hand, there’s a lot he’ll miss — the people, the borough, watching the neighborhood kids grow up.
At the end of the day, Gold said, “It’s been a great run.”
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.
Edna B. Foa, 88, of Philadelphia, renowned clinical psychologist, pioneering mental health researcher, creator of the celebrated prolonged exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, longtime professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, lecturer, mentor, and volunteer, died Tuesday, March 24, of complications from pneumonia at Pennsylvania Hospital.
Dr. Foa was among the first psychologists in the 1970s and ‘80s to infuse empirical case study research into existing behavior protocols to create more effective mental health treatments for victims of rape, combat trauma, childhood sexual abuse, and other ordeals. She became an expert in PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social phobia, and herprolonged exposure therapy for PTSD and exposure and response prevention treatments for OCD are still hailed as breakthrough innovations.
From 1971 to 1997, she was a fellow, professor, and clinical researcher in the psychiatry departments at Temple University and the old Medical College of Pennsylvania, now part of Drexel University. She joined Penn’s Department of Psychiatry in 1998 and, over more than 50 years, evaluated thousands of mental health cases to determine which behavior therapy was best for each condition.
“Her work truly changed the field,” colleagues at the Ardmore-based Center for Hope and Health said on Instagram. They said she “spent her career doing what she believed mattered most: studying what actually helps people get better, and making those treatments more accessible.”
She created the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at Temple in 1979 and directed it later at Penn. Colleagues at the center said on Facebook: “Through her brilliance, determination, and unwavering belief in the power of evidence-based care, she transformed the understanding and treatment of anxiety-related disorders and changed the lives of countless individuals and families around the world.”
Other colleagues and friends called her “brilliant,” “amazing,” and “extremely influential” in online tributes. One said she was “a giant who taught the world how to conquer fear and reclaim life.”
Dr. Foa earned grants for research and education, and taught her therapy techniques to veterans counselors in the United States and Israel, to therapists for the U.S. Army and the City of Philadelphia, and to clinicians at Women Against Rape and other groups around the world. In 2010, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.
The Daily News published this story and photos of Dr. Foa in 1993.
She also volunteered as a consultant and supervisor at clinics and medical centers. She lectured and organized clinical workshops in the United States, Israel, and elsewhere. In 2010, she told Time magazine: “If you develop a wonderful protocol, it’s useless if nobody uses it.”
She was affiliated with many mental health societies and associations, and earned lifetime achievement awards from the American Psychological Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and other groups. She was featured often in The Inquirer and the Daily News, and told the Daily News in 1993 that “everyone has little fears.” She said her little fears were of heights and swimming underwater.
In 1970, Dr. Foa earned both a doctorate in clinical psychology and personality from the University of Missouri, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology at the University of Illinois. In 1962, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and literature at Bar-Ilan University in Israel.
She stopped working full-time at Penn in 2023 but never really retired. In April, she was scheduled to lead a workshop in prolonged exposure therapy. In 2011, she told The Inquirer: “If I die tomorrow, I think that what I have achieved is fine. If I don’t die, I don’t need to stop.”
In 2011, she told The Inquirer she was shattered by her own trauma in 1948 when her brother, Uri, was killed in the war and her father, Abraham, died four years later.
She married and divorced when she was young, and met Professor Uriel Foa at Bar-Ilan. They married when she was 24, had daughter Dora, and moved to the United States in 1966. They had daughters Yael and Michelle, and lived in Illinois and Missouri before moving to Glenside and then Penn Valley. She moved to Philadelphia a few years ago.
After a divorce, she married Penn professor Charles Kahn. Her husband and former husband died earlier.
This photo of Dr. Foa (center) appeared in the Times Recorder in Ohio in 1978.
Away from work, Dr. Foa enjoyed traveling, gardening, and hosting family and friends at holidays. She collected art and antiques.
She told an interviewer she had a bad habit of deleting emails before reading them. She managed lung cancer years ago.
“She was full of energy, vivacious, a force of nature,” said her daughter Yael. Her daughter Michelle said: “She was an extraordinary figure who lived a very rich life.”
In addition to her daughters, Dr. Foa is survived by five grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and other relatives.
Dr. Foa laughs with her husband, Charles Kahn.
Private services are to be held later.
