-Courtesy of Aversa PR & Events
photo by Erik Weber
Downtown West Chester will get a colorful new addition to its bustling food and drink scene this week. Stove and Co. Restaurant Group partners Justin Weathers and Joseph Monnich announce the grand opening of Good Bad and Ugly this week at 158 West Gay Street, underneath Stove and Tap West Chester. This is the first-ever bar-focused concept from the owners/partners of Stove and Tap, Revival Pizza Pub, Al Pastor and DePaul’s Table. This opening represents the group’s fifth grand opening during the pandemic as they expand across the Main Line and Western Suburbs. Good Bad and Ugly is Stove and Co’s playful and modern twist on an old-fashioned underground dive bar, where they will serve up drinks, beers, bar food, vibes, games, music and sports five nights a week. There are three sides to every story and GBU will tell them all – the good, the bad and the ugly. Come as you are, be who you are, and be prepared to let your hair down and have a good ole time. The 2,000 square foot space features seating for 52 people, including at the giant 80+ foot long bar. Games include West Chester’s only pool table, plus foosball and shuffleboard. Modern day cowboy vibes take inspiration from old fashioned spaghetti westerns and bring together elements from the owners’ love of Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino movies. Bar bites include fare executed by Stove and Tap West Chester’s Executive Chef Yasser Wolf.
“Good Bad and Ugly in West Chester is our homage to something that we all love – a good dive bar,” said Weathers. “We wanted to put our own Stove and Tap twist on a dive bar with delicious food in baskets that you eat with your hands, games to play, TV’s to watch, sports to cheer for, well-made drinks, a great mix of beers on tap and by the can, and design that is sensory overload to keep the energy light and fun. We want a spot that you can come as you are – whether it’s dressed from work, casual from home, or stylish for a night on the town. We want to tell all sides of the story – the good, the bad and the ugly. All are welcome and invited. We’re bringing the fun back to the bar game in our region – but with the same level of quality you would expect from us.”
Weathers added, “Good Bad and Ugly is underneath Stove and Tap West Chester, and it was formerly a nightclub with a much different focus. We want to create a fun dive bar environment that is hip, clean, colorful and modern.”
Good Bad and Ugly is 2,000 square feet and seats 52 people. Currently, the capacity is limited to 80 persons at a time. The central design element is a sweeping 80+ foot bar in the middle of the space that is made from reclaimed aluminum. The majority of seating is at the bar, with several two and four top tables throughout the rest of the space. Throughout the bar, look for six 60 inch HD televisions, plus a digital jukebox to play your favorite tunes.
The name and decor is a riff on the classic spaghetti western and old time movies that both Monnich and Weathers grew up with. Upstairs at Stove and Tap, there is even a mural paying tribute to Clint Eastwood. The smoke machines and nightclub elements were taken out when the bar was taken down to the studs for renovation. Instead, patrons will find Warhol inspired wallpaper with a cowboy and a horse mask, Vato style murals behind the taps, modern impactful lighting, and custom games.
For design, the duo worked with Next Studios as the Architects, and they self-designed the interior decor elements. Weathers said, “We wanted a country vibe in the bar but with modern pop colors and tones. Joe picked the horse head on the mural and it makes me laugh everytime I look at it.”
When asked how the response has been during soft opening, Weathers said, “GBU has already been a tremendous success. It has been a very positive win for us to push through the tough times and see that we are able to put something together that works in the post pandemic world.”
DRINKS:
Good Bad and Ugly is focused on a tight easy selection of signature house cocktails that are designed for flavor, quality and also speed. Being a modern dive bar, they were designed so that they could be made quickly and done right every single time, with less of a wait. All drinks use fresh seasonal ingredients – including the freshly made boozy lemonades. When asked how the drink selection compares to what the duo has done at Stove and Tap, Weathers said, “Our selection is much more tequila focused than Stove and Tap upstairs and in our other locations. We wanted to create something a little new and different, but bring the same quality to the table. My favorite is the WC (West Chester) Ranch Water – it’s definitely a must-try and something you could easily call your regular when you pull up a stool at the bar.” For beer selection, GBU has 12 taps pouring a combination of local craft beer, national favorites and macro beers – plus one cider on draft.
Happy hour will run daily, from Wednesday to Sunday, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, with great priced specials starting at only $3.00, including:
* $3.00 Domestics – Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Lite, High Life, Michelob Ultra Landshark, Coors Light, Yuengling, Truly
* $4.00 – Craft Drafts – Rotating Selection
* $5.00 Well Drinks – Drinks and Shots
* $6.00 House Cocktails – Old Fashioned, Bangin Lemonade, WC Ranch Water, Margaritas, Mules
* $6.00 Snacks – Tap Fries (smoked brisket, beer cheese, cheese curds), Crispy Chicken Wings (hot, korean bbq or sticky garlic), Buttermilk Chicken Fingers (plain or buffalo), All American Burger (American cheese, special sauce, pickled onion, lettuce, add french fries + $3)
“West Chester is the perfect spot to launch our first-ever drinkery,” said Weathers. “Good Bad and Ugly is the perfect companion to Stove and Tap West Chester. West Chester is such a great dynamic family and college town that is filled with so many thriving and exciting dining and drink choices. There is a great sense of community among the restaurants in the West Chester food scene. The neighbors and residents love to walk around and enjoy all the opportunities – and they are passionate about supporting their local restaurants. The borough of West Chester does a great job of hosting events and fostering the small businesses that exist here. We want to be part of all the amazing talent and energy in this community – and develop a long-lasting institution here.”
He added, “With Good Bad and Ugly, we wanted to bring something a little different and new here to West Chester. There’s tons of great spots for a drink on the town, happy hour and dinner, but we wanted to create a brand new spot where you can come as you are, let your hair down, have fun, and have things to do. Sometimes you want to go out for a casual night after work and play some pool, grab a great beer and hang with friends. Other nights, you want to stop out for a drink before a date night on the town. We want to be all of those things. We want to cater to those that want to go out and have fun and escape for the evening.”
When asked why a bar and why now? Weathers replied, “With all we just went through the last two years, the world needs a good bar right about now.”
Opening hours will be Wednesdays, from 4:00pm to Midnight; Thursday and Friday, from 4:00pm to 2:00am; Saturday, from Noon to 2:00am; and Sunday, from Noon to Midnight. The kitchen closes at 11:00pm nightly. Happy Hour will run nightly, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. For more about Good Bad and Ugly, visit www.goodbaduglywc.com, call 484-999-0922 and follow @gbuwc.
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