WELCOME TO THE FRANKLIN FOUNTAIN!

WELCOME TO THE FRANKLIN FOUNTAIN!
We’re mighty pleased to have you join us, even though we’re not smiling
{this tintype took an awful long time to stand for}.
Please soak in the ambiance, take time to peruse the menu you’re holding
and feel free to make inquiry of any of our splendid soda jerks.
We’re at your service.
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OUR VALUES & MISSION
All of our Ice Creams, Toppings and Baked Goods are made in-house
from scratch recipes. We employ real, live persons to churn, freeze, steep,
knead and cook wholesome confectionery foods from the highest quality
ingredients. Our staff is the engine that drives the business; and every
dollar earned goes towards supporting an American job.
Milk and cream is obtained by contented, grass-fed cows close to home,
procured from a 1920s family dairy. Fruits are organic and local when in
season and regularly preserved for year-round use. Nuts are freshly roasted
to order in South Philadelphia. Chocolate is processed and sourced from
Wilbur’s of Lititz, Pennsylvania. Our rooftop apiary and herb garden at
Shane’s supplements honey and spice ingredients.
Ice cream cones are the greenest food packaging around! All of our paper
pails, spoons, napkins, straws and natural cups are compostable and will not
damage the earth.
The Franklin Fountain
aims to serve an experience
steeped in ideals,
drizzled with drollery,
and sprinkled with the
forgotten f lavors of the
American past.
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CONTENTS
Sundaes . . . . . . . . . . 4
Flavors . . . . . . . . . . 6
Toppings . . . . . . . . 8
College Ice . . . . . . 9
Splits . . . . . . . . . 10
Seasonal . . . . . . . 12
Milk Shakes . . . . 15
Egg Creams . . . . 16
Phosphates . . . . . 17
Thirst-Ades . . . . 17
Floats . . . . . . . . 18
Sodas . . . . . . . . 19
History . . . . . . 20
FAQs . . . . . 24
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SUNDAES
The Franklin Mint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11
MINT CHIP and VANILLA BEAN ice creams engraved in CHOCOLATE SYRUP,
fluffy MARSHMALLOW GLAZE and CREME DE MENTHE finished with house-made
WHIPPED CREAM and a MINT CHOCOLATE COIN from Shane Confectionery.
“Nothing tastes sweeter than Honey, save Money” - Poor Richard.
Homemade Hot Fudge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9
Two dipperfuls of Philadelphia VANILLA BEAN ice cream drowned in
Franklin Fountain HOT FUDGE and topped with our fresh
WHIPPED CREAM and a BORDEAUX CHERRY - An American icon.
We make our hot fudge fresh using Wilbur’s dark chocolate, churned smooth with
fresh local milk, cream and butter, then cooked on-site in an antique copper candy kettle.
Honest ingredients are the best policy for flavor.
The Lightning Rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12
A battery of DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE PIECES charged with COFFEE
ice cream, amidst clouds of WHIPPED CREAM, raining a SHOT of ESPRESSO and
zapped by CHOCOLATE COVERED ESPRESSO BEANS, WHITE CHOCOLATE
SHAVINGS and conducted by a SALTY PRETZEL ROD. {pretzel rod contains gluten}
This invention will surely electrify even the most enervated.
The Mt. Vesuvius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11
A mountain of CHOCOLATE or VANILLA ice cream erupting in
CHOCOLATE BROWNIE boulders, cascading with HOT FUDGE and
blanketed in MALT POWDER. A dollop of WHIPPED CREAM
indicates her smoking signal. A true display of Pompeii-an circumstance.
{Brownies & malt powder contain Gluten.}
Peach Melba Parfait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $950
A solo act of fresh PEACH ice cream dressed in a curtain of
RASPBERRY COMPOTE, bejeweled with ALMONDS and encircled
with a necklace of ruffled WHIPPED CREAM.
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Following soprano Nellie Melba’s performance of Wagner’s Lohengrin in 1893, French
chef Auguste Escoffier was moved to create an exquisite dessert for Dame Nellie.
Sundaes can also be made to carry out.
The Southern Sympathizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12
RUM RAISIN and PISTACHIO ice creams smothered in
sweet hot CARAMEL and studded with CANDIED CAYENNE PECANS
and PISTACHIOS upon a WHIPPED CREAM bonnet.
This Franklin Fountain original is as pretty as a sweet-talking Louisiana Girl in her Sunday best.