Donations in her name may be made to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pa. 19130; and the Philadelphia Orchestra, 300 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19102.
If you’re getting burned by high heating bills this winter, you’re in good, and equally stressed, company.
U.S. households are expected to pay more than $1,000 on average to heat their homes this winter, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association’s projections, which were updated last month. That’s about $100 more than households paid last year, according to the association, which advocates for federal funding for low-income ratepayers.
And customers usually pay more in freezing temperatures, when more energy is required to keep their homes comfortable.
A wood stove provides heat in the old stone farmhouse of Patrick Melcher’s near Downingtown.
Philly-area residents were hit with a double whammy: They experienced one of the coldest, snowiest winters in recent memory as rate increases took effect for major utilities, including Peco and PGW.
Spokespeople for Peco and PGW, which provide electric and gas service to millions across southeastern Pennsylvania, said many of their customers saw increased usage this winter due to the cold. They noted that individual bills can also be impacted by thermostat settings, efficiency of appliances, and weatherization of windows, doors, and other parts of the home, as well as whether customers have opted for a third-party energy supplier.
“Energy affordability remains a priority, and rising supply costs — set by competitive markets and not controlled or profited from by Peco — continue to be a major driver of customer bills,” spokesperson Candice Womer said in a statement, noting a nearly 20% year-over-year supply cost increase for electric customers and a nearly 10% increase for gas.
The Inquirer spoke with five people who live across the region, have different types of homes, and use varying fuel sources and heating systems. Here’s how much they’ve paid to keep warm this winter.
Quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Melcher, a 48-year-old who owns a custom woodworking business, said he usually needs to fill his 250-gallon oil tank twice a year. In early January, he paid $800 for a 230-gallon top-off, or about $3.45 per gallon, which he thought was fair. He had paid around the same for an oil fill-up in October. This winter, Melcher said he’s also spent about $900 on firewood for his wood-burning stove, plus a couple hundred dollars a month to fuel the electric heaters in his workshop.
“I don’t have a ton of money. I have a small business. But what else can you do? In the wintertime, it hurts. You hope for a mild winter. It’s one of those things you can’t control.”
An oil tank heater is shown in the basement of Patrick Melcher’s home near Downingtown.
Simonsen, a 69-year-old retired public relations professional, said her electric bills are usually around $50. This winter, however, her last three bills have been $78, $84, and, most recently, $312 for the period of mid-January through mid-February. She keeps her heat around 65 during the day, she said, and 60 at night. She’s billed through her condo complex, and said her neighbors have noted similar increases.
“I know we had very cold days but we were just boggled. I’m looking at everything around the apartment now. What can I turn off? Have I been careless about leaving things on? I don’t think so, but I am much more cognizant of that. I’m wondering if this is the new reality.”
A phone charger plugged in a Center City apartment. In Fairmount, Janice Simonsen said she is making sure she unplugs everything after receiving a more than $300 electric bill for a 750-square-foot unit.
Capriotti, a 55-year-old research scientist, said her family switched from oil heat to natural gas over the past decade. They were fed up with paying hundreds of dollars every time they needed to fill their oil tank. Still, she said, their home is drafty and they need to upgrade doors and insulation. Their most recent Peco bill, which includes electric and gas, was $721, and the gas portion was $570.
“It’s better than oil heat for sure, but this past year has been very rough. $720 for heating and energy is a bit much. I don’t want to say I can’t pay it, but it’s definitely a struggle.”
Carol Capriotti paid more than $700 in February for gas and electric service for her Willow Grove home, which she heats with a gas-powered boiler.
Fritz, a 41-year-old full-time hospice aide who works part-time at a distillery, said she had her upstairs and downstairs heat pumps serviced in December. In recent years, she insulated windows and the basement ceiling, and she said she keeps the temperature around 65. Fritz is billed directly through the borough electric department, and can’t ever remember receiving a bill this high since moving into her home 13 years ago. Before the most recent charge, her last three monthly electric bills totaled $256 in December, $424 in January, and $505 in February.
“I’m a single parent. I work full-time and part-time. My child has behavioral issues. So I am struggling. It is more than the [$704] mortgage payment. I know in the winter months it goes up, but to go up that high, it’s frankly ridiculous.”
