From Doorfront to Storefront: Young American Hard Cider welcomes all

Stephanie Cole, co-owner of Young American Hard Cider along with Kate Kaman and Jesse Bilger, describes the restaurant as a “very personal space.” The small-batch cidery, located at 6350 Germantown Ave. on the border of Mt. Airy and Germantown, was specially designed to be a welcoming spot for everyone when it opened in 2020.

“We really pride ourselves on being an inclusive space for families and all kinds of people that come through the door,” Cole told the Local.

Now, six years into the business’s success, Cole, Kaman and Bilger have a special opportunity to welcome even more people through their doors. As tourists begin to flood the city for the semiquincentennial (America’s 250th birthday) and major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, local business owners are interested in capitalizing on this boom.

However, with most of these events occurring downtown, the benefits for businesses in the Northwest such as Young American remain to be determined.

A collaborative space

Young American sells alcoholic cider and has a “small but mighty” food menu, according to Cole. Yet these are not the only reasons someone might stop by the restaurant.

“We do a lot of community-based collaboration,” Cole said. “I always say, ‘If you have an idea, pitch it to me and I will hold space for it.’”

From poetry readings and live music performances to queer game nights and political gatherings, Young American hosts plenty of events. These functions exemplify the best of the neighborhood and serve to bring people together.

“The general spirit of Germantown is so wonderful,” Cole said. “It’s a very collaborative space. We do a lot of events that involve partnering with other organizations that specialize in protecting the arts or historical preservation education.”

To publicize these events, Young American mostly relies on social media, coordinating with other local organizations to share content such as Mt. Airy Community Development Corporation, Germantown United CDC, G-Town Radio, and Germantown Info Hub. As a graphic designer, Cole also designs posters to put up around the neighborhood.

According to Cole, in addition to local neighbors coming to the restaurant, there are also plenty of people from the suburbs doing a self-guided tour of Pennsylvania cideries as well as “an interesting amount of Tinder dates.”

Business as usual

For the semiquincentennial and other 2026 events, Cole said Young American is planning on “business as usual.”

“We don’t have any special events planned and truthfully, I think because so much of the action is happening south of us, I don’t anticipate a ton of runoff from that,” Cole said. “I would love for it to happen and be pleasantly surprised, and we’re prepared for it, but I don’t think we’re expecting it because so much of the central activity of what’s happening is going to be more geared towards the sports complex area and Center City itself.”

The unprecedented nature of this year leads Cole to be casually optimistic, but there would need to be a “beautiful little synchronous flow” in order for the Northwest to reap the benefits of increased tourism. She believes factors such as parking and public transportation would need to be firing on all cylinders.

“I do appreciate the efforts of the local tourism entities like Visit Philly, coming up and trying to bridge the gap, but I think there are just so many factors that go into connecting all the various neighborhoods,” Cole said.

However, although having a business in Northwest Philadelphia may not be the same as having one in the middle of the city, Cole doesn’t think this is a bad thing.

“It’s just baked into the culture that [the Northwest] is its own special place, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that necessarily,” Cole said. “If we have to be a little bit of the red-headed stepchild of Philadelphia, I think that’s okay. That’s a part of what makes this place what it is.”

Young American Hard Cider is located at 6350 Germantown Ave. Learn more at youngamericancider.com.

This story was originally published by The Chestnut Hill Local in partnership with WURD Radio. Their series Doorfront to Storefront explores how small businesses in Northwest Philadelphia can capitalize on attracting tourists during the city’s celebrations for America250 and major sporting events. This article is part of a national initiative exploring how geography, policy, and local conditions influence access to opportunity. Find more stories at economicopportunitylab.com.