Maple Leaf Rag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $950
Two dipperfuls of CHOCOLATE or BANANA ice cream are shellacked in pure
MAPLE WALNUTS, the syncopated sweetness cut by The Sting of prickly
PINEAPPLE, crushed fresh, all keyed up with WHIPPED CREAM.
An homage to Scott Joplin’s popular 1899 piano ballad.
The Stock Market Crunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11
ROCKY ROAD ice cream bonded in thick PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE, balanced
by crisp SALTED PRETZELS and secured by fresh WHIPPED CREAM
and a BORDEAUX CHERRY. {pretzels contain gluten}
William Dreyer and Joseph Edy concocted the first batch of Rocky Road ice cream
in 1929 following the great stock market crash to give consumers something to
Smile about during the impending Depression.
Broken Hearts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11
“...place VANILLA ice cream on a 6-inch plate. Cover the ice cream
with fresh, sweetened, and slightly mashed strawberries, and over these put
sweetened whipped cream; top off with two whole strawberries and serve with
two wafers. Sells for 20 cents.” {wafers contain gluten}
{F. Varney, Dispenser’s Formulary, 1910}
Looking for Banana Splits? See Page 10.
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ICE CREAM
by the cup or cone
Small
$5
Medium $650
Large
$8
{One Flavor Only}
{Up to Two Flavors}
{Up to Three Flavors}
Large cones require a waffle cone. {$2 add’l.}
Waffle Cone {$2 add’l.}
Cake Cone
Sugar Cone
Vanilla Bean: Philadelphia Style: local Cream, Milk and Sugar with real Vanilla
Chocolate: made with Dutch Cocoas, rich and dark
Whirly Berley: Chocolate with Nougat, Salted Chocolate Caramel, Cocoa Nibs
Rocky Road: Chocolate with Almonds and house-made Marshmallow Weave
Chocolate Chip: classic Vanilla Bean with bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Hydrox Cookie: the original Cookies-and-Cream, invented before the OREO. {with gluten}
Peanut Butter: creamy Vanilla with salty and sweet Peanut Butter swirls
Mint Chocolate Chip: white Peppermint, bittersweet Chocolate, fresh Mint Syrup
Coconut: made with real Fruit Shavings
Caramelized Banana: made in honor of Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia in 2015
Peach: local Peaches and Cream
Strawberry: mashed and pureed real Fruits
Black Raspberry: sweet, dark and velvety
Teaberry Gum: a central Pennsylvania folk favorite, minty Pink Wintergreen
Green Tea: light and savory, Chinese Matcha
Ginger: whole Roots cooked with Brown Sugar, candied Ginger Bits
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Rum Raisin: Jamaican Rum, organic Jumbo Raisins
Ask a Soda Jerk about our Seasonal Flavors.
Coffee: locally roasted Coffee added; designed by black coffee drinkers
Cherry Butter Almond: Philly-roasted and salted Almonds, organic Bordeaux Cherries
Butter Pecan: butterscotched memories of the sweet South, Jumbo Pecans
Pistachio: Philly-roasted and salted California Pistachios, no color added
Maple Walnut: English Walnuts in Pennsylvania Maple Syrup
Cotton Candy: fluffy pink and flavored with blue Marshmallow whirls
Sugar-Free Vanilla Bean: real Vanilla, Cream, Milk, Splenda
Sugar-Free Butter Pecan: butterscotchey Jumbo Pecans, Splenda
VEGAN FLAVORS
Dairy-Free Vanilla: Coconut Cream, Agave, Tapioca, Sugar, real Vanilla
Dairy-Free Chocolate: Coconut Cream, Agave, Tapioca, Sugar, house-made Chocolate Sauce
Mango Ice: smooth and sweet Indian ‘Alphonso’ Mangos {dairy-free}
ICE CREAM
to take home
Pints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8
Quarts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13
Franklin Ice Cream is hand-made at Shane Confectionery,
America’s Oldest Candy Store, with the purest, premium
ingredients and packed in the Original Ice Cream Carton
patented in the early 1900s.
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TOPPINGS
Add a topping à la carte or build your own custom Sundae.
