P.J. Whelihan’s Pub & Restaurant is a casual-dining sports bar chain founded by Bob Platzer in 1983 that has been on a gradual growth trajectory lately, opening two to three restaurants annually in recent years, except in 2021.
“We took a little bit of a break in 2021 — I think everyone did — but in 2022 we resumed,” said CEO Jessica Breslow, who joined the company from Aramark in 2016 to work in marketing and information technology. She became chief operating officer in April of 2021 and CEO in April of 2024.
In November of that year the group, which also includes three-unit The Pour House and single-unit Treno Pizza Bar, The ChopHouse, ChopHouse Grill, and Central Taco & Tequila, was acquired by private equity firm Garnett Station Partners.
P.J. Whelihan’s is now at 24 units, having opened its latest this year with another slated to open in October.
The company is headquartered in the Philadelphia suburb of Haddon Township, N.J., and all of its restaurants are in the greater Philadelphia area. In fact, they’re all in suburban communities except for a concession stand at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The chain is known for its wings, which are half price on Tuesdays for students and loyalty program members, and for its comprehensive television package.
“It’s the best place to watch the game,” Breslow said. “It’s definitely the place to hang out and find all of the fun experiences and comfortable vibe — the neighborhood feeling that you’re looking for.”
Entrées, salads, sandwiches, and burgers range from $12.49 to $21.99, and appetizers, including the best-selling cheesesteak eggrolls and nachos, are $6.29-$16.49.
It’s popular with sports fans and families, as well as young teams, which Breslow says is P.J. Whelihan’s “sweet spot.”
“We have a very deep connection to the local young teams whose parents feel comfortable bringing the entire team to our location,” she said, adding that those young team members grow up to remain regular customers, coming for business lunches and other occasions for a casual, convenient bite.
Although people come for the vibe, service, and televisions as well as the food and beer, off-premises sales account for 12%-13% of the total, about twice the rate before the pandemic, and Breslow had a large role to play in making that happen thanks to her IT background.
She said that after opening Central Taco in late 2018 and ChopHouse Grille, a slightly more casual version of their ChopHouse steak and seafood restaurant, the company shifted its focus to concentrate on expanding its core brand, P.J. Whelihan’s
“We’ve gotten a lot better at it,” she said. “We learn a little bit more [each time we open a restaurant] about what makes for successful operational training, what makes for successful buildouts, and operating as smoothly and efficiently as we can,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun, actually, growing the team and creating that much opportunity along the way.”
Franchising isn’t part of the plan, nor is expanding much beyond greater Philadelphia.
“Is it possible for us to go into, say, Delaware? For sure. Florida? Probably not,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of opportunity in the greater Philadelphia market still.”
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]