Coyle's Cafe

Historically, The building that you are in is believed to have been erected in 1862. There has been a saloon on this site since 1870. Christian King and family owned the property from 1850-1897. Ludwig Riceman is listed as the earliest of these tavern-keeping tenants on record according to the city directories of 1879-1880. From 1897-1901, William and Katharina Lowa operated a saloon here according to business directories and liquor licenses found in the Philadelphia City Archives. Best known by older lifelong residents of this town is the Britsch Family who operated a saloon here from 1901-1946. Again, city archival records reveal the retail liquor license of Jacob Britsch to be transferred to Charles Britsch in 1912 thus keeping the enterprise within the family. During the period known as "Prohibition", 1920-1932, no saloon in America could legally operate or sell intoxicating liquors. The Britsches turned to renting the upper rooms out to transient guests wile serving food in a "dry" saloon in order to survive. Today this edifice continues in use as a saloon, retaining much of the quaint charm found in former age. Our building is one of the more plain of Roxborough's historic commercial architecture having a facade of coursed fieldstone; two over two sliding sash windows with stone sills, and a skylight completing on otherwise flat roof. The prominent feature here is the corner entrance with its single cast iron column, typical of corner stores throughout the Victorian era. [Gleaned from: Manton's Victorian Roxborough, c 1983.

Presently: The Coyle Family has been in the restaurant business for over 35 years. If you count individual years of service, it will total over 100 years (that is because there are so many of us!) As you can see, we have added an addition to the building.