House-Made
Hot Fudge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Hot Caramel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Peanut Butter Sauce {dairy-free} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Fresh Whipped Cream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175
Whipped Coconut Cream {dairy-free} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175
Chocolate Syrup, cold {dairy-free} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175
Marshmallow Sauce {lactose-free} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Chocolate Brownie Pieces {with gluten} . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3
Walnuts in Maple Syrup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250
Spicy Candied Pecans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3
Raspberry Compote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Crushed Strawberries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Mixed Berry Compote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Fresh Crushed Pineapple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250
Jimmies, Chocolate or Multicolor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1
Malted Milk Powder {with gluten} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1
Salted Pretzel Pieces {with gluten} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250
Wilbur Bittersweet Chocolate Chunks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
White Chocolate Shavings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Hydrox Cookie Pieces {with gluten} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Salted Pistachio Nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Chopped Salted Almonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Salted Pecans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Spanish Peanuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Sliced Bananas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2
Make a Franklin Fountain Sundae at home with jarred
Hot Fudge, Hot Caramel or Peanut Butter Sauce to go.
$9 ea or 3 for $25
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COLLEGE ICES
Once upon a simpler time, young fraternity gents
asked pretty college girls out for a row or a round
on his Velocipede, later accompanied by some ice
cream refreshment. Ladies were known to prefer a
small amount of sorbet or ice cream accompanied
by a fruit or nut dressing.
Choose one Scoop of Ice Cream
and one Topping.
$675
What’s a good combination? Ask a Soda Jerk.
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BANANA SPLITS
Dr Dovey’s Classic 1904
Banana Split . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15
In a proper banana boat is placed a BANANA, split
lengthwise with one scoop each of VANILLA, STRAWBERRY and
CHOCOLATE ice creams covered in crushed PINEAPPLE, STRAWBERRY
topping and CHOCOLATE syrup, garnished with WHIPPED CREAM,
chopped ALMONDS and three BORDEAUX CHERRIES.
Originated in 1904 by pharmacist David Strickler in Latrobe, PA. An apprentice,
Howard Dovey, brought the Banana Split to Philadelphia where he attended medical school.
Dr. Dovey is credited with popularizing the famous dessert by instructing Philadelphia
soda dispensers on how to make a split properly.
Banana Split for My Baby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13
A smaller variation of the American Classic, inspired by Louis Prima’s 1949 tune for that
waist-conscious lady or man. A BANANA sliced into coins laden with CHOCOLATE and
PEANUT BUTTER ice creams coated with HOT FUDGE, PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE,
Spanish PEANUTS, and finished with WHIPPED CREAM and two CHERRIES.
Served with a glass of plain water for him.
Tarzan of the Apes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11
The swinging swashbuckler was born in 1912 by a middle-aged pencil sharpener
salesman named Edgar Rice Burroughs. As the story goes, a supple young man
{a generous serving of VANILLA}, with Ape blood {CHOCOLATE SYRUP}
is raised on tropical fruits {BANANAS & BERRIES} and crowned
King of the Jungle {ALMONDS and a WHIPPED CREAM headband}.
This dessert’s Intelligent Design makes for a slippery slope and can split audiences right down the middle!
All of our BANANAS are Organic and Fairly-traded.
Isn’t that appealing?
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For substitutions or customizations, ask your Soda Jerk.
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MILK SHAKES
Originally the milk shake was a beverage that combined milk and flavored syrup, shaken
like a cocktail. As demand and volume increased for milk shakes, specialty machines
were developed to shake two at a time, operated by a hand-crank to hasten the process.
As electric blending apparatuses were developed into the 1910s and 20s, ice cream began
to be incorporated into “shakes.”
Our milk shakes are spun on triple-spindle Hamilton Beach mixer, the industry standard
used in the hamburger shops of the 1950s and ever since. Just the right ratio of milk and
ice cream is required to perfect the ‘art of the shake:’ not too thin, not too thick. A
national press accolade of “Best Milk Shake in America” was bestowed upon us in 2013.
Choose your flavor.
Regular {16 oz.} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $850
Large {20 oz.} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $950
Make it a Malted for an extra $1
Malted milk is a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and whole milk,
which is evaporated until it forms a powder.
Add house-made Whipped Cream for $175
Vegan & Dairy-Free Milk Shakes
Available using Almond Milk, Fruit Toppings, Vegan Whipped Cream and
Coconut-based ice creams. Ask a Soda Jerk for options.
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EGG CREAMS
New York Egg Cream . . . . $5
{Fox’s Chocolate or house-made Vanilla}
Origins of the Egg Cream differ as widely as the accents heard
in the Lower East Side...
