Martha, which brought a neighborhood-bar vibe and sour beers to East Kensington, is closing
After 10 years, the James Beard Award-nominated Martha has run its course, say the owners. Management says it wants to help the 21 employees "the best we can."
Martha, the low-lit bar in East Kensington with a killer sour beer menu and festive 80-seat patio, will close in November after 10 years.
Owners Cary Borish, Michael Parsell, and Jon Medlinsky (who left the day-to-day operations after the pandemic) said in a statement to The Inquirer that they have decided to “allocate their energy elsewhere or focus on other existing projects.” Borish and Parsell are partners in Sally and Mr. Rabbit near Fitler Square, as well as Pizza Richmond in Port Richmond and Pizza Shackamaxon in Fishtown.
Martha, a semifinalist for a 2017 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program, grew a following in its early days under Medlinsky for its menu of hoagies, cheeses, and charcuterie — many dishes using house-made pickles and other fermented ingredients — as well as a bar list including natural wines, cocktails, and kombucha. (The house shot: a mixture of Cynar and bourbon.) It also challenged industry norms, and was an early mover in Philly in trying to reform the tipping model in restaurants, the owners’ statement said.
On Wednesday, general manager Daniel Miller said that the bar’s ownership “decided to put a different operator in the space, which is their decision to make.” He had no further information.
A meeting is planned for Friday for the 21 employees, who were notified Tuesday of the impending closing. “We are going to spend however much time we have left making sure we do everything we can to take care of them the best we can,” Miller said.
Martha’s building was part of the long-gone Weisbrod & Hess Brewery on Martha Street, a side street just off of Frankford Avenue. Borish and Parsell bought it in 2013. In 2020, they, along with Matt Lang, opened Zig Zag BBQ next door in a onetime chop shop.
“When Martha first opened, there was not a lot else in this neighborhood,” said Miller, who has worked at Martha on and off since its 2014 opening. “There’s a lot more young families and strollers now.”
Defined Hospitality, which runs Kalaya, Suraya, and Pizzeria Beddia, bought another building once used by the brewery across the street from Martha. It became the spacious bar-restaurant Picnic earlier this summer.
“I hope whatever ends up happening here is still respectful and exciting to the community,” Miller said.