Main Line Bar And Grill Celebrating 50 Years With Special Events

ROSEMONT, PA — Gullifty's in Bryn Mawr is celebrating a major milestone this year.

The beloved Lancaster Avenue haunt is celebrating 50 years of serving the Main Line.

To mark the occasion, the restaurant will celebrate with three days of special events and debut a renovated new look, new menu, and upstairs lounge with specialty cocktails, along with a record player for nostalgic guests to enjoy their favorite albums.

The four-day anniversary celebration kicks off July 16 with live music on the patio. Singer-songwriter Ava DiFiore will offer up a soulful acoustic performance.

The next day on July 17, the restaurant will donate a portion of its sales to support local community member Jon Hollin, a 42-year-old cystic fibrosis survivor recovering from a massive heart attack. Hollin has been a loyal customer for many years.

July 18 will feature a special edition of Gullifty’s famous "Quizzo" trivia night with host Johnny Cheesesteaks. Questions will span the decades starting from 1975 through present.

Then on July 19 the 50th Anniversary Celebration will kick off at 2 p.m. outside in Gullifty's Garden with a beer tasting event showcasing Cape May Brewing, Dewey, Von Trapp, Brew Dog, and Levante along with pairings from the new menu and live music from Jimmy and the Giants. Beer tasting tickets are $20.

Festivities will continue from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with live music featuring Matt Santry, a Gullifty's anniversary cake, prizes for the best stories submitted, and the introduction of Gullifty's Hall of Fame.

Celebrations will extend into the night with karaoke, drink specials from 1975, and a "best dressed 70s" contest from 9 p.m. until midnight.

Throughout the years, Gullifty's has become a mainstay in the community, helping guests celebrate birthday parties, baby showers, and office events. The restaurant has served more than eight million people and employed more than 10,000 since its opening.

Gullifty's opened in 1975 with Gene and Betty Jane Johnson running the bar and grill. Their son Jason now owns and operated the business.

"We are celebrating 50 years of great food, good times, and a great community," Jason Johnson said. "Gullifty’s has enjoyed a half century of success because of its commitment to freshness and quality, and because of its loyal customers. We look forward to serving our local families and our community for another 50."

Over the decades, Gullifty’s — whose name originated from the popular children’s television program, Mister Rogers Neighborhood — has expanded to become a full-scale eatery with outside dining and bar.

Nearly everything on the Gullifty's menu is made from scratch, including all the soups, sauces, salad dressings, desserts, and even the ice cream.

Jason Johnson locally sources as many products as he can, logging in over 8,000 miles a year in car travel to procure them, and even personally picks up the cream for the homemade ice cream from a local dairy farm in Barto.

The currently employs 40 workers, and the kitchen staff has more than 150 years of combined experience working at the restaurant.

Gullifty's is located at 1149 Lancaster Ave. in Bryn Mawr.