December 24, 2022
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Tabachoy, a Filipino restaurant that opened its storefront earlier this year in Bellas Vista, has started a community fridge of adult beverages for customers who do not bring their own.
Restaurants that allow you to BYOB have become a fixture in Philadelphia. The ability to sit in a cozy restaurant and order food while sipping your own drinks is appealing to consumers.
Filipino restaurant Tabachoy recently opened its first brick-and-mortar shop after operating as a food cart in 2019. The food spot means chubby or fatty in Tagalog, the Filipino language, and is BYOB. This week they announced a community fridge for patrons who come empty-handed but want to sip an alcoholic beverage during their meal.
"We're trying to build a piece of community within our little restaurant, Tabachoy said on Instagram." "If you haven't dined in with us yet, I want to introduce you to our community beverage fridge. We've been to far too many BYOBs and forgot our B, so we decided to try to fix that problem. It's completely complimentary and has been supplied fully by our beverage friends, new neighbors, and wonderful guests. We see it as a give a penny, leave a penny style fridge- but if you don't have any bevs to leave, we're happy you're enjoying its perks."
The restaurant is located at 932 South 10th Street and the owner, Chance Anies, said the move to add a community fridge was just to be welcoming and add a sense of togetherness.
Community fridges have recently been popping up across Philadelphia to address food insecurities across the city, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fridges are stocked with donated food and are available for anyone in need to take from.
Tabachoy opened its doors on Dec. 9 that cooks traditional Filipino foods like pork spring rolls, mushroom and pork adobo, or jasmine rice.
After the success of the food cart, which is notable for its cheesesteaks, Anies and his wife planned to open a restaurant in 2021. According toPhillymag, complications delayed the opening. However, they found their new home earlier this year and started planning to open the restaurant.
"Filipino food and Filipino culture is like 50 percent food and 50 percent hospitality," Anies told Philly Mag. "Being a food truck, we've been able to give the food side, but we haven't been able to show the hospitality side of Filipino culture."
With a 28-seat restaurant and a community fridge stocked with booze, the community is sure to make Tabachoy a place to be in Philadelphia on Wednesdays-Sundays from 5-9 p.m.
