Commissioners approved a conditional use application for the property in November 2022.
From Friendly’s to The Fort.
The former Friendly’s restaurant at 325 Pennsylvania Avenue in Fort Washington, Upper Dublin, at the corner of Summit Avenue, will open as a bar and restaurant called The Fort come August.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Fort’s operators are the owners of Jasper’s Backyard in Conshohocken and Mercedes-Benz at Fort Washington. The restaurant will seat 93 people inside and 68 outside on a patio.
Upper Dublin Township Commissioners approved a conditional use application for the property back in November 2022 from applicant Condor Fort Washington Real Estate LLP, per Upper Dublin Township meeting minutes.
At the October 11, 2022 meeting, a few residents spoke up in favor of the restaurant, but were concerned about noise. Commissioners eventually tabled the conditional use approval at that meeting due to an issue with trees, finally approving it in November 2022.
“I will say the neighbors are all in favor of a restaurant,” said resident Andrew Kane, of Fort Washington Avenue. “We have been told the applicant will keep noise to a reasonable limit. I do like the idea of a set limit.”
Kane said there were several different proposals for the property through the years, and believed The Fort to be a positive proposal for the neighborhood.
“I do want there to be some level of responsibility from the applicant to maintain the noise levels and light levels,” Kane said.
Since Upper Dublin Township does not have a noise ordinance, any noise complaints would fall to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board standards, according to commissioners’ President Ira Tackel. According to Tackel, 75 decibels is the maximum allowed by the LCB.
