The Old Draught Horse Will Become The Peabody, a New Modern Grill and Sports Bar

Glu Hospitality and Temple University are proud to announce a brand new modern grill and sports bar in the former home of The Draught Horse. The Peabody will make its grand debut this fall at 1431 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, on the west side of Broad Street. The 6,000 square foot space will have 40 seats at the bar and another 150 in the dining area. A large private dining space can hold 50 guests and be split into two for private parties. There will also be outdoor seating on Cecil B. Moore. The menu will feature American cuisine presented by Executive Chef Chino Chang with a wide variety of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, entrees and more.

The drink menu will include signature and seasonal cocktails designed by Glu’s award winning beverage team that is known for cocktails at Leda and the Swan, Vesper Center City and Figo. In addition to cocktails, look for ten draft lines pouring, plus bottles and cans, with craft beer, popular domestic selections, ciders, hard seltzers and more. The food and drink menus are designed to cater to students, faculty, family, alumni and neighbors. When opened, The Peabody will offer lunch, happy hour and dinner seven days a week, with weekend brunch service.

Glu Hospitality and owners Tim Lu and Derek Gibbons have inked a deal with Temple University to repurpose the space previously occupied by The Draught Horse Pub and Grill. The Draught Horse was an iconic Philadelphia staple and the oldest bar on Temple University’s North Philadelphia campus. Daught closed in 2021 during the pandemic.

For the new concept, Lu and Gibbons are working closely with Temple President Jason Wingard and his team to create a brand new dining experience where thousands of students, family members, faculty and neighbors can create new memories. The collaborative effort between Temple and Glu is part of an initiative to repurpose the iconic and beloved space with something that would fit the character and spirit of the campus and fill a definite need by the campus community. For the project, Temple sought expertise and guidance from the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to gather and build relationships with our community and guests right here on Main Campus,” said President Jason Wingard.

The new modern grill and sports bar will be called The Peabody, in honor of the now-closed dormitory Peabody Hall, which closed several years ago. The Peabody will bring together the campus community of students, faculty, family members and alumni with their neighbors and the community in North Philadelphia. The Peabody will be a hub for the campus and community to gather for events, special occasions, and private dining parties, including Commencement, Move-In Day, athletic games, concerts and more. It will focus on great ambience and vibes, great food and a quality bar program.

For the menu, look for a larger menu with affordable prices with plenty of delicious options for Temple’s diverse and growing community. The restaurant and menu will fill a need on campus for more eateries with table service and full sit-down meals, as well as for the growing demand for private dining.

For renovations and design, Glu Hospitality has tapped Quest Design and Manifest Architecture. The Peabody will be fully gutted and rebuilt from the studs up to create an upscale feel. The renovation plans to date call for a reduction of the center bar to create more room for space in the main dining room. There will also be a focus on creating private and semi-private spaces for larger groups and events.

The 6000 sq ft. space will have 40 seats at the bar and another 150 seating area. A large private dining space will hold 50 guests and also be split into two private areas to accommodate two smaller parties. There will be outdoor seating set up on Cecil B Moore.

For vibes, look for modern designs with classic inspiration with industrial fixtures, wood accents, leather tufted banquettes and a beautiful mahogany center bar with red leather bar stools. There will be copper and gold lighting fixtures and accents, and the bar will have televisions encased in unique custom bottle storage hanging from the ceiling.

From the kitchen, look for a larger menu of approachable American cuisine from Executive Chef Hee “Chino” Chang and his culinary team. The menu is under development and will be revealed heading into the fall, but it will have small plates, appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees – with favorites like mouth-watering burgers, juicy steaks, pasta and other favorites.

From the bar, look for a classic cocktail menu with martinis, old fashions and dessert cocktails – plus all your standard spirits. Look for 10 beers on draft with local, craft and domestic selections, plus bottle and cans for beer, cider and hard seltzer.

On top of filling a community need and bringing a new restaurant concept to Temple and North Philadelphia, The Peabody will also fill another goal for students. Down the road, look for The Peabody to eventually become an educational and career development tool for the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management so that students can learn through hands-on food and beverage courses and internships.

“Glu Hospitality looks forward to working closely with Temple’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management,” said Glu Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer Derek Gibbons. “We want to educate and employ these students and get them excited about working in the hospitality industry. Having a full-service restaurant on campus will be good for them to learn from and be part of. We are thrilled to add this new dimension to this exciting project.”

Additionally, Glu Hospitality in partnership with Kory Aversa and Aversa PR to work with public relations students from Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication on how to do opening public relations and publicity for a brand new restaurant. Glu will also work with current student and alumni artists on works for their newest concept.

Heading into spring, summer and fall, Glu Hospitality is expanding to neighborhoods all over Philadelphia (and even to New York City) in their company’s largest expansion to date. Watch for up to 12 new restaurant and hospitality concepts to grand open and/or to start construction.

In addition to The Peabody, Glu owns and operates some of the most popular food, drink and vibe venues in the city – including Figo Ristorante, Figo Pizzeria, Bagels and Co., Leda and the Swan, Vesper Center City, Izakaya by Yanaga, Hunnies Crispy Chicken, Tiny’s Burger Joint and almost a dozen new projects in the works. Glu also are partners in Anejo Philadelphia and SET NoLibs. Just blocks away from Temple’s campus, Glu actually owns and operates more than 25% of all restaurants along and around the Northern Liberties restaurant row on N. 2nd Street