In March after more than a quarter-century defining “coffee house” for the Borough, Fenn’s, and Fennario before it, closed its doors. Fenn’s Fenn’s closed in March and by May work was already well underway at the soon to be Turks Head. The true definition of a “neighborhood bar” where you could always find a friend.”Īnd the best nachos in the borough. It wasn’t a chain or some wannabe fancy restaurant, it was ours. One person commented on photos of the former Rams Head bar under-renovation with “Boo” and another with a couple of broken heart emojis.ĭowntown regulars Drunks of West Chester, perhaps said it best, “What made Rams Head so special was that it was uniquely West Chester. Later this year Santino’s Tap & Table, an Italian family restaurant in the Philly – “gravy, not sauce” style would open in the same location. Late August we got the news – Rams Head Bar & Grill on Walnut and Market Streets was closing. The pizza shop catering to a college crowd opened over a decade again and brought us the “ Hot Pepper Challenge,” a 1.5 million Scovill unit eating challenge, but for me, the name will evoke two things – their sassy logo and the rats in the kitchen. West Chester University’s go-to for late-night eats and all kinds of on-campus events, closed in July for “ some R&R” and never reopened. While never a major player in the downtown dining scene, BonBon brought the borough something uniquely West Chester adding to our lexicon “Bonzilla” and “Sushi Burrito.” The loss here may not be the “Bonzilla” although that one hurts, the creativity BonBon Sushi brought to the dining landscape. BonBon Sushi closed its doors at the end of May. BonBon SushiĪfter eight years of hiding out on N. While there were some small closures, places that were good while they lasted but didn’t last long enough to make much of an impact on the landscape – goodbye MeatballU, goodbye Luxey Little Ones, goodbye Spicy Pig Cafe for the second time – there were several more whose impact will linger a little longer and there were a few that, I believe, will come to mark the end of an era. “It wasn’t a chain or some wannabe fancy restaurant, it was ours.” Drunks of West Chester on the closure of Rams Head PlacesĪfter two years of a pandemic holding pattern, we began to see some cracks in the West Chester retail and restaurant landscape. For example, can’t remember when that Burger King on High Street closed? Don’t worry. Over the years, I have used these year-end recaps as a kind of record.

What have I missed? Leave a comment with closures, demos, and passings big and small.

This list is by no means comprehensive, just what I have noted as the year has gone alone. Marked by high inflation and financial stresses for many, West Chester noted several significant changes in its own right and appears to be on the cusp of many others. Not quite dominated by the pandemic, not entirely behind us either.

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