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The Khyber will become ...
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
The Khyber will become ...
... an izakaya, according to co-owner Stephen Simons. The long-running rock club, which Brian Howard featured in great detail in last week's cover package, will be turned into a Japanese grub pub by the end of September. "It's a concept [partner] Dave [Frank] and I have been looking at for quite some time, but we stopped a couple years ago because we thought other people were going to start doing them," Simons tells Meal Ticket. "Then nobody opened one. It's really bizarre that Philadelphia does not have an izakaya, so that's why we're looking to do something."
It's certainly a brand-new bag for the bar, which suspended live music for good last weekend, but changes to the interior will not be dramatic — no intense construction projects here. They will, though, tweak the look of the space with fresh paint and new décor. (The bar will remain open during the changes.) "Years ago, we actually painted the walls to look cigarette-stained, because, you know, the Khyber is a dive bar," laughs Simons. "Now we have to repaint them to take that away. We were like, 'Man, they really do look cigarette-stained.'"
They're keeping the bar, and plan on turning the band room into the main sit-down dining space. Booze-wise, they'll retain their 13-tap system and focus on good craft beers, but they'll izakaya up the offerings slightly, with big ol' 20-ounce cans of Sapporo, a "smart, well-rounded" sake list, and shochu drinks, including shochu slushies poured from a machine behind the bar (!). Simons and Frank have not yet settled on a name for the concept, nor have they officially landed a chef — but they're auditioning now. Expect grub — Asian-style small plates — to range between $4 and $15. So you won't be able to call it the Khyber any more, but regulars shouldn't fret too much — Simons says he doesn't anticipate much, if any, turnover where the current bar staff's concerned. And perhaps the most recognizable relic of them all is staying put, too. "The jukebox is not going anywhere, but it will probably be changed slightly," says Simons. "Probably a little less metal."
Photo: Neal Santos
[...] Adam Erace shared the interesting news that The Khyber (56 S. Second St.), which was earmarked as a new-look izakaya by its owners back in August, would instead go Southern under the watchful food eye of chef Mark McKinney, who runs the show at [...]
Sad to see the Khyber go, granted I could never go in there with my wheelchair, but it's still a classic venue. In New York City, places like that go in and out in a matter of months, rare ones like CBGBs manage to hold on for a while but change eventually gets them all. On another note, I can't stand to read these twitter comments, 140 characters isn't really a lot of space to complete a thought. I don't understand a single thing from these twitter posts. You might think I was behind the times, but I'm only 26.
wow how could someone possibly come up with such a stupid idea?
It's like "I have this great venue it's unique & interesting I think I'll piss it away and open a totally boring mediocre faked-theme'd restaurant.
So amazingly stupid.
[...] The Khyber is destined to be a Japanese grub pub - an izakaya. The Khyber will become … :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper [...]
I'm happy they're doing this because it means they will have to redo of those nasty bathrooms
After it turns into an izakaya, will it still take less then 5 minutes for someone to take the quarter I put in the urinal?
Yum, I love Han Dynasty! Zahav is good too, though
Breaking: The Khyber hasn't be relevant for years.
Yep. Only reason to go back to old City is Han Dynasty.
This is great news. I won't be tempted back to Old City. I can catch all the great music in Fishtown.
Uh how long ago did you live here happyintheATL? Johnny Brendas? Starlight? The Fire? Kungfu Necktie? The various jazz venues like Time, Chris's Jazz, etc? There are plenty of places to see good music in Philly that arent expensive. And an izakaya is not a sushi bar, simply typing it into Google and hitting enter would have taught you that. Glad you left Philly because you have no clue what you are talking about.
Im not happy at all to see the Khyber leaving, its a legendary concert venue and a great bar on top of that. But Ill try out the new place because I like Cantina (the original more so than the Nolibs one) and the Royal.
I will never go there again. The Khyber was probably the best place to see a band in Philly. Way to fuck it up assholes.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Christopher Schmidt, Sebastian Dony. Sebastian Dony said: One Response to The Khyber will become : I love sweets myself but only eat them when I truly ` » `Ansill rocks ... http://bit.ly/aRkamg [...]
are you kidding me? One of the main reasons I left Philly was because the music scene was basically crammed into one bar - the Khyber & now it's gone! People are not scared of change - the City just does not need ANOTHER sushi bar concept restaurant! It's not like this place is just another bar, it is just about the only place in Philly to see live music without paying $25+ for admission. You are essentially replacing an iconic Philly bar/venue with an Applbees......how sad!
