Monastery at Large

Relic Signs: Philip’s Restaurant (1940) – Philadelphia

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Philip's Restaurant (1940). 1145 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia.
Philip’s Restaurant (1940). 1145 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia.

This swanky old sign is a true relic of South Philly, which is changing as rapidly as any other neighborhood these days.

Owned and operated by the Muzi family, Philip’s Restaurant was licensed for business at this location in 1940,1 although later advertisements claimed it opened in 1938.2

The blue portion of the sign likely dates to 1940, but I suspect the “Cocktail Lounge” segment was added later.

Originally built as a residence, the 3-story brownstone structure that housed the restaurant previously served as the Circolo Italiano clubhouse for at least 20 years.3 4

Philip’s touted itself as “Serving the finest in Italian cuisine”, and the interior photograph shown below is from a postcard published circa 1960, based on a note from the back that adds the restaurant had been in “The same location for 20 years.”

Interior of Philips Restaurant, circa 1960. Photograph by Bill Bennett from an undated postcard published by Bill Bennett of Philadelphia and Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.
Interior of Philips Restaurant, circa 1960. Photograph by Bill Bennett from an undated postcard published by Bill Bennett of Philadelphia and Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.

Philip’s closed in 2001, and the building has apparently been unoccupied since 2018.5 The sign remains untouched.

References

  1. “Latest Reports Of Legal Actions”. The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 23, 1940, p. 39. ↩︎
  2. Advertisement. The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, October 27, 1968, p. 44. ↩︎
  3. “Sale on South Broad Street”. The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 12, 1916, p. 7. ↩︎
  4. “Circolo Italiano Meets”. The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1936, p. 32. ↩︎
  5. Hidden City Philadelphia › Mysteries Revealed as Old Philip’s Restaurant Eyed for Redevelopment ↩︎

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