The Vintage Syndicate hospitality group has something unique to offer Philadelphia beyond the stylish interiors and extensive drink menus at each of its six concepts: a cooperative ownership model. Although it differs from a traditional franchise model, The Vintage Syndicate is exactly what its name suggests: a syndicate of individually owned bars and restaurants operating under the same hospitality group umbrella and led by the company’s general partner, Jason Evenchik.
To break that down further, the two locations of Garage (Vintage Syndicate’s industrial-car-body-style sports bar with skee-ball machines) and Bar (the group’s no-nonsense bar specializing in canned beer) are all owned by Salvatore D’Amato, Terrance Leach and Josh McCullough. Time (a restaurant, whiskey bar and live music venue) and Vintage Wine Bar and Bistro (a wine bar with an extensive international wine list and a menu of French small plates) are both owned by Evenchik.
Goat Rittenhouse is a small neighborhood bar offering small plates and sandwiches, as well as a carefully curated wine, beer and cocktail menu. The owners are Evenchik, Fergus Carey, Patrick Iselin and Jim McNamara. The final location, Starbolt, is Vintage Syndicate’s newest location, which opened last year. The menu features American tapas and larger dishes like burgers and steaks. The owners are Evenchik, Iselin and Craig Macbain.
“It’s definitely not franchising, but we have a nice little pedigree there,” said Christine Castro, Vintage Syndicate’s director of operations. “Operationally, it works the same (as any other restaurant group). Each location has a GM; I oversee them all. Some locations have kitchens and some are just bars. … The headquarters are what we call our owners, and then we have the two directors of operations. The owners all run their own locations, and if a partner needs me for something or a GM, they can just come to me.”
Vintage Syndicate was founded in 2006 and has added more concepts to the company’s portfolio every few years, with each business starting from scratch. Each time a restaurant or bar was welcomed into the Vintage Syndicate family, Castro said that “we would make it our own” by changing the decor, menu, etc. The entire syndicate is based and operated out of Philadelphia, with individual owners giving each establishment a unique local flair depending on the neighborhood. For example, The Goat in Rittenhouse has a different wine list than Time in Center City because the latter doesn’t sell as much wine to its clientele.
Castro says the group has the luxury of waiting for potential new properties to reach out to them. If they hear of a bar closing, for example, they can look around to see if the space would be suitable for a future Vintage Syndicate project.
While each Vintage Syndicate venue is unique and caters to specific demographic needs or tastes (Time specializes in classic whiskey cocktails, for example, and Vintage has an eclectic wine selection), they all share a relaxed and unpretentious vibe. Each concept is also community-oriented, especially Starbolt; Vintage Syndicate’s newest venue, which opened last year and doubles as a wedding venue, broadcasts Philly sports games on the venue’s large projector during football and baseball seasons and even hosts a neighborhood outdoor barbecue called “Starbecue” once a week. Vintage Syndicate is also closely tied to Philly’s music scene, especially since Time serves as a music venue.
“I don’t think there’s anyone else doing it like we do,” Castro said. “We definitely don’t want to be a corporation, we want to continue at the level we’re at right now. … We really want people to come into our locations and feel comfortable. Nothing is too expensive, nothing is out of reach. Each location has something for that particular part of the city, and we try to cater to every demographic.”
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