-Courtesy of Aversa PR & Events
photo by Cody Aldrich
Teddy Sourias and Craft Concepts Groups invite you to journey to a tropical oasis right here in Center City with the debut of Kedera. The hospitality group that brings you BRU Craft & Wurst, Tradesman’s, Sueno, Blume, U-Bahn, 101 and Finn McCool’s presents a new tiki inspired outdoor bar and lounge at Uptown Beer Garden. Kedera, which means cedar in Hawaiian, is a new 3,000 square feet themed addition that comes with immaculate vibes, hand-built tiki-inspired cedar bar with thatched roof, lounge seating, lush plants and palm trees, colorful blooms, new tropical drinks and theme-inspired food additions, take home souvenir glassware and a picture perfect view of City Hall above.
Kedera will officially grand open in time for Center City District SIPS on Wednesday, July 12th with doors at 4:00pm with specials on drinks and food – plus entertainment and DJ from Uptown Beer Garden. Kedera is located at 1500 JFK Blvd.
“Philadelphia, your tropical destination awaits,” said Craft Concepts Group President Teddy Sourias. “Craft Concepts Group and Uptown Beer Garden presents Center City’s newest summer hot spot with Kedera. This is our version of an island oasis in the heart of the concrete jungle, that mixes native and tropical plants around a handcrafted cedar bar and tables, expanding our existing Uptown Beer Garden to our largest footprint yet. This is a new themed area that is a new space, a new direction and lots of room for growth. We have special surprises coming up in fall and later in the year for Kedera – so stay tuned.”
Sourias added, “For those that can’t get away or are working mid-week, we wanted you to feel like you escaped the city and have been transported to a tropical paradise. Uptown is the city’s premiere and largest beer garden in Center City – and we wanted a space to play with the garden theme but get creative and out of the box. We wanted to expand Uptown’s space but at the same time present a distinctly different and unique experience.”
Sip a tropical cocktail, drink among the palms, and soak up the views and vibes. Craft Concepts Group presents a new urban oasis that has sprouted up in the shadow of City Hall in Uptown’s expanded courtyard. This new 3,000 square foot space that can hold an additional 150 people – which is perfect for SIPS, buy-outs, private events, larger groups and so much more. With the addition, Uptown and Kedera can now hold events for up to 300 people. For private bookings and large groups, please contact Event Coordinatr Molly Purcell at molly at ccgphl dot com
For design, Sourias and his team at Craft Concepts expanded Uptown’s footprint, brought in new tiki inspired cabanas, added additional seating, built a custom ceder and thatched roof tiki bar and added a new entrance, among other decor and enhancements. Design included a focus on cedar and bamboo woods, tropical plants, palm trees, lush greenery, white picnic tables, tropical cabanas, tiki tables for four, and a mix of high, low and lounge seating. Seating is a mix of table high-tops, cabanas, tiki lounge seating, picnic seating and other mixed seats that all work in concert to add to the vibes. Kedera also features speakers with music from the DJ booth at Uptown and other vibe tunes. The bars at Kedera and Uptown also feature outdoor TVs above each bar for sports viewing and other uses.
Sourias said, “We wanted to create an island vibe but make it feel slightly upscale and classy – and take Uptown to the next level with a truly special new experience. As we get into the full swing of summer, everyone deserves a vacation and a paradise to escape to – we hope Kedera is on your summer bucket list.”
For drinks, Kedera will have its own special themed cocktail and drink menu at the tiki bar – with seasonal, fruity and summer inspired selections that are also a compliment to the already robust list of drinks at the Uptown Beer Garden courtyard and main bars. Select drinks include a take-home souvenir to remember your journey to Kedera. New and exclusive, look for a special Uptown Beer Garden vodka Seltzer from Kiki Vodka and a special exclusive vodka.
Kedera’s special drink menu will include:
FROZENS
Kedera Colada
Mojito
Strawberry Daiquiri
Dragonfruit Marg
DRAFT Cocktails
Mai Tai
Uptown Sling
Hurricane
Pirate Mule
Hawaiian Sunset
Blue Hawaiian
DRAFT BEER
Evil Genius No Crying in Baseball
Love City Lime City Lager
Double Nickel Sun Surfer
2SP Pony Boi
For food, Kedera will feature the full new 2023 Uptown Beer Garden menu by Chef James Lovett, with a few tropical upgrades and specials. This year’s new 2023 menu for Uptown includes upscale comfort foods, cheesesteaks, mac and cheese bites and backyard favorites like wings and burgers.
Center City District SIPS specials at Kedera and Uptown include:
$7 Cocktails
Pineapple Lemonade – Hornitos Blanco, Pineapple Juice, Lemonade
$6 Wine
House Red
House White
House Rose
$5 Beer
Select drafts
Half-Priced Appetizers
$5 Pretzel
$5 Fries
$5 1/4lb hot dog
Stay after SIPS and get 15% off dinner! Plus, don’t miss the after party at U-Bahn on select SIPS nights. Check out social media for details.
For events, look for Kedera to host Center City District SIPS, Puppy Yoga and theme events to be announced. Double Down Entertainment will provide their DJs in a rotating list of appearances for SIPS, weekends, etc with the possibility of special guest DJs as well outside of Double Down.
Kedera is located at 1500 JFK Blvd. During SIPS and peak times, Kedera has its own private entrance off 15th Street directly, down the courtyard. During other times, Kedera can be accessed inside Uptown Beer Garden, next to the stage and courtyard bar.
Hours for Kedera and Uptown for 2023 are Monday to Thursday, 4:00pm to 12:00pm Midnight, Friday 4:00pm to 2:00am, Saturday 11:00am to 2:00am and Sunday 11:00am to Midnight. For more about Kedera and Uptown Beer Garden, visit uptownbeer.com, call (267) 639-4493 and follow @uptownbeergarden #kederaphilly #uptownbeergarden on social media.
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