Relish, the longtime Northwest Philadelphia restaurant and politico hangout, will close

With Southern cuisine, live jazz, a polished atmosphere, and a political pedigree, Relish has been a bright light on the Ogontz Avenue commercial corridor in the city’s West Oak Lane section for nearly 14 years.

But its operators have announced last call, which will be next Sunday.

Robert Bynum, who opened Relish with his brother, Ben Jr., in spring 2009, said they want to focus on their restaurant South Jazz Kitchen and the adjacent events venue, SouthSide, at Broad and Mount Vernon Streets in the Spring Garden section.

In an interview Sunday, Bynum described the move as a lifestyle decision. He noted that they have operated more than one venue at a time since 1996, when they opened Warmdaddy’s to complement their first spot, Zanzibar Blue. “It’s not easy,” he said. “It’s all consuming. We spent 25 years being pulled in numerous directions, trying to handle numerous different restaurants. Like a lot of people, the pandemic refocused us and made us feel like we still love the business, but we don’t love the craziness that’s often times a part of it.”

Noting their ages — Robert is 65 and Ben is 60 — they want “something that works for us in terms of quality of life,” Robert Bynum said. “We want to go out successfully with a strong legacy.”

The pandemic had a financial impact. Relish had to discontinue its buffet brunch in 2020, and it was not reinstituted.

In a note to the community that was shared with staff, the Bynums thanked their business partner, Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp. (OARC), U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Pa.), Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church and its leader, the Rev. Alyn Waller, and their staff, “some of whom have been with us since the very beginning. That same gratitude must be extended to our guests, without whom none of this would have been possible.”

Evans, OARC’s founder, was a state representative and chair of the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee at the time of Relish’s opening. The restaurant reportedly was initially backed by a $650,000 loan from the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. (PIDC) and a $470,000 grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

» READ MORE: "The 86'd Project": A look back at the Bynums' Zanzibar Blue

Through a spokesperson Sunday, Evans expressed regret about the impending closing. “I’ve shared great food and memories there,” Evans said. “Although I hate to see any business that’s a good neighbor close, I am excited to learn what the Bynum brothers have planned for the future.”

Since its opening, Relish has been a magnet for Philadelphia’s political community, hosting gatherings, particularly on Election Day. Power brokers, labor leaders, lobbyists, candidates, and their staffs would mingle and hold court — one-half of a Philadelphia tradition that also includes Famous 4th Street Deli downtown.

Bynum said he and OARC had been discussing a closing or sale for six to nine months.

OARC has received interest from several prospective tenants, said Kimberly A. Lloyd, who joined OARC as president and chief executive in 2014.

“I don’t anticipate it being empty for too long,” Lloyd said, adding that she expected the new restaurant to also be a family place and, like Relish, an integral part of West Oak Lane and Northwest Philadelphia.

Word of the closing began spreading over the weekend, and the Bynums had to cap its reservations. The closing will be a great loss, said broadcaster Patty Jackson of WDAS-FM (105.3).

“It’s a place where people can mingle, and it was a great place for the neighborhood to have a place like that,” she said.