Now with three Ryan’s Pub locations, the Ryan Family discusses the family history in the restaurant industry and what it means for West Chester.
Found in “Family Owned & Operated.”
In 1908 Joseph Ryan bought his first bar on 51st Street and Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia. He named it JP Ryan’s. In 1952 his son Paul opened up Smokey Joe’s on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. When his sons, Pat and Paul Jr. took over what the family fondly calls “Smoke’s” in the 1970s, they also launched three additional branches of the Ryan’s Pub brand: the West Chester location in February 2002, Phoenixville in 2008, and Manayunk in October 2017.
Pat reflects on his family’s success in the industry. “Our establishment has become a very big, local hangout for every demographic,” Pat says. “Young or old, people enjoy our good food, friendly service, and family atmosphere.”
Pat’s sons, Sean and Mike, joined the family business at a young age, working their way up through the ranks, eventually becoming general managers, along with their cousins, Paul III and Tommy.
It seems fitting that the four members of the fourth generation oversee their family’s four locations, and Pat knows why the formula works. “A sense of pride comes with being a family-owned business,” he says. “Everything you do is for family and everyone has one, shared goal.”
