January 08, 2015
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
One of Franky Bradley's signature drinks: Viva La Diva.
"This is a project that's been long in the thought process," Joe "Joppy" Ferrone, general manager of the new Franky Bradley's, told PhillyVoice.com.
The restaurant comes courtesy of Mark Bee, who owns Franky Bradley's and previously opened North 3rd and Silk City in Northern Liberties. He'd long been looking for a location in Center City -- to bring that NoLibs "cool" downtown. When Sisters Nightclub closed in 2013, leaving the building vacant, the timing -- and location --seemed perfect.
"There's a lot going on in this neighborhood," Ferrone said. "I think 13th Street matches the vibe of what we do, almost best. It's funky, it's cool and it fits what we want to do with music and [shows]."
To be clear, this isn't the Franky Bradley's of yesteryear; rather, it's more of a spiritual successor. For context, Franky Bradley's occupied the space long before Sisters did, and for much longer -- approximately five decades, spanning from the 1930s to 1986. The restaurant was opened by Frank Bloch, a newspaper boy who became a boxer after duking it out with other 'paper-sellers on the streets for the best corner. (If you can imagine such a time.) He changed his name to Franky Bradley because, at the turn of the century, anyone who wasn't an Irish boxer was laughed out of the ring.
"It was really the 'who's who' spot of Philadelphia -- everyone would hobnob here, from Sophia Lauren, to Dick Clark, to famous politicians, actors and sports figures," Ferrone said. "It was a place to see and be seen -- a hot spot for that style of dining. Big leather boots, the traditional steakhouse stuff going in ... It was super smoky in here with martini glasses clinking, with all that kind of 'Mad Men'-esque stuff happening. We want to pay homage to that."
"This is a space for everybody; we don't want to alienate anyone. We understand that there was a loss for the lesbian community when Sisters closed, and I'd hope somebody would open something up at some point to fill that hole."
Here's the 411: Franky Bradley's will marry that "Mad Men" vibe with Bee's unique stamp of weirdness. Its interior design is loaded with collectibles: a picture of Foxy Brown made entirely out of money (custom-made by a local artist), a Buddha statue striking a dance pose atop an old cigarette machine, an Elvis Presley painting, a taxidermy squirrel and lots (lots) of nude-female artwork and old magazine cutouts. It's a spacious, warm-lit atmosphere with a combination of booth seating and standard-size tables.
The drink list, Ferrone said, will consist mostly of classic, premium cocktails at a reasonable price (everything from a daiquiri to a signature manhattan), with a selection of 10 beers on tap and six or seven red and white wines of a higher grade. Happy hours, Ferrone said, will be martini-heavy. Food-wise, Ferrone is mum about most of the specifics, but expect standard bar fare: sandwiches and appetizers, including lobster pierogies.
The only trace left of Sisters Nightclub, meanwhile, is the space's wooden bar counter and the stone that runs just beneath it. Ferrone and Bee are also aware of the need to be conscious of not just the bar's storied past as Franky Bradley's, but as a former home base for the lesbian community.
"This is a space for everybody; we don't want to alienate anyone. We understand that there was a loss for the lesbian community when Sisters closed, and I'd hope somebody would open something up at some point to fill that hole," Ferrone said. "But we obviously want everyone to come here and have a good time -- it's not specifically gay, it's not specifically straight, it's, you know, I don't think those terms need to be, in this day and age, separated."
That said, they've symbolically opened up the space by including windows upstairs -- taking note from Woody's and U Bar, both of which have added windows in recent years after decades of being intentionally closed-off and discreet. Ferrone also cited drag shows as a potential draw at its nightclub, which will open a month after the downstairs. The upstairs space has a newly constructed stage to host bands, DJs and cabaret performances.
Barring any unforeseen disasters, Franky Bradley's is set to open the second week of January.
