Grand Opening: Philadelphia's Largest Restaurant Liberty Point Opens on Waterfront

FCM Hospitality and Owner Avram Hornik announce the grand opening of a brand new restaurant makes Philadelphia history this week. Liberty Point is now open and has replaced Hornik's Craft Hall as the city's largest restaurant with seating and capacity for up to 1,400 guests. The new outdoor-indoor concept features three main levels, five bars, food, drink, live entertainment, beautiful landscaping, lush plants, blooming flowers, unique vibes and the best views of the waterfront. Liberty Point is located at 211 S. Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia, PA 19106, adjacent to the Independence Seaport Museum.

The Main Bar Area, Sunset Patio and the Sky Bar are all reservable through Resy.com. The Picnic Area around the stage will be a mix of reservations and first-come, first served around the shows. The entire first floor ground level is first come, first served. Other areas are reserved for large group dining and special events to start.

FCM Hospitality and Hornik are known for being the leader in outdoor dining for Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania - and they have led the way and set the bar for other outdoor venues during the pandemic. FCM Hospitality currently operates Morgan’s Pier, Harper’s Garden, Juno, Lola’s Garden, Rosy’s Taco Bar, Concourse Dance Bar, The Dolphin Tavern, Garden at Cherry St Pier, River Beer Garden (seasonal pop-up) and now Liberty Point. Other new spots are in the works for future announcements.

Set on the Delaware River Waterfront, Liberty Point is Philadelphia’s largest outdoor restaurant showcasing unobstructed, panoramic waterfront views. With a capacity of 1,400 people, Liberty point offers three levels of food, drinks and live entertainment, with a spectacular backdrop. Embracing the outdoor seasonal environment, Liberty point offers a casual dining menu of bites, sandwiches, salads and raw bar selections. Serving a refreshing menu of beer, wine, summer drinks and cocktails that will keep you cool while enjoying the sunshine and have you staying to see the sunset.

There is a permanent stage in the heart of the restaurant complex. New entertainment weekly will feature live music Friday & Saturday and DJs throughout the week. Liberty Point is the perfect destination to host an event with a unique wow factor. With a long list of private and semi-private spaces available, Liberty Point can host events from 10-1,400 people.

Hornik said, "We are excited to bring this new dining concept to the Waterfront to join the already vibrant destination for recreational, cultural, and commercial activities for the residents and visitors of Philadelphia. There’s always something happening at Penn’s Landing. It is the top Summer destination in Philadelphia that hosts concerts, fairs, food and drink and we are happy to be a part of it."

With this project, FCM Hospitality adds to their growing footprint on the Philadelphia waterfront, with Craft Hall, Unleashed Bark and Beer, The Garden at Cherry Street Pier, Morgan's Pier, River Beer Garden at Race Street Pier (seasonal pop-up) and now Liberty Point.

Liberty Point is a restaurant five years in the making for Hornik and his team at FCM Hospitality. He said, "For 5 years I've been working with the management of the Independence Seaport Museum to develop a concept that would utilize the amazing river views from their large outdoor decks. The restaurant was scheduled to open in spring of 2021 but was delayed due to covid. We are thrilled to take things to the next level for outdoor, riverfront dining in Philadelphia."

For the name, Liberty Point is inspired by the history of Philadelphia and it’s waterfront and a celebration of the Liberty which is at the heart of American Identity. It is a celebration of freedom, an area of land that juts into a body of water, and a point of liberty to enjoy your freedom by socializing with friends and family. Liberty is what sailors were granted when their ship docked at port and they were allowed to go ashore and experience the town.

Liberty Point has three main levels, with other sub-levels, with 25,000 square feet of space outside and 3,000 square feet on the inside. It can legally host 1,400 guests at one time. It will be open seven days a week - 12pm to 2am. Liberty Point will be family friendly, and the first level will be dog friendly. Dogs are allowed in the boat bar area located on the first floor. Only service animals will be allowed to head to 2nd floor

Liberty Point will create over 200+ new jobs in the Philadelphia marketplace.

For food, foodies will find a casual menu with features like a raw bar, sandwiches, salads and seasonal bites. Food services will include lunch and dinner, plus a later night menu. FCM is exploring options for happy hour and a bar bites menu.

Leading the kitchen is Executive Chef Qadir Jordan, who was born and raised in West Philadelphia. He attended Roman Catholic and he is an Art institute of Philadelphia Graduate. He spent the last 15 years working in various Philadelphia restaurants such as Fork, Garces restaurants, White Dog and Farmacia. He is a classic French trained chef but enjoys using Asian ingredients - and he has a passion for pasta. Chef's favorite dishes are Loaded Shrimp and Grit “Tots” and “The Whole Jawn." The menu features vegetarian and gluten-free options. The menu will include fresh fish and locally sourced ingredients, with purveyors that include Lancaster Farm Fresh and Green Meadow Farms.

