They say that if it isn’t broke, you don’t need to fix it. Perhaps that’s why the former JC Chinese Restaurant will continue serving a Chinese menu once it’s reopened by restauranteur Tony Rim later this fall. Rim, who owns 1225 Raw and The Foodery, is partnering with Philadelphia bar owners Fergie Carey and Jim McNamara, of Fergie’s Pub and The Goat, to open The Jim in mid-November at 1701 S. 8th St in Philadelphia.
Rim purchased JC Chinese Restaurant after it closed in 2020 and will run two delivery/takeout operations out of it — one with a Chinese food menu and the other sushi. Carey and McNamara, who will be running the bar, say they also plan on keeping the 900 sq. ft. space the same.
“We’re basically leaving it as is. We just tiled the floor, but basically, the old bar is this beautiful rectangular bar that looks great. We’ve got carved dragons on the wall, and it’s just a phenomenal space. We’re doing very little decor,” Carey tells What Now Philadelphia.
As far as the planned motif and vibe of the bar, that’s anyone’s guess at this point. Carey says he’s still deciding whether to go with a traditional local bar theme or something more upscale.
“Maybe something in between. We’re just dreaming away at the moment,” Carey says.
Either way, Carey is overjoyed to open something new after a period of what felt staleness caused by the pandemic. Carey and McNamara’s partnership with Rim came about after many local bar and restaurant owners and employees shared camaraderie bringing food to one another once they were allowed to open after lockdown.
“He saw us working here every day and said, ‘I want you guys to be a part of this.’ In turn, we love [1225] Raw. Everything they do. We’re really excited and for it. We also don’t have to manage a kitchen, so there’s a lot of ease for us in it too. We just have a lot of love and respect for Tony.”
The Jim is named for McNamara, who worked as a bartender at Fergie’s Pub on the first opened 27 years ago. He served as a bartender for a total of 17 years after becoming a partner. Though McNamara shied away from naming The Goat after himself when he launched a social media contest to name their second establishment, this time it stuck.
