West Philly’s Gold Standard Wins IBA LGBT Business Award

The Gold Standard owners Roger Halman (second from left) and Vincent Whittacre (far right) receive a check from the Independence Business Alliance. Photo by HughE Dillon

This afternoon, at a luncheon at the Sofitel Hotel, the Independence Business Alliance (IBA) announced that its annual LGBT Business Award — along with a $5,000 grant — will go to West Philly’s Gold Standard Café (4800 Baltimore Avenue.)

I caught up with Gold Standard owner Roger Harman during the event. He told me that he and his partner (in business and in love) Vincent Whittacre, plan to use the prize money to open a satellite cafe at 20th and Fitzwater streets. The new 600-square-foot spot “is a great location,” he says. “It’s smaller than what we have now, and it does require a little bit of money to fix it up. So this will go toward that. It needs a new floor, better air conditioning, new windows, and a lot of new equipment.”

The satellite location, which Harman says may be called “The Gold Standard on Fitz,” will serve sandwiches and salads from the main location, and will incorporate some outdoor tables for your people-watching pleasures. Foobooz has more info on it here.

Best of luck in your new venture, guys! Check back to G Philly tomorrow for photos of the IBA luncheon, which was attended by all kinds of thriving local LGBT business folk.