The Greene Turtle soon coming to East Norriton
EAST NORRITON » The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille is making a philanthropic splash even before the first Hog Hammer is served.
In celebration of its new East Norriton casual dining location that takes up residence in the former Old Country Buffet at 2800 DeKalb Pike on Monday, Aug. 6, the Maryland-based chain will hold a charity lunch on Saturday, Aug. 4, to benefit Hogs & Honeys.
Franchisee Pranav Desai was introduced to the nonprofit that strives to enhance the lives of under-served and disadvantaged kids of Montgomery County when the chain participated in an event held at Valley Forge Casino Resort not long ago. The star of the foodoriented show was none other than the famous Greene Turtle Hog Hammer, a meaty pork shank slathered with smoky barbecue sauce.
Naturally, the kindred swine spirit worked its magic in bringing the two sides together over the sought-after appetizer, recalled Desai, who brought the first Greene Turtle to Pennsylvania more than a year ago when he and his business partner Jiger Patel in The Integritty Group launched The Greene Turtle in North Wales.
As it was when that historic location opened, there’s an incentive for patrons to hop on the East Norriton Greene Turtle wagon when the doors officially open at 11 a.m. on Monday: the first 100 who dine in or order to go will receive a $10 rewards card every month for a full year.
“When we opened the North Wales location there were 200 people lined up around the building to get in that day,” recalled Desai. “They knew Greene Turtle from their Ocean City, Md., days, and that’s why they were excited to be in the first 100 at our first store. We wanted to acknowledge them and reward them for taking all that time to
wait in line and, based on what we see on our Facebook page, we expect that to happen here too.”
Much of that cozy familiarity that drove those first customers through the doors in North Wales was an enduring affection they were transferring from memories of a Rehoboth location, Desai noted at the time.
“It’s right on the beach, so that doesn’t surprise me, because people know the Greene Turtle from being on vacation there,” Desai said at the time. He expected a similar response in East Norriton.
In addition to these generous gestures, the restaurant will donate $1 from
every Boardwalk Iced Tea and Boardwalk Lemonade sold during opening week to another of its community partners, the Elmwood Park Zoo.
From Maryland to Virginia, there are now nearly 50 Greene Turtle spin-offs from the original Ocean City, Md. bar, and even though Desai and Patel have barely made a dent in a string of locations they plan to open, they are confident that they’ve inherited enough of a legacy boost that will entice neighborhood folks to check out the family-friendly restaurant tavern that now features its own beer on tap, the Shell Raiser.
“With this second location we’re able to expand the brand itself so people can relate and realize they don’t have to travel to North
Wales,” Desai said. “It’s right here in the neighborhood, a local hangout that draws people from a fivemile radius.”
The restaurant’s close proximity to King of Prussia Mall will go a long way in drawing customers from Blue Bell and the surrounding area, Desai noted.
Nicely situated near the intersection of Route 202 and Route 422, Desai found a genuine “sweet spot” for the second Greene Turtle, he said.
“What we learned from North Wales is that our brand is better served when there is a demographic mix of upper middle class and middle class. This has everything, from the high end of Blue Bell and Plymouth to the Norristown side, as well as something in the middle … as well as having
the convenience of these two major highways.”
Operating the North Wales restaurant was a true learning experience, Desai allowed.
“We really got to know the market better … the people, what their tastes are. What we appreciate now is that people want more of a local feel. They don’t necessarily want one more chain restaurant. We’re working on building loyalty,” he said.
To that end, customers are greeted by an artistic map of sorts inside the entrance, dotted with landmarks from East Norriton to Fairview Village.
The recently revamped menu still spotlights signature items like the aforementioned Hog Hammers, Crab Dip and Colossal Crab Cake, with the addition of
artisan pizzas in two sizes.
“We found that people really like to go out and order pizza,” Desai said.
Football party packages will be soon rolled out, courting groups of six or more with special pricing, and a weekend brunch debuts Sept. 1, 2 and 3, moving to Saturdays and Sundays only beginning the following week.
The Greene Turtle is open 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and 11 to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; call 484-231-8889.