Philly Po’Boy Co. is opening beside the Berks stop on the Market-Frankford Line, bringing po’boys, gumbo, and beignets to 102 W. Berks St. in Kensington. The concept involves three brothers, and the bread for their sandwiches took a year and a half to develop.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the shop plans to open for the weekend of Nov. 6-8 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., or until the bread runs out, whichever comes first. A separate morning kiosk is slated to operate 7 to 11 a.m. Wednesday through Friday, slinging café au lait and beignets to commuters passing the station.
What Ridership Data Says About the Location
SEPTA reported that Broad Street Line and Market-Frankford Line ridership in January 2025 was 22% higher than in January 2024, reaching 69% of pre-pandemic levels. Those figures apply to the combined Broad Street Line and Market-Frankford Line, according to SEPTA.
The brothers are Greg, Chris, and Mike Lynch; the Inquirer reports that they have used the internal name Noladelphia for the concept. Greg, 40, will run the kitchen. Chris, 52, has been executive chef at Atchafalaya in New Orleans since returning there in 2021, and developed the shop’s gumbo recipes. Mike, 51, a sociology professor at Lincoln University, created the murals and music-themed artwork.
How the Brothers Developed the Bread and Beignets
The Inquirer reports that Greg Lynch spent 18 months working on a roll recipe, making about 150 test batches. He had worked for Stephen Starr for a decade before taking on the project. His aim was to create bread suited to a New Orleans po’boy rather than use a hoagie roll; getting the gluten structure right without making the loaf dense was the main challenge.
Greg focused on getting the gluten structure right without making the loaf dense.
The Inquirer also reports that Greg tested numerous beignet recipes and consulted New Orleans chefs, using Café du Monde as his benchmark. The kiosk will offer beignets.
What's On the Menu, and What It Costs
According to the Inquirer, the menu will offer fried shrimp, oyster, and catfish po’boys; roast beef debris and hot sausage; and specialty sandwiches including barbecue shrimp, root beer ham, and fried chicken. Six-inch halves are priced at $13 to $15, while 12-inch sandwiches cost $16 to $23. Fried oysters will be priced at market rate.
Sides include chicken-and-andouille gumbo, Cajun fries, Southern-style potato salad, and Zapp’s potato chips. The Inquirer reports that the kitchen is also sourcing Blue Plate mayonnaise, Patton's sausage, and Applied Arts coffee roasted in New Orleans.
Greg Lynch has said he hopes to cook and be involved every day once the restaurant opens. The Inquirer describes the opening as part of a modest increase in New Orleans-influenced food around Philadelphia, without naming other businesses in that trend. For now, the shop’s first days will test its menu and operating plan at the Berks stop.
