MANAYUNK

Blog post by Leo Dillinger, Communications Assistant at the Manayunk Development Corporation.

Tucked tenderly at the edge of Main Street right before you reach the Manayunk Bridge, you’ll find a quaint, cozy café that feeds enormous appetites from all over the area: Greg's Kitchen

Ever since he was 17, Broomall native Greg Gillin worked in the food industry. From washing dishes to working the line in a deli, Greg felt at home when working around food. This was largely due to being raised in a household that praised culinary innovation.

“Growing up, my mother would cook. My grandmother cooked. They were the ones who taught me,” Greg said. “I basically learned that if you’re hungry and you can cook, it’s a lot easier.”

In high school, Greg imagined opening up a place when he was older. Half a lifetime later, the dream became a reality. Now 15 months after opening his doors, Greg’s Kitchen is a hotspot for locals and weekend visitors in Manayunk.

“Essentially, Manayunk chose me,” Greg said. “I had hung out here when I was younger and all that, but my friend was driving by on his way to Restaurant Depot and saw an available sign in the window. He said, ‘Hey. There’s this little place, you know, it’s a smaller place, but it’s right there on Main Street. We should check it out…’

“So we came and checked it out. For my first venture, it was a nice size… I talked to the landlord. One thing led to another and all of the sudden I had my own restaurant.”

Greg’s primary goal is to make you feel at home the moment you walk through the door. The cozy dining room layout, the alt-rock music serving as the soundtrack to casual customer conversations, and the tremendous aromas escaping from the kitchen give anyone who walks in a sense of tranquility and an extraordinary appetite.

“I think the main appeal of it, hopefully, is that when you come in here, you’re comfortable and you can eat normal food. There’s nothing fancy about it.”

Greg finds success in keeping the food he serves simple, yet satisfying. Some of Greg’s fan favorites include the Homemade Corned Beef Hash, Roast Italian Pulled Pork Sandwich, and his signature “Brekky Bowls,” which are exactly what you may expect: Eggs, Meat, Cheese, and Tater Tots served in a bowl with a fork.

“It’s everything you need in a bowl,” Greg said. “It’s easy to order. It’s easy to eat.”

Greg’s Kitchen has now become the go-to spot for many Manayunk locals and business owners; so much that Greg’s patrons have begun identifying themselves as “Gregulars.”  They are the ones who routinely come in and know their favorite dishes even when they might not be listed on the menu. What was once a small entourage of loyal friends and family has now grown into a collective of customers who love Greg’s work.

“The town starts to grow on you as you start meeting people in the town,” Greg said. “It’s really turned into a second home for me.”

One of the biggest difficulties for Greg is keeping every customer satisfied during the weekends. Now that he has gained so many more “Gregulars” and is still dealing with the same-sized storefront, the wait for seating and food can become overwhelming during the Saturday/Sunday shifts.

“In terms of growth, we can’t do much more on the weekends,” Greg said. “It’s busy. There’s a line out the door. We have a waiting list. It’s great! It’s a great problem to have, but to get any more people in here on the weekend would be crazy.”

Right now, the only part of Greg’s business that he would possibly consider expanding right now would be catering. But even then, it would still be difficult to cater any very large orders because he is still working in a small kitchen. Someday, Greg would like to invest in a bigger space on Main Street or perhaps even open up a second location. But for now, Greg is content with operating the original Greg’s Kitchen and will continue to strive for success in the foreseeable future. 

If there’s one thing that shows in every facet of his business, it’s that Greg has a steadfast passion for keeping customers happy with his homemade specialties.

“I take pride in taking pride in food and making it delicious,” Greg said. “And that’s all I have to say about that.”

Photo Credit: JPG Photography