Seidell, a 52-year-old who works in technology, said his bills this winter are on par with previous years’. He has gas-powered forced-air heating, he said, but electricity powers the blower fans that circulate the air. Seidell got solar panels installed in 2020, and he said they offset his electric cost throughout the year, though less so in the winter than in the summer.
As for his heating bills, “it’s been reasonable. My house was built 125 years ago. I don’t really do anything to keep it energy efficient besides the programmable thermostat and the solar panels.”
In Ardmore, Sean Seidell’s 1,800-square-foot twin home, which has solar panels, has cost about $200 to $250 a month to heat this winter.
Grocery Outlet bargain market is closing dozens of stores nationwide, including eight in the Philadelphia area.
The closures were first referenced earlier this week in the company’s earnings report. The California-based grocer recorded an operating loss of $221.7 million last year, much of which it attributed to “certain underperforming stores” that will now close.
These include five Grocery Outlets in South Jersey, two in Philadelphia, and one in Kennett Square, according to real estate marketing released Thursday.
A company spokesperson did not return a request for comment about when the stores would close.
The impacted Philly-area stores are located at:
4004 U.S. Route 130, Delran
401 Harmony Rd., Gibbstown
345 Scarlet Rd., Kennett Square
190 Hamilton Commons Dr., Mays Landing
2017 W. Oregon Ave., Philadelphia
2524 Welsh Rd., Philadelphia
3174 U.S. Route 9 S., Suite 5, Rio Grande
677 Berlin-Cross Keys Rd., Sicklerville
People shop at a Grocery Outlet in Philadelphia in 2022.
After the closures, the chain will still have several locations in the city, collar counties, and South Jersey.
Grocery Outlet calls itself an “extreme value retailer.” It was founded in 1946, and has expanded from 128 stores to 570 stores over the past two decades. Many locations are operated by entrepreneurs who live nearby.
“Consumer pressure intensified, federally funded benefits were delayed, and competition grew more promotional in the fourth quarter,” Potter said in a statement. “In response, we have begun to sharpen our focus on what matters most: delivering clearer value and a better in-store experience.”
Customers and employees inside a Grocery Outlet in Philadelphia in 2023.
A Wakefern spokesperson said the company planned to refocus on its flagship stores in South Philadelphia and Rittenhouse, as well as its growing online business. The move, spokesperson Maureen Gillespie said, would be “a positive reset that allows us to preserve and elevate the in‑store tradition while growing the brand’s reach in meaningful new ways.”
This week in Philly music features two nights at the Met with electronic music artist Subtronics, Mexican pop rock band Maná in South Philly, four nights with Moe. on the Main Line, Jimmy Webb in Wilmington, and Cat Power celebrating the 20th anniversary of her The Greatest album.
Wednesday, March 4
Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy play R.E.M.
Actor Michael Shannon has played James Garfield (in Death by Lightning) and George Jones (alongside Jessica Chastain in George and Tammy) and now he’s playing Michael Stipe. Or at least singing his songs. Along with guitarist Jason Narducy, Shannon has been moonlighting in recent years in this R.E.M. tribute band. This time, the band is playing 1986’s Life’s Rich Pageant, and more. 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden, utphilly.com
Jesse Welles
Before Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Minneapolis” or Billy Bragg’s “City of Heroes,” there was Jesse Welles’ “Join ICE.” The best of Welles’ many protest songs is an Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruitment satire that stings with humor. “There’s a hole in my soul that just rages,” Welles sings, “but look at me now, I’m putting folks in cages.” 8 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 E. Allen St., thefillmorephilly.com
Sonny Landreth & the Iguanas
It’s the in-between time between Mardi Gras and New Orleans Jazz Fest, which makes it Louisiana music season. Two top-shelf ambassadors share a bill in Bucks County, in Breaux Bridge-based slide guitar great Sonny Landreth and NOLA roots-rock band the Iguanas. 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sellersville Theater, 84 W. Temple Ave., st94.com and 8 p.m., Thursday, Elkton Music Hall, 107 North St., ElktonMusicHall.com
Thursday, March 5
Moe.
They named themselves after “Five Guys Named Moe,” the 1942 hit by swing blues greats Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five, though none of their name is actually Moe. The longstanding six-member Buffalo, N.Y., jam band is settling in for four shows, starting Thursday. 8 p.m., Ardmore Music Hall, ardmoremusichall.com
Mx Lonely play Nikki Lopez on South Street on Thursday.
