New in the Foobooz Store: Lew Tendler’s

We here at Foobooz are excited to announce the latest t-shirt in our partnership with Shibe Vintage Sports, the sports apparel store on 13th Street in Midtown Village. The store is offering a Vintage Brewery and Bar Series of t-shirts that are also available online at the Foobooz Store.

The latest t-shirt is from an old matchbook cover for Lew Tendler’s, a sports bar located at 227 S Broad Street, now home to Varalli and Perch Pub. Tendler is considered one of the best boxers in American history and his bar was an institution from 1932 to 1970.

The t-shirt is a Next Level cotton shirt is incredibly comfortable and will make a great Father’s Day gift. Order now.

More on Lew Tendler, the boxer and the bar:

Philadelphia’s own Lew Tendler was one of the finest boxers in America in the 1920s, and is still ranked #10 welterweight of all time by the statistical boxing site BoxRec, despite never winning the welterweight title (In fact, he lost a title fight to Mickey Walker at Shibe Park in 1924). He retired with a record of 145-16-8.

In 1932, he opened a restaurant at 227 South Broad Street. It was good timing. The next year, Prohibition was repealed, and the good times started rolling at Tendler‘s. It was visited by anyone and everyone on the national sports scene. Mickey Cochrane and Jimmie Foxx were regulars. When the NFL was headquartered in Philadelphia, Bert Bell and George Halas held work lunches there. When the Lakers came to town, George Mikan would eat there. Boxing champs such as Sugar Ray Robinson and Sonny Liston made appearances, and even movie stars such as Ava Gardner would swing by when in town.

But it wasn’t only a spot for celebs, it was also THE sports bar in Philadelphia. The first bar in Philly to have big screen TVs, it would have a line out the door on fight night, and thousands of dollars exchanged hands as people gambled on the fights. And while fight night was the main attraction at Tendler‘s, one can only imagine the excitement at one of the few bars in town with a TV when the Phillies went on their 1950 pennant run.

Our Lew Tendler‘s shirt design was taken from an old matchbook for the great sports bar, which lasted from 1932-1970. This Next Level cotton shirt is incredibly comfortable and totally unique to us.

Lew Tendler T-Shirt [Foobooz Store]