Glu Hospitality will be opening a new restaurant in the space where The Draught Horse Pub And Grill once stood this fall called The Peabody. It will be located at 1431 Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Glu Hospitality owners Derek Gibbons and Tim Lu will partner with Temple University to not only make the new restaurant into a place for the students and the community nearby to gather but to provide students with hands-on training and experience in the hospitality industry.
Glu Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer Derek Gibbons said in the press release, “Glu Hospitality looks forward to working closely with Temple’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. We want to educate and employ these students and get them excited about working in the hospitality industry. Having a full-service restaurant on campus will be good for them to learn from and be part of. We are thrilled to add this new dimension to this exciting project.”
The Peabody’s concept is that of a modern grill and sports bar that has 6,000 square feet of space available and seating for 250 diners inside the restaurant. There will be space for additional seating outside. Executive chef Chino Chang will put the spotlight on American cuisine with small plates, appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees and the bar will have 10 different beers on tap, with craft beer, domestic beer, and bottled and canned selections. There are plans for a cocktail menu with both seasonal and signature creations from Glu’s beverage team that include martinis, old fashioneds, and dessert cocktails.
When What Now Philadelphia spoke to Derek Gibbons, he stressed that the restaurant would be fun and casual, a sports bar, that will be approachable, and that the menu would have lots of options and consist of “classic tavern food”.
The Draught Horse Pub & Grill’s closure during the pandemic left the neighborhood without the local landmark that had stood for twenty years. Accordingly, Gibbons also said that he would like Temple University students, faculty, alumni, and the people who live nearby to regard the restaurant as a local hangout that he likened to the classic television show “Cheers”.
After The Peabody opens, the restaurant will be open for lunch, happy hour, and dinner seven days a week and a weekend brunch service on Saturdays and Sundays.
