The Whip Owner Cites Design Flaws in East King Decision

The owner of The Whip Tavern in Unionville said design shortcomings were behind his decision to cancel plans to open a second location on Malvern's East King Street.

In a phone interview, Casey Kulp cited an insufficient kitchen ventilation system as one of the reasons he decided against opening in Malvern, after expressing interest in the idea in 2012.

"All the vendors we spoke to said, 'We can make it work; how much do you want to spend?' " Kulp said.

He described Eli Kahn, of the development group 237 King Partners LLC, as being very cooperative in trying to remedy the situation. 

"He was ready to throw cash at it to make it happen, but the more we looked at it, the more things kept creeping up," Kulp said.

In a recent interview, Kahn declined to comment on the circumstances of the change in The Whip's plans.

Kulp said he thinks they'll have a difficult time getting restaurants into the space, but ultimately, the East King Street redevelopment is a "great project" that will work out fine. 

Asked whether he's considering any other locations for a second location of The Whip Tavern, he said he was always looking for the right place but didn't name any specific sites.

"We were really excited about Malvern," Kulp said. "It's very similar to where we are right now. If you drive a couple blocks, heading southeast, you're into an area just like Unionville [that's] equestrian-oriented like The Whip. It would have been a great spot for us."