This is a such a terrible shame. I hope selling out to yuppie America works out for you.
in a city where your cred comes from you remembering that-place-when-it-was-this-place-before-it-was-the-other-place, it's sad to see a true institution go. i liked that my 60 yr old client remembered cocktail waitressing in a '80's khyber that was essentially the khyber i know now. steven has a right to do what he will with his investment, but we have a right to mourn our clubhouse. it's sad to me that he didn't try a little harder to turn a profit with what he already had--a place people have enjoyed for decades. it'll be sad to me when in 3 years i hear people talking about that sweet polish place that was that awesome middle eastern joint that was that izakaya spot that was the khyber.
[...] Meal Ticket has the details on the plan, we just have lots of questions. Like how can the divey Khyber successfully transform into a Japanese pub without closing for renovations? We also wonder what will be done with the terrifying restrooms not to mention the non-existant heat in the music side of the bar?It’s one thing to have a cold, dank music venue, that adds character, but chilly will not work for an izakaya, especially one in today’s Old City. [...]
[...] Here’s the facts, from Meal Ticket. [...]
why didn't any of you people buy the place when it was for sale a little while ago if you're so sure you could keep it going in its current condition/concept?
oh right, i forgot, this is the internet. carry on.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Drew Lazor, Phillyist, Jim McMenamin, SeannyBoy and others. SeannyBoy said: "less metal" is not very metal. RT @mealticket Want to know what's happening to @the_khyber? Here's the story: http://bit.ly/bPx8E9 [...]
Terrible...:-( One more blow to white america
i puked on someones back at the khyber once (dude didnt notice).
Hey Stevie,
Couldn't you open an izakaya somewhere else without fucking up the khyber? Do you really think that one more trendy little restaurant will survive on that street?! Seems like a bad idea to me.
Good to see that their gonna do something new by turning a legendary place into a common upscale old city bar/restaurant to show up all of those common upscale old city bar/restaurants.
Don't fix what ain't broke. This city needs another trendy bar like it needs a hole in the head. The Khyber was an amazing place with an amazing reputation. First CBGB's, now this.
this sucks. way to ruin one of the city's last unique venues and open yet another cookie cutter yuppie joint. less metal?? fuck off
This blows! One of the last vestiges of coolness in Old City going to crap. It's bad enough Skinner's is all pretentious and "look at me" now without the Khyber becoming just another boring spot to be seen in.
Really guys do you have so little faith in the music industry and your hardcore attendees that this needs to be done? I guess the almighty dollar kills yet another great place and plunges a poisoned arrow through the heart of indie/punk/metal/music fans in Philly.
Sayonara Khyber.
I was just said to myself the other day "Self, do you know what would make Old City better? Yet another douchemagnet gastro-whatever made out of the smoldering remains of the last decent place to drink in the area." and then I promptly smacked the crap out of myself for having such a stupid idea.
Sadly Stephen forgot to smack the crap out of himself after having this same talk with himself.
And there goes my favorite bar.
Cuz the city needs another place for yuppies to be authentic at. I'll be getting drunk elsewhere.
This is so so sad :(
But more importantly: what the fuck are they going to do to those dingy-ass bathrooms?
I love that I messed up my there/they're,their on this!
"punk rock is dead and all of your friends have become lawyers"
-some KDU DJ from a day or 2 ago
Yeesh, people are so scared of change. The Khyber was awesome and had a great run, way better than pretty much any other bar/venue in Philly can claim, but nothing lasts forever. Doesn't anyone get that? Let's move on and not get stuck in our own nostalgia. If this "izakaya" is run the same as these guy's other bars like Royal or Cantina, it will be a hit. We will wait and see if it's good or not, but hating something just because it used to be something else is pointless and counterproductive.
And Mary, criticizing someone for being concerned about "the almighty dollar" is so easy for someone who doesn't rely on running a bar as their livelihood now isn't it?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor and YelpPhilly, Vlad Khanin. Vlad Khanin said: RT @yelpphilly: Punk rock is dead and all your friends have become lawyers. @MealTicket on the future of the Khyber http://bit.ly/alCELo [...]
Hmmm. Sounds a lot like Yakitori Boy and their Japanese tapas concept and pricing.
give it a rest mary. you always being a negetator and ive had it. the almighty dollar. please get a clue.
im not down with your nonsense anymore. in fact none of your friends are.
hang out somewhere else please, mary, please.
- you know who i am...
will they at least keep the sunday special? perhaps kamikaze your liver? godzilla destroys your liver?
jokes aside, sad day for philly. really dug this place and will be sad to see it go
Thank God! This place was the biggest s#@%hole in the city. Its long overdue and I am so glad to see it go. One question though, why would you retain the same rude staff? I guess the owners like throwing teir money away.
yay! no more dirty hipsters in Old City!
So your going to get rid of the music, turn it into a izakaya bar, but not renovate totally? Your going to need more that a new paint job. The place is dilapidated. How do you expect to take people out of the fancy gorgeously designed Japanese places right around the corner to sip sake in a hell hole? Have you ever tried sake? Would you drive to old city to drink it and have a chicken skewer?
