The Olde Bar, founded by chef Jose Garces, closes as a restaurant

The Olde Bar — the oyster house that onetime Iron Chef Jose Garces founded nearly 10 years ago on the former site of Philadelphia’s historic Old Original Bookbinder’s in Old City — has closed as an à la carte bar and restaurant.

A spokesperson told The Inquirer that the vast space at Second and Walnut Streets would continue to serve as an event venue and commissary — major parts of its business since the pandemic. Saturday was the last night of regular restaurant service. Employees at the Olde Bar have been offered other jobs within other restaurants, including Garces Events, Village Whiskey, and two Amada locations, the spokesperson said, adding that the decision was “part of a larger strategic plan for the restaurant group.”

Over the summer, the Garces-founded Village Whiskey and the three Amada locations — operated by Ideation Hospitality — were acquired by SPB Hospitality, a national company whose brands include J. Alexander, which has a location in in King of Prussia. Garces continues to serve as the face of the restaurants he created.

Ideation is a subsidiary of Ballard Brands, which, with investor David Maser, bought the Garces Group for $8 million in 2018 after the company’s bankruptcy filing. Garces had blamed his company’s financial problems on the impact of the 2014 closing of the Revel casino in Atlantic City, which housed four successful Garces restaurants, including an Amada. Revel is now Ocean Casino Resort, and Amada has reopened.

Amada‘s Old City location, which opened in 2005 at 217-219 Chestnut St., was Garces‘ ownership debut.

Garces, born in Chicago to Ecuadorian immigrant parents, came to Philadelphia by way of New York City, where he was working with chef Douglas Rodriguez when Stephen Starr set them up to run Alma de Cuba near Rittenhouse Square. Garces was chef at both Alma de Cuba and El Vez, Starr’s Mexican restaurant in Washington Square West, until he left to open Amada.

» READ MORE: From the archives: The Bookbinder family feud

Old Original Bookbinder’s, which opened in 1898 as an oyster house and for decades was arguably Philadelphia’s best-known restaurant, closed in bankruptcy in early 2009. Garces revived Bookie’s six years later as The Olde Bar, keeping some of the touches and old-time vibe, including the President’s Room and distinctive Bookbinder’s sign on the corner of the facade. “Few names are as synonymous with Philadelphia restaurant history as Old Original Bookbinder’s,” The Inquirer’s Craig LaBan wrote in his generous opening review. “Few names are as synonymous with Philadelphia’s restaurant present as Jose Garces.”

Bookbinder’s was actually two touristy seafood restaurants with a longstanding rivalry that stemmed from a family falling-out. Samuel Bookbinder opened Old Original Bookbinder’s in 1898. The second Bookbinders — Bookbinder’s Sea Food House — opened in 1935 on the 15th Street near Locust. It closed in 2004 and is now Vinyl.