The music they play in there was cool seven years ago...if you were a complete tool seven years ago.

What a bunch of annoying whiners. If you don't like it, don't go in there. Like many Fairmount bars, that place serves its purpose. Last Friday night, I wanted to have some beers watch the Masters, the Flyers playoff game and the Phillies on great tvs. I did that and left before the crappy music and kids from NJ arrived. There are plenty of places in Fairmount for decent food and decent music. Go there. The Urban Saloon is an upgrade from the various places that filled that space years before. They are good to the neighborhood (sponsored a Santa party for the kiddies). Cripe.

"better than what used to be there" is quite a low bar.

And their music always sucks, no matter what time of day/night I've been there.

I think you will find most of the people complaining have stopped going there. Do keep up

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Ditto. People are taking themselves a bit too seriously in this thread. "OMG, DMD SUX!"

It's called constructive criticism, guy.

Yeah, I am sure that the handful of people who blasted those of us making thoughtful remarks do not own / run their own business. And they need to get a grasp on what makes or breaks a restaurant.

I made the point because I want to see the place succeed. And by crippling your gameday bar business ON A WEEKEND you are throwing away some of the most profitable parts of the week. Slinging pints and serving apps requires minimal staff and costs. It is free money.

The failure rate of retaurants is so high because you can't make any mistakes. None. Zero. And, as others have noted, every place in this neighborhood now has to be good. There is too much quality competitin with similar offerings at the same price point. People will not pay for junk, except at a certain bar that shall remain nameless (and it isn't McKennas).

Trying to be something you are not (weekend day brunch and some of the new menu items) and writing off entire days of potential business are perhaps two of the bigger ones you can make. Those are critical errors that you see every week on "Kitchen Nightmares".

I do, however, agree that you need to gameplan with a place like U.S. I would never go there for fine dining and I'm too old to be in there after 8pm on weekends. That's cool. But I LOVE the place for a few pints, TV, and some greasy apps. And that is all I want on a Saturday afternoon.

Is that too much to ask? PS - I have been back there since I wrote the original post.

I assume everyone is calling "Dave Matthews sucks" and "god awful food" constructive criticism? If everyone is the concerned the business/owner afficiando they claim to be and I am the ignorant consumer that I am, certainly they have heard of the concept of the "efficient market". If they continue to serve brunch on Saturday afternoons and eschew standard pub fare, I agree, most crowds will go to places like the Collar or St. Stephens and the Urban Saloon will either adjust or do poorly for that time period. If you've seen the crowds there on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, I'm sure you'd be a little less concerned with them "going under." I guess I continue to see upgrades in this neighborhood (L'Oca, Urban Saloon, Belgian Cafe) and every time I log unto PhillyBlog, I find a string telling me that I'm nuts and that they all suck.

dude, it's not about you, get over yourself.

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Read my posts, I can't answer for the music tastes of others and I think my last post covered the unreasonable nature of some of these complaints. Clearly they have an 80's vibe going on most nights I have been there - I could care less, sometimes I enjoy it.

I just hate to see someone whiff on a decision that will obviously have negative implications for their business.

My initial post pointed out what is guaranteed to happen - the scenario you cite where people go elsewhere. But my point is this - why get to that stage as many lapsed customers NEVER come back to a restaurant that they have a negative experience with?

You talk about Thursday-Saturday night. That's a given, you'll always have that - if you don't you go under immediately. McKennas is packed on those nights. Every place will be busy on those days.

The key to making it is generating business on "off days" and taking advantage of high profit times and items. A great Tuesday blows away a great Friday every time. That is why lunch is key. That is why desserts are key. Maximizing profit every second you are open is vital. Failure to do so represents a real chance at failure, and even if it does not it is an opportunity to grow profit that was missed.

It's basic stuff - I'm not trying to talk down to anyone as you suggest. It would be like you refusing to do the 2 easiest things in your job, and foregoing a paycheck for 1 hr every day. Makes no sense! So unnecessary.