And there is no reason in hell I would ever come back to old city now, I'll go somewhere else in the city where I don't have to wade through gaggles of vacuous idiots in sequin dresses falling all over the cobblestones in their high heels.
Why anyone is surprised is beyond me. Playing shows at the Khyber in this day in age was a logistical nightmare for the load and unload. The venue's demographic shifted northbound to Fishtown, where space is aplenty and venues like Kung Fu Necktie and Johnny Brenda's have made for a much more pleasant concert experience, aesthetically and audibly. After Stacie George left and the aforementioned venues opened, no one wanted to play in Old City anymore. Things change. It's sad to see a storied venue close, but other venues are alive and well.
And have any of you ever been to other Stephen Simons establishments? I wouldn't call them particularly yuppie - I think the concept sounds about right for the neighborhood.
[...] transform into a Japanese izakaya headed by the acclaimed, elusive Todd Dae Kulper, you could say some people were mildly upset. But, The Khyber just is not big enough to set up right for a sushi bar and showcase what Todd [...]
[...] this afternoon, The Khyber’s last Twitter post came on July 14 a full three weeks before we reported that owners Dave Frank and Stephen Simons planned on converting the venerable rock club (56 S. [...]
[...] of them came and went and now the Khyber has (sort of) gone, too. When I read that they intend to transform the dingy bar into a fancy Japanese eatery, I nearly died laughing. It was the sweatiest, smokiest club I’ve ever had the pleasure of [...]
It was the sweatiest, smokiest club I ve ever had the pleasure of.........
[...] the City Paper gang long held court at The Khyber, though we’re not sure what will happen when it re-emerges as izakaya; Rotten Ralph’s and Society Hill Hotel seem like very real dark horse contenders; and [...]
It's a shame that it's going, but The Khyber certainly was expendable. There are plenty of other awesome small venues. The only problem is that practically ALL of them are in Fishtown or Northeast Philly.
Another venue will have to take The Khyber's place in Center City or Old City, but that isn't going to be impossible.
amazing.
That totally sucks.
Kudos to the Khyber for moving the stench of failure of the Hippy Hipsters. All hippy amateur music belongs north of the Girard Avenue Ghetto Line. Have fun getting mugged, raped and killed riding your bikes there losers. The Khyber will not miss you spending your $3 drinking budget there.
I loved the Khyber. For the past decade it was, for me, the only place still worth visiting in Old City, and I was there till the end.
Don't worry NoLibs and Fishtown, one day the yuppies will overrun JB's, M Room, KFN, and the Barbary. The Piazza can't hold them forever.
I imagine most of the people complaining about the Khyber closure haven't actually been there in years. Wwhenever a friend told me they were playing the Khyber, I dreaded going.....the cheap bar food for happy hour ruled, though.
KMX is right - most of the venues are up north now. I'd imagine that has a lot to do with zoning and NIMBYs. You don't see any clubs in South Philly, unfortunately, for that reason.
[...] was working on something new in the Philly area. Turns out he’ll be running the show at the still-not-named izakaya going into The Khyber (56 S. Second St.) h/t to Meal Ticket reader LP for coining the placeholder name “Iza-Khyber.” Kulper [...]
sara has it right. demographic moved north and south
Many bands would not even show up for their gigs
it happened a lot
sometimes the entire nights bill from opener to closer would no show
Bands knew it had become a second tier place and they were gonna make no money
Johnny Brendas and surrounding Venues and vibe can handle the loss, they Already have Been For years. It's a shame nothing in old city will be around but Northern liberties and Fishtown should have no problem putting out cool music and film as they have been for years. see you in the neighborhood ...
[...] time in the 1990s when the Khyber got a makeover and pronounced itself a hoity-toity bruncherie, The Khyber is now making plans to recast itself as an izakaya (translation: Japanese-themed bar with Japanese-themed food). This, of course, comes on the tail end [...]
If it works, fix it so that it won't...?
Hooray. More greed in OC. Not surprising though. First NY developers oust the art houses (there were 50 in the 1990's, now less than 20). It has become so gentrified that any charm that isn't up to Range Rover snuff is shunned or someone attempts to buy them out.
Whatever. Bar owner ignores present success in favor of attempting to make more profit by ditching their own niche and cultural genre.
Good luck Simon and Frank, I am sure you know precisely how to do what you are proposing, you totally have a track record of doing so?
I love the Khyber. I saw my first concert there Warren Zevon in '82. Will be missed. RIP Khyber.
[...] contentious and preposterous Meal Ticket comment threads in the history of this blog can be found below our Aug. 4 post announcing that Khyber owners Stephen Simons and Dave Frank intended to convert their Old City rock club (56 [...]
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