Meet the owner of Bridgets, KC's Alley, who believed in Ambler before there was an Ambler
When you walk the quaint downtown of Ambler today, you’ll likely find it quite charming. Maybe you’ve read about its “Undiscovered Small Towns” or its local brewery’s award-winning ales. With nostalgic architecture and welcoming downtown, there is a lot the small borough has to offer. But if you could take a trip back in time, to a not-that-long-ago past, it wasn’t always the darling little community it is today.
Thankfully, people like Kevin Clibanoff saw its potential, and along with other real estate investors, a dedicated and focused nonprofit, and his own hard work, the Downtown Ambler “crown jewel” was able to form and grow.
“In 1999, I, with a couple other guys, had an idea, and I thought of opening up KC’s Alley in Ambler,” “said Clibanoff. “I told my family, closest friends, told them I was opening a bar in Ambler, and they laughed at me. ‘Why would you do such a thing?’”
But Clibanoff didn’t let the nay-sayers bring him down.
“I saw the surrounding areas,” he said. “I thought, wouldn’t it be great if we could make a Small-Town U.S.A. work here.”
At the time, Clibanoff said, the famed Ambler Theater was under construction. He knew that if the historic site could really be brought back to its original glory, it would give the community a cornerstone to work around.
“It was worth a shot,” he said.
After about four years of keeping the bar humming, Clibanoff had another bright idea.
“Four years later, I wanted to open a restaurant, Bridgets,” he said. “Nothing was really going on in town. There was an Italian restaurant that didn’t last too long, and the theater.”
If you were to get back in that time machine and fast-forward to present day, well you’d find a happy sman whose dream has flourished, bringing a beautiful little downtown with him.
“Now, 25 years later, I do what I do because I love it,” said Clibanoff. “I am extremely passionate and love what I do.”
Clibanoff said that national media seems to miss the mark when they talk about Ambler.
“There will be an award, most charming small town, and there in the article they talk about a skate shop that isn’t there and Lucky Well that’s gone,” he said. “I find it extremely disheartening. Talk about the town. I invested in my town.”
Despite decades of hard work, and the focused blood, sweat, and tears, it isn’t fame and fortune Clibanoff is after.
“I don’t want my name in lights,” he said. “But KC’s Alley was the first to come to this town in 1999. These starts allowed us to have First Fridays and art and music festivals, and Oktoberfest. Without that start, it would have never happened in Ambler.”
Clibanoff said that his establishments give the borough its base, something to grow on and continue to succeed.
“KC’s Alley and Bridgets gave this town a presence,” he said. “I’m the only guy in town still from the first day I opened up. I don’t believe in failure. I want to give people not just great food, but a great experience.”
The entrepreneur has much to be proud of. With successful eateries celebrating 20- and 25-year birthdays, he’s been there since the start.
“Today, I walk through town, and if I told you a story about where it was 25 years ago… I’m proud,” said Clibanoff. “Some want to call me a pioneer, but the others that invested in real estate in Ambler are no longer here. It’s given me something to go on.”
Clibanoff said he’s even inspired others to bring business and faith back to Ambler.
“A women wanted to open a dance studio, and came into KC’s with nothing to go on, a choice to go to Lansdale or Ambler or Flourtown,” said Clibanoff. “I told her don’t listen to the nay-sayers. People will come. She opened that dance studio in Ambler, and is now here and gone, opening bigger studios.”
Sometimes, the business owner said, you just have to have that faith.
“I’m not looking for accolades,” said Clibanoff. “I believe in this town. It’s cool. And 25 years later, it is great.”
The restaurant and bar gave people a destination in the Borough.
“People were not coming to Ambler to go there, and we needed something going on,” said Clibanoff.
But it isn’t his years of success that makes Clibanoff most proud, and don’t look for a big celebration for the anniversaries of the two locations. Instead, Clibanoff said his greatest achievement really took place in September.
While gearing up to plan 20- and 25-year anniversary parties, Clibanoff found out devastating news about a long-time employee.
“I have a long, tenured employee for over 16 years,” he said. “Victor is larger than life, a 56-year-old man with stage-four cancer.”
When he found out, Clibanoff said he immediately pivoted on his party plans.
“I canceled the anniversary and did a benefit,” he said. The event raised Victor and his family $35,000.
Clibanoff said that he enjoys providing the Ambler community with the very best.
“You come to my restaurant, you enter the front door of my house,” he said. “If you’re a good person, I want to make you feel welcome. Business is all about service. Anyone can buy great food and have a great establishment; it is how you treat others; they remember that.”
Clibanoff credits his optimism, and belief in his future, his community, with much of his success.
“I am a visionary. I saw the future,” he said. “I did not do this by myself, but the value in this town? I had something to do with that. I took a great chance in Ambler. I bought two properties. I love middle America, and having customers say ‘you’re crazy to open a steakhouse in Ambler’ or that it’ll never happen? Well, not only did it happen, but it helped other people do well, too.”
And Clibanoff said he has no goal of stopping his efforts anytime soon. With one bar donning his own initials (K.C.) and steakhouse named for his daughter, Clibanoff has truly put himself into his work.
“I’m almost 60 years old. I go into work because I love it,” he said. “I don’t want to miss out on anything. No way!”
