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Music destination Boot & Saddle to reopen under new owners

Mark Christman of Ars Nova Workshop and Evan Clancy of Fountain Porter say they do not have firm plans for the concept.

Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St., Philadelphia on Nov. 10, 2020, the day of the announced closing.
Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St., Philadelphia on Nov. 10, 2020, the day of the announced closing.Read moreALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer

Boot & Saddle, the landmark bar-restaurant on South Broad Street that closed at the start of the pandemic, is being brought back to life by new operators.

Mark Christman (founder of Ars Nova Workshop, the jazz and new-music presenter) and Evan Clancy (owner of Fountain Porter, the popular South Philadelphia bar) said they signed a lease this month but do not yet have firm plans about the concept or timeline. They will operate the venue independently of their other ventures, Clancy said.

They will keep the name and distinctive neon sign on Broad Street near Ellsworth, and will offer a food menu.

» READ MORE: Boot & Saddle closes 'permanently' in 2020

Boot & Saddle opened in the 1950s as a country-western bar, a popular destination for locals as well as sailors stationed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

After achieving dive-bar status, it closed in the 1990s but reopened in 2013 with a variety of local and touring music acts. Lizzo and Sam Smith are among the artists who played there on their way up.

In November 2020, promoter Sean Agnew said he and partner Bowery Presents, a subsidiary of concert promoters AEG, had made the closing official as the live-performance business around the world had shown no sign of recovery.

Columnist Dan DeLuca contributed to this article.