Mx Lonely & Wax Jaw
Top-notch shoegaze-slash-punk rock double bill. Mx Lonely is a Brooklyn band, fronted by singer Rae Haas, who just released their musically and thematically layered debut, All Monsters on Julia’s War, the West Philly label helmed by They Are Gutting a Body of Water’s Doug Dulgarian. Openers are terrific Philly punk quartet Wax Jaw, whose 2025 album It Takes Guts! was one of the strongest local releases of the year. 8 p.m., Nikki Lopez, 304 South St., @nikkilopezphilly
Lindsey Webster
Woodstock, N.Y., vocalist Lindsey Webster, who topped the contemporary jazz charts with her 2016 hit “Fool Me Once,” has just released her seventh album, Music in Me, on New Jersey’s Shanachie label. She’s playing two nights as part of Gerald Veasley’s Unscripted Jazz series. 6:30 and 9 p.m. Thursday and 7 and 9 p.m. Friday, South Jazz Kitchen, 600 N. Broad St., southjazzkitchen.com
Philly Pogues tribute band Bar Dust play Free at Noon at World Cafe Live on Friday and Anchor Rock Club in Atlantic City on Saturday.
Friday, March 6
Bar Dust
Shane MacGowan’s spirit lives on with Bar Dust, Philadelphia’s premier Pogues tribute band, the collective featuring members of Modern Baseball, Foxtrot & the Get Down, and the Menzingers. With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, the punk folk septet is having a busy month, starting with a Free at Noon on Friday, followed by Saturday night at Anchor Rock Club in Atlantic City, and dates at Johnny Brenda’s on March 14 and John & Peter’s in New Hope on March 17. The band has recorded two Pogues-style original songs, including the single “Three Castles Burning,” on its new Bar Dust From the Studio EP. Noon, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., xpn.org and 8 p.m., Anchor Rock Club, 247 S. New York Ave., anchorrockclub.com
No More Dysphoria VII
This benefit for the self-described “queer-run nonprofit with the goal of helping trans + nonbinary individuals financially through major aspects of their transitions” has a loaded lineup. Headliners are Oceanator, the Elise Okusami-led band whose new Things I Never Said was made with Grammy-winning Philly producer Will Yip. Also on the bill are Frances Quinlan of Hop Along, Hit Like a Girl, and Universal Girlfriend, which features guitar hero Marissa Paternoster and Augusta Koch of Gladie. 8 p.m., First Unitarian Church, 2125 Walnut St., r5productions.com
Robert Glasper performs on the Fairmount Park Stage during The Roots Picnic at the Mann Center in Philadelphia on Sunday, June 2, 2024. He plays Union Transfer on Friday.
Robert Glasper
Pianist, producer, and bandleader Robert Glasper’s music spans R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and beyond. He’s won five Grammys and released two albums in 2025. Code Derivation featured jazz instrumentalist like Keyon Harrold and Walter Smith III, and Keys to the City, Vol. 1, showcased guests Black Thought, Norah Jones, Bilal, Yebba, and MeShell Ndegeocello. You never know who might turn up at a Glasper concert. 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., utphilly.com
Lindsey Webster plays two shows each night at South Jazz Kitchen on Thursday and Friday.
Baroness
Savannah, Ga.-born and Philly-based heavy rock band Baroness plays a hometown show in support of its sixth album Stone, a muscular, melodic effort that as always features bandleader John Baizley’s distinctively trippy album cover art work. Commitment and Blood Vulture open. 8 p.m. Friday, Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., undergroundarts.org
Subtronics, the electronic dance music project of Philadelphia DJ-producer Jesse Kardon, plays two nights at the Met Philly this weekend.
Subtronics
Jesse Kardon doesn’t normally land on the list of the biggest music artists in Philadelphia, but he should. Kardon, who records and performs as Subtronics, is an electronic dance music phenom on an ascending career arc. The son of longtime Philly music business fixture (and former Hooters road manager) Rich Kardon, Jesse grew up in Lower Merion, lives in Chestnut Hill, and has become a major player in dubstep and EDM in general over the past decade. He’s headlined the Sphere in Las Vegas and Red Rocks in Colorado, and his two shows at the Met Philly this weekend are timed to the release of his new 10-song EP, Fibonacci Pt 2: Infinity.8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Met Philly, 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com
Jimmy Webb plays the Baby Grand in Wilmington on Saturday.
