The new Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse is set to open at 1921 Sansom St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 later this year, according to press release details. Director of Operations Mike Anderson explained to What Now Philly, “as of now we anticipate a mid to late August [opening.] We have our inspections scheduled and with any luck, we should meet our deadlines and be ready for mid to late August.”
Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse was opened in 2008 by friends Kenneth Hutchings and Patrick Pawliczek. Over the course of 14 years, the loved and lauded sports bar became a local hang-out and happy hour hub. The menu boasts a slew of hearty beers that pair perfectly with the sports bar’s “award-winning” wings and sandwich selections like the brisket grilled cheese & the Cavanaugh’s Burger topped with caramelized onions and sugar-cured bacon.
While the Cavanaugh Rittenhouse crew is sad to leave their 1823 Samson St. location, the massive expansion and upgrade will create room enough to welcome back all the pub’s regulars while accommodating newcomers who will undoubtedly become part of the Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse nuclear family.
What Now Philly had the privilege of speaking with Director of Operations Mike Anderson about the big changes and little details that make this move so exciting:
WNP: Why is Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse moving after all this time?
Anderson: Pearl Properties purchased our building and have plans to develop a large portion of the block. We entered into an agreement with Pearl Properties to build out this new location. It’s amazing that we get to stay so close to the location that we have loved for the last 14 years.
WNP: Aside from the location, what else will change at CR? What do you hope this move/change brings about?
Anderson: Moving into a new space is a chance for everything to be fresh. We will have 10 TVs behind the main bar. There will also be an 11ft by 6ft video wall that will be viewable from everywhere inside the new space.
We will be incorporating more vegetarian options into the menu to go along with a couple of items that are more health/diet friendly. We also just installed a conveyor pizza oven so that we can do pizzas and flatbreads. We will be adding a Non-Alcoholic section to the drink menu that will feature a few mocktails and a couple of other N/A beers and wines.
We are going to keep most of the beers and spirits that people love. The menu is going to get an update, but the fan favorites will still be there. Cav’s Sauce – our house-made wing sauce – is coming over and going to be featured in our new Buffalo Chicken Pizza.
Most importantly, we are taking our staff with us. These are the people who have helped us build the business that we have now. With these people in place, we know that the new location will feel like a home away from home for our loyal regulars very quickly.
WNP: What can customers expect from this new location?
Anderson: Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse is about being in a comfortable setting. People should expect some new menu items that are a little more health conscious as well as the aforementioned pizzas/flatbreads. This will be the premier location in the Rittenhouse neighborhood to watch all of our local sports teams as well as out-of-market games. It will be a new setting for the great experiences that have kept everyone around for the last 14 years.
