WHITE DOG CAFE CHESTER SPRINGS TO OPEN FRIDAY JUNE 14, 2024

(RADNOR, PA) – – Tails will be wagging as Fearless Restaurants opens their fifth White Dog Cafe at 181 Gordon Drive, Exton, the former Vickers Restaurant, which once served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

White Dog Cafe, known for its local, seasonal, and sustainable menus and dog-themed restaurants, renovated and updated the 1820s refurbished farmhouse that was once the home of abolitionist John Vickers, who used the location as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The restaurant has hosted such notables as President Richard Nixon and astronaut George “Pinky” Nelson.

Fearless Restaurants Managing Partner Marty Grims said, “The new layout taps into a hallmark of the White Dog Cafe brand: creating a space that feels like you are in a home with each room having its own personality. White Dog Cafe Chester Springs spans upwards of 7,500 square feet and will be able to accommodate 400 guests. As one of the larger eateries in the Fearless Restaurants portfolio, it will employ about 100 people,” he added.

White Dog Cafe Chester Springs will offer its award-winning American cuisine made from locally sourced, seasonal, and sustainably raised ingredients at lunch, dinner, happy hour, and weekend brunch and offer private dining space for business, corporate, and or social events.

White Dog Cafe Chester Springs was designed by Stokes Architecture + Design of Philadelphia which created seven rooms in the restaurant, each designed with unique identities. Like all the White Dog Cafe locations, Chester Springs features dog-themed artwork by local artists. Portraits of local pups were commissioned by two area artists with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Alpha Bravo Canine,™ Philadelphia’s first and only 501(c)3 organization that donates service dogs to US veterans suffering from debilitating medical and psychological problems as a result of their active combat duty.

Original to the building are the dining room and the drawing-room, where countless elements were maintained, including some original brick flooring, and finishes were purposefully refreshed. In the 1990s an addition was built to add a banquet hall to the restaurant space which now serves as the primary bar area. To make architectural sense of the large space and put it into the context of Chester County, Stokes A+D took reference from stable architecture and created a semi-open floor plan that now houses the main bar, illuminated by six hexagonal lanterns rescued from an old church. A retractable awning and a fireplace were added to the existing patio in front of the building, and a second patio with a roof dubbed The Potting Shed, was added to the side of the building. The antique furniture both inside and outside was sourced from local flea markets, and vintage thrift shops, celebrating the building’s rich history as both the potter’s home and a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Throughout the bar and beyond, custom fabric banquettes, couches in quilted, floral, and vibrant, geometric motifs, reupholstered wooden dining chairs, and a mix of vintage and new cushions, stools, and chairs with bright colors juxtapose the dark wood to enhance the pub ambiance. In another nod to Vickers and his potter trade, the restaurant features a repurposed collection of large stoneware jugs perched high in a panoramic display. Printed wallpaper, wood paneling, and vintage decor subtly assert that White Dog Cafe has been there as long as the centuries-old building it occupies.

The Parlor Bar features a custom mural by Reverand Michael Allen, featuring heaven and hell motifs and a superfluity of dogs – all with names – and a corresponding legend imprinted on the menus. From this mural to portraits hanging on the walls to plateware on the tables, the ode to the canine is artfully applied throughout in an organically curated way, as a dog-lover might decorate their own home. And just like a very cozy home, each room has a fireplace, including a double-sided fireplace marrying the main bar and one of the dining rooms.

The first White Dog Cafe opened in University City in 1983 by social activist and local economic independence pioneer Judy Wicks. Fearless Restaurants purchased the business from Wicks in 2010 and opened three more locations in Wayne, Haverford, and Glen Mills.

For more information call 610.827.9000 or visit https://www.whitedog.com/chestersprings/ and follow on social media at https://www.facebook.com/whitedogchestersprings and https://www.instagram.com/whitedogchestersprings/

Fearless Restaurants is an expanding collection of restaurants featuring engaging décor, inspired hospitality, creative menus, and a dining experience that allures all of the senses. Led by restaurateur Marty Grims and his daughter Sydney Grims, Fearless Restaurants creates neighborhood favorites that become a destination for dining.  Innovative and inspired seasonal menus feature the finest and freshest ingredients. Located throughout the Philadelphia region and on Long Beach Island, NJ, Fearless Restaurants include the landmark Moshulu Restaurant on Penn’s Landing, White Dog Cafe in University City, Wayne, Haverford and Glen Mills and Chester Springs, Louie Louie in University City, Autograph Brasserie, and Rosalie in Wayne and on Long Beach Island, Daddy O Restaurant & Hotel and Tuckers Tavern. Coming 2024 Testa Rossa Glen Mills and Testa Rossa Wayne. For more information about Fearless Restaurants, contact Jaimi Blackburn at 610.220.3231 or jblackburn@fearlessrestaurants.com