The Franklin Fountain

116 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

(215) 627-1899

https://www.facebook.com/thefranklinfountain/

Philadelphia Ice Cream Parlor & Soda Fountain

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://en.tripadvisor.com.hk/Restaurant_Review-g60795-d629008-Reviews-The_Franklin_Fountain-Philadelphia_Pennsylvania.html?m=69573

The front of the Franklin Fountain at 116 Market Street

Sometimes you run across the perfect shop in looks and merchandise that just stands out. The Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia is one of those places. I try to stop here when I am in Philly for their homemade ice cream and to admire the old fashioned deal of the place.

I love this section of Old Philadelphia where the city was created with its old fashioned buildings and creative signs. You can see how the city developed over time.

The front of the fountain area

All of the ice creams are homemade and are made in house. You can taste the richness in each bite of the dish of ice cream.

The menus and the specialty sundaes

The Franklin Fountain is not shop of the past but a creation of many shops to create this turn of the last century ice cream parlor in a tin ceiled building that gives it the 19th century look.

The flavors of ice creams and sundaes

They have a wonderful selection of sundaes and milkshakes to choose from and some great flavors of ice cream.

The Sundae specials

The syrups and toppings

I chose the Caramelized Banana and the Salted Caramel ice creams on both of my trips to The Franklin Fountain. I had to try them both for a second time remembering how good they were the first time.

The rich creaminess of the ice cream with the taste of the sugary caramel and the fresh bananas was a real delight as was the delicious taste of the caramel in the Salted Caramel.

The Caramelized Banana was on the top of the package

Yum!

I loved every bite of it. It can be a bit pricy but for that special indulgence, it can be a real treat.

The History of Franklin Fountain:

(From the Franklin Fountain website)

In January 2003 Eric Berley was finishing his philosophy studies at William & Mary College with no hard plans for the future. Ryan Berley, his brother, was continuing his work as an antiques trader and consultant to Freeman’s auction house, although he was feeling stagnant and ready to do something different.

Just over a year before, the Berley’s father and aunt had purchased a turn-of-the-century building in the heart of Old City in Philadelphia at 116 Market Street. It had (and has) wonderful decorative tin walls & ceilings and the original porcelain mosaic tile floor, that inspired Ryan to float the idea of building an authentic ice cream parlor and soda fountain.

The brothers have always attributed their early fondness for ice cream history to the interior design of their childhood home. Carole Berley, Ryan & Eric’s mother, began selling antiques out of their home in Media in 1976, just after Ryan was born, and
decorated the dining room with a historical ice cream parlor motif.

In Summer 2003 Eric traveled to New York state to study under an ice cream chef and mentor. When he returned to Philadelphia he and Ryan wrote a business plan for what would be called “The Franklin Fountain.”

The brothers were inspired by a marble portrait of Benjamin Franklin they had seen at an exhibition of sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon that spring. Dr. Franklin, civic businessman, thinker and experimenter, began his adult life just steps away from 116 Market Street. Following a turn-of-the-century precedent for naming businesses after the great man, Franklin’s legacy proved a worthy namesake for the soda fountain.

Months of planning followed, as did road trips to the National Ice Cream Retailer’s Convention in New Orleans, and annual the Ice Screamers Convention (an ice cream antique and memorabilia convention). As they learned, the brothers began to make connections between the values of the early soda fountains and those that Franklin advocated: craftsmanship, social responsibility and experimentation to better serve the people.

By January of 2004, construction began, and with mountains of help from family and friends the final equipment was placed as September wound down. The Franklin Fountain quietly opened the last week of the Summer 2004. The Franklin Fountain aims to serve an experience steeped in ideals, drizzled with drollery, and sprinkled with the forgotten flavors of the American past.