Saturday, March 7
Jimmy Webb
The songwriting legend who penned “Wichita Lineman” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” will be singing songs and telling stories at the Baby Grand in Wilmington. And now he has a new one to tell. Alysa Liu skated to Donna Summer’s recording of Webb’s “MacArthur Park” during her gold medal-winning figure skating program at the Olympics in Italy last month, and bringing what Webb has called his “old, beat-up song,” originally recorded by Richard Harris, an audience with a new generation. 8 p.m., The Grand, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington, thegrandwilmington.org
Maná
In 2025, Maná became the first Spanish-language band nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The pop-rock band from Guadalajara, which has sold over 40 million records, is on the road with its “Vivir Sin Aire” tour, named for its 1992 power ballad. 8 p.m., Xfinity Mobile Arena, 3601 S. Broad St., xfinitymobilearena.com
Cat Power plays Union Transfer on Sunday.
Sunday, March 8
Cat Power
It’s been 20 years since Cat Power — the remarkable song interpreter Chan Marshall — released her greatest album, appropriately titled The Greatest. Marshall will lead a six-piece band featuring Philly guitarist, music director, and former Delta 72 leader Gregg Foreman. She’ll play the Memphis soul album in its entirety and also reach into her catalog and hopefully include her version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” from her new EP, Redux.8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., utphilly.com
This week in Philly music features gospel-soul great Mavis Staples in Phoenixville, Philly favorites Florry and Sheer Mag returning to town, Culture Club in Atlantic City, and the Everyone Orchestra and zydeco scion C.J. Chenier on the Main Line.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Homegrown Live
This is the South Jersey edition of the free Homegrown Live concert series presented by WXPN-FM (88.5). The three-act bill is topped by Linwood quartet Fat Mezz, who blends classic rock influences with a touch of jazz. The band’s name was inspired by late clarinet player and civil rights advocate Milton Mezzrow. Nicoletta Giuliani fronts Ocean City’s Polaroid Fade, whose beguiling full-length debut, Chaos Into Poetry, displays an affection for jangly 1990s bands like the Smiths and Sundays. The band’s sound meshes nicely with Atlantic County quartet Te Vista, whose dreamy power pop recalls melodic guitar bands Nada Surf and Gin Blossoms. 7:30 p.m., The Lounge at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., xpn.org
Thursday, Feb. 26
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples’ place in music history has long been secure. Her family band, the Staple Singers, marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Ling Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, and her powerful vocals anchored counterculture-era hits like “Respect Yourself” and “I’ll Take You There.”
But the 86-year-old national treasure’s creative output has continued and even increased in recent years with the Chicagoan recording a series of albums with Jeff Tweedy and Ben Harper. Her newest is the soulful and deeply moving collection Sad and Beautiful World, which was produced by Brad Cook and includes covers of Frank Ocean, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and Curtis Mayfield.
The title cut is by Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse. Another new song, “Human Mind,” is written by Allison Russell and Hozier. Massachusetts singer-guitarist Kimaya Diggs opens. 8 p.m., Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville, ColonialTheatre.com
Blackwater Holylight play Johnny Brenda’s on Thursday. The California band’s new album is “Not Here Not Gone.”