For drinks, look for a refreshing menu of beer, wine, mocktails, frozen summer drinks and cocktails on tap that will keep you cool while enjoying the sunshine. Cocktails were a collaboration between Beverage Manager Matt Deutsch and Bar Manager Bob Labar.

For vibes, look for the best waterfront views, expansive space, unique vantage points from various levels, unique seating styles throughout the complex - and amazing waterfront location that is central to all the activities between Spruce Street Harbor Park to Cherry Street Pier to Race Street Pier to Craft Hall - and beyond. People want to be outdoors more so this new location is a perfect spot for everyone. It will be great for everything from a date night, to family outings, to special celebrations, to summer and fall fun, and more.

Guests will find lush greenery, blooming colorful flowers, seasonal decor and plants - as beautiful and stunning as the landscaping at Morgan's Pier. For the renovation, FCM covered up and protecting a lot of the concrete, building kitchens, bars, and stage to take it from an empty space to a functioning restaurant and entertainment destination. The complex will have five main bars, including the sky bar (elevated on top), main bar, boat bar, stage bar and inside bar - with full names and descriptions coming soon Inside, look for an interior bar and dining area with a wall of vintage mirrors so you can view the water behind you while at the bar. The space was primarily concrete so we have brought in a lot more natural materials and plan to have plenty of plants and flowers throughout the venue.

For entertainment, Liberty Point houses a permanent stage for live music, DJs and other entertainment, with live music set for every Friday and Saturday, and DJs set for Thursday and Sunday. Each bar will have televisions to catch the big game.

For the stage and entertainment area, there will be a ten dollar cover in the immediate stage area for Thursday to Saturday evening shows once they begin. Wednesday night acoustic night and Sunday reggae shows are free with no cover.

General schedule will be:
Wednesday - Acoustic 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Thursday - DJ 5:00pm to 9:00pm, other TBD

Friday - DJ 4:00pm to 7:00pm, Band 7:00pm to 10:00pm, DJ 10:00pm to 2:00am
Saturday - DJ 3:00pm to 7:00pm, Band 7:00pm to 10:00pm, DJ 10:00pm to 2:00am

Sunday - Reggae - 2:00pm to 6:00pm

Select shows coming up to highlight include:

Friday, May 13th - DJ John Dipierro, Soul Cruisers and DJ Sat One

Saturday, May 14th - DJ Pfef, Lima Bean Not, DJ Sylo

Sunday, May 15th - Mighty Mystic

Wednesday, May 18th - Frank Daly

Thursday, May 19th - DJ Dan Fisher

Friday, May 20th - DJ Menace Cartel, Split Decision, DJ Harley

Saturday, May 21st - DJ Ricky Lee, 80s Revolution, DJ Adub

Sunday, May 22nd - Big Fire

Wednesday, May 25th - Kim N Tonic

Thursday, May 26th - DJ Leaky

Friday, May 27th - DJ Menace Cartel, Legacy, DJ Beatstreet

Saturday, May 28th - DJ xtina, The Blitz, DJ Pfef

Sunday, May 29th - Holiday - Coast 2 Coast, DJ Ricky Lee, DJ Bobby Flowers

Monday, May 30th - Holiday - DJ KB


FCM Hospitality would like to thank Independence Seaport Museum. Hornik looks forward to partnering with them for many of their on-water excursions and events.

Liberty Point is great for large groups, private parties, corporate events, buy-outs, etc. for up to 1,000 people. For special event rentals, contact FCM Hospitality Events & Promotions Director Neina Langford at neina at fcm215 dot com or by calling 215-568-1616 x104.

Make it a day with FCM and sip and stroll this summer with a food and beer crawl from Liberty Point all the way down to Craft Hall with stops at The Garden at Cherry Street Pier and Morgan's Pier along the way.

Parking is available in both the Walnut Street lot and Hilton Parking Garage, on either side of the Liberty Point. There are also many metered spaces located close to Liberty Point, and in Old City along Front and Chestnut Streets, just a short walk away. This is often the least expensive option.

Hours to start are seven days a week, Noon to 2:00am, with kitchen closing at 10:00am nightly, and last reservations through Resy available until 9:30am.

Bathrooms are located on both the first and second floors. Guests who require ADA-accessible entry can dine and enjoy the first floor at any open hours, or access the main second floor by elevators located inside the Independence Seaport Museum. For the opening weeks, elevators to second level are open and operable Monday and Tuesday, Noon to 5:00pm, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, Noon to Midnight, and Friday and Saturday, Noon to 2:00am.

Liberty Point does have covered and indoor space, but the majority of the restaurant can be affected by weather. Stay tuned to Instagram and Instagram story for weather updates.

For more, visit https://www.libertypointphilly.com/ or follow on social at @libertypointphilly.