Blackwater Holylight
Portland, Ore.-born and now Los Angeles-based doom metal-meets-shoegaze heavy rock band Blackwater Holylight is touring behind its bruising fourth album Not Here Not Gone. The Sunny Faris-fronted band will be joined by like-minded Austin, Texas, trio Glassing and Philly’s Cigarettes for Breakfast. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com
Friday, Feb. 27
The Record Company & Jontavious Willis
Los Angeles blues rock trio the Record Company is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its 2016 breakthrough album, Give It Back to You. Make sure to arrive on time for Jontavious Willis, the country blues singer and guitarist whose sound is shaped by regional predecessors like Blind Willie McTell. 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1016 Spring Garden St., utphilly.com
Marshall Allen + John Morgan Kimock
The hardest-working centenarian in showbiz, Sun Ra Arkestra leader Marshall Allen, makes his way to Bucks County for this noteworthy show in Henry Chapman Mercer’s Moravian Pottery and TileWorks building in Doylestown. Drummer John Morgan Kimock will also perform. The show is part of the Tileworks’ monthly “A Night of Song” series. 6:30 p.m., Tileworks of Bucks County, 130 E. Swamp Road, Doylestown, thetileworks.org
Everyone Orchestra
Matt Butler conducts two nights of improvised music from a cast of leading musicians from the jam band world, including Dave Matthews’ associate Tim Reynolds, Aron Magner of Disco Biscuits, Rob Mercurio of Galactic, and Camden trumpeter Arnetta Johnson, who has toured with Beyoncé. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Ardmore Music Hall, 23 E. Ardmore Ave., ardmoremusichall.com
Boy George and Culture Club
Boy George and original Culture Club members Roy Hay and Mikey Craig are back together for a 2026 tour. The British New Wave-era band, which scored hits with “Karma Chameleon” and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya,” is playing two nights in the region. 8 p.m. Friday, Borgata Event Center, One Borgata Way, Atlantic City, borgata.mgmresorts.com, and 8 p.m. Saturday, Wind Creek Event Center, 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem, windcreekeventcenter.com
Philadelphia band Sheer Mag plays Johnny Brenda’s on Sunday. Left to right: Tina Halladay, Kyle Seely, Matt Palmer, and Hart Seely.
Sunday, March 1
Sheer Mag
Mighty Philly foursome Sheer Mag — most recently heard from on its 2024 album Playing Favorites, released on Jack White’s Third Man Records label — tops a four-band bill. The similarly hard-hitting acts opening are Dirty Fences, Nancy, and the Smarthearts. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com.
C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band
Zydeco accordionist C.J. Chenier has spent his life carrying on the legacy of his father, Creole musician Clifton Chenier. That legacy got a welcome boost with 2025’s A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, featuring Chenier, Geno Delafose, the Rolling Stones, and Taj Mahal, winning a Grammy earlier this month. Rev Chris and Les Garçons Crasseux open. 7 p.m., 118 North, 118 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, 118NorthWayne.com.
C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band at 118 North in 2024. The zydeco accordion player and band leader returns to the Wayne venue on Sunday.
Monday, March 2
The Ike Reilly Assassination
Pugnacious rock and roll troubadour and Sirius/XM satellite radio host Ike Reilly has released 12 albums since his 2001 debut, Salesmen and Racists. He’s also the star of the documentary Don’t Turn Your Back on Friday Night, which was produced by Tom Morello, whom he shared a bill with last month at the anti-ICE benefit show in Minneapolis. It’s the same where Morello brought onstage Bruce Springsteen, who has added Morello to the E Street Band for his upcoming tour. Another cool booking at Nikki Lopez. 7 p.m., Nikki Lopez, 304 South St., @nikkilopezphilly on Instagram.
Chicago indie band Ratboys play the First Unitarian Church on Tuesday with Florry.
Tuesday, March 3
Ratboys & Florry
A double bill headlined by Ratboys, the Chicago quartet fronted by Julia Steiner and founded in 2010. The band hit its stride with 2023’s The Window. It keeps up its winning streak on the new twangy, Neil Young-ish Singin’ to an Empty Chair, produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla. It is well-matched with Florry, the Philly-bred loose-limbed collective led by Francie Medosch, whose 2025 Sounds Like… landed on this publication’s best albums of the year list.8 p.m., First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., r5productions.com.
Tired Hands Brewing’s Ardmore Brewing Company brewpub has been turned into a private event space, for now, as its owner navigates the future of the beer company.
Tired Hands’ Kennett Square taproom and bottle shop is permanently closed, owner Jean Broillet confirmed to The Inquirer on Feb. 19. Tired Hands’ Beer Park in Newtown Square also will not reopen this summer as the property’s owners are looking to redevelop it, Broillet said.
Tired Hands’ Ardmore Fermentaria and Fishtown restaurant and brewpub St. Oner’s remain open for business. The brewing company’s MT. Airy Biergarten is a seasonal operation scheduled to reopen inthe spring.
Broillet said the decision to shift to private events at the Ardmore Brewing Company location was born out of a number of factors: having two Tired Hands locations in Ardmore was confusing for customers; ongoing construction in Ardmore created a “prohibitive environment” for doing business; and the changing landscape of brewing has prompted Tired Hands to begin reimagining parts of its business model.
The changing face of Ardmore, and of Tired Hands
When Broillet opened the first Tired Hands location, the BrewCafé, in 2012, he said there was little by way of interesting, high-quality food and drink in Ardmore. At the time, he said, Tired Hands’ craft beer and artisan meats and cheeses stood in stark contrast to the Wawas and Irish pubs the area was accustomed to.
Ardmore “went from zero to 60 really quickly in terms” of dining and entertainment options, Broillet said. He added that Tired Hands was a catalyst for that progress.
In 2015, Broillet and business partner and wife Julie Foster opened the Fermentaria at 35 Cricket Terrace, just blocks from Tired Hands’ first location at 16 Ardmore Ave.
The Fermentaria was a major expansion for Tired Hands. It offered food options that extended beyond the BrewCafé‘s sandwich-and-salad-based menu, like steak frites and baby back ribs. It also quadrupled Tired Hands’ production capacity.
At the BrewCafé, Tired Hands’ brewers were able to produce 1,000 barrels of beer annually. At the time of its opening, Broillet anticipated that the Fermentaria would increase production to 4,000 barrels per year.
Tired Hands opened St. Oner’s in Fishtown in 2020.
In the years that followed, Tired Hands opened the seasonal Biergarten in Mount Airy, the Kennett Square taproom, and theBeer Park in Newtown Square.
Broillet said that “lots of valuable lessons, worldly lessons, were learned during that process” and that Tired Hands is doing everything it can to “prevent that from ever happening again.”
Ardmore Brewing Company, located at 16 Ardmore Ave. in Ardmore. Owner Tired Hands Brewing has transitioned the brewery into a private events space.
Changes in Ardmore, closure in Kennett Square
Though opening a second Ardmore outpost helped grow Tired Hands’ footprint on the Main Line, having “two of the same company” also made things “pretty confusing for people,” Broillet said.
In efforts to iron out the confusion, Tired Hands rebranded its BrewCafé last spring, renaming it the Ardmore Brewing Company, upgrading its interior, and adding more food and cocktail options while cutting down its beer list.
“The confusion was still there,” Broillet said.
Broillet alsobrought on a culinary team that had extensive experience with private events. They began to host a handful of events at the brewery — retirement or birthday parties, for instance — which were a success.
At the same time, major construction had created a “prohibitive environment for us to do business here on Ardmore Avenue,” Broillet said. Construction on the mixed-use Piazza project and Ardmore Avenue Community Center are ongoing, both of which are proximate to Ardmore Avenue and the businesses that operate there.
The brewery shifted to exclusively hosting private events in the last few months, a decision Broillet said he “couldn’t be happier” with.
The brewery owner said the Ardmore Avenue location will be open to the public again in the future, but did not specify in what form.
The taproom and bottle shop in Kennett Square will not reopen.
Broillet said he opened a Tired Hands outpost in Kennett Square, in part, to have a presence near his family members who lived there. Though it was a “fun” chapter, Broillet said it no longer made sense to operate in Kennett Square, where Tired Hands already has a strong network of distributors that can get their beers into people’s hands without making them trek to the bottle shop.
What comes next?
Broillet offered assurances that Ardmore Brewing Company will open up to the public again but said specifics aren’t clear yet. Tired Hands also plans on expanding its Mount Airy footprint with a permanent restaurant space.
For brewers across the country, the specter of people drinking less alcohol looms large. Sales of craft beer fell 4% in 2024, and there were more brewery closings than openings in late 2024 and early 2025, the first time in 20 years such circumstances occurred.
Brewerytown’s Crime & Punishment Brewing shuttered last April, with its owners citing a shifting culture around alcohol among the reasons for its closure. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, a Philly-area craft brewing pioneer, abruptly shuttered all of its locations in September.
Broilletsaid that though the changing dynamics of the industry remain on his mind, Tired Hands was not “acutely a victim of that downturn.” Sales had been down slightly over the past few years, but Broillet attributes that more to having two locations in Ardmore than to the state of the industry. He’s bullish about Tired Hands’ ability to distinguish itself and sees excitement in the changes.
“Those sentiments have a way of just propelling you forward,” Broillet said.
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