Some say the Egg Cream was invented in Brooklyn around
1910 by savvy syrup men who were looking to make a buck by
suggesting soda jerks mix their chocolate syrup with milk and
seltzer.
Their syrup company eventually evolved into Fox’s,
famous for their chocolate syrup.
Does our New York Egg Cream use Fox’s? U-Bet it does.
No egg, no cream.
Philadelphia Egg Cream . . . . $6
{house-made Vanilla or Chocolate}
In the Berley Brothers’ library, there is a rare volume from 1897
entitled The Standard Manual of Soda and Other Beverages.
Chapter XI is devoted entirely to “Egg Drinks,” listing dozens
of egg sodas, egg phosphates as well as egg milk and cream
drinks. A recipe for “Egg Cream” appears on page 112 listing
as the ingredients: Cream, {simple} Syrup, Vanilla extract,
{Raw} Egg yolks. We call this a “Philadelphia Egg Cream.”
You decide which is richer: New York or Philadelphia.
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The consumption of raw or undercooked eggs may increase your risk of food-bourne illness,
especially for young children, senior citizens and pregnant women.
PHOSPHATES
Tart old-fashioned sodas with a dash of citric or phosphoric acid.
Japanese Thirst Killer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5
Orgeat Almond Syrup, Grape Juice, and Angostura Bitters with Phosphate.
This recipe is adapted from The Dispenser’s Formulary of 1915.
Hemingway’s Dream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6
A phosphorescent “Green Fairy” compiled and revised with sweetened
Lemon Juice, fresh Mint and Anise Syrups, Seltzer, Citric Acid and an
Absinthe-soaked Sugar Cube reminiscent of the Old Man from the Western Key.
Havana Sunrise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6
Awaken to the honk of colorful fifties cars and the brilliant skyline
of Old Havana while sipping a cocktail of snappy Ginger,
ruby Raspberry and freshly squeezed Caribbean Limes.
¡Estupendo!
THIRST-ADES
Made with pressed, whole fruit.
Lemonade
Lime Rickey {Fizzy}
Limeade
Roman Punch
{Lemons, Grapefruit, Oranges & Bergamot.}
$5
Prefer Seltzer? Ask your jerk to “Make mine a Rickey.”
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ICE CREAM SODAS
The introduction of ice cream to the soda occurred in 1874 in Philadelphia, by Robert M. Green.
Root Beer Float {on Draught}
Our house-made Root Beer is steeped in Brown Sugar with Anise, Birch,
Cinnamon, Sassafras, and other spices to sharply compliment the sweet
Vanilla Bean ice cream as they meld together. Served in a tall, icy mug.
Ladies’ Choice
Raspberry Soda infused with Peach ice cream and Sweet Cream.
A luscious choice for the lady, or her lover...
Coca-Cola and Ice Cream
Hand-drawn Coca-Cola from our marble fountain and floated with
Vanilla ice cream. It’s almost as addictive as when Dr. Pemberton made it
with cocaine, prior to 1903.
Cherry Bomb
A ball of bittersweet Chocolate ice cream dropped into a
house-made (seasonally) tartly sweet Cherry Soda.
Weiner Eiskaffee {Veen-er Ice Cafe}
Black Coffee cold brewed in The Chocolate Café at Shane Confectionery
with a scoop of Vanilla Bean, Whipped Cream, and Chocolate Syrup.
A Viennese coffeehouse classic.
$8
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Create your own, ask a Soda Jerk.
HAND-DRAWN SODAS
Ginger *
Peach
Anise Mint *
Grape
Pineapple
Apple
Grapefruit
Raspberry *
Banana
Lavender *
Root Beer *
Cherry
Lemon
Rose
Chocolate *
Lime *
Strawberry *
Coca-Cola
Mango
Vanilla *
Coconut
Orange
Violet
Diet Coke
Orgeat-Almond *
Watermelon
Dr. Pepper
* Denotes house-made soda syrups
Regular {16 oz.} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3
Large {20 oz.} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4
‘Two Cents Plain’ Seltzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1
add Citric or Phosphoric Acid . . . . . . . $.50
WHO’S A JERK?
The soda “jerk” is a
tongue-in-cheek reference
to the action of jerking the
fountain tap lever to charge a
soda. Soda jerks were beloved
kings of the American Main
Street, often showcasing their
mixology skills for an audience
of ladies, lovers and gents
seated at the fountain counter.
The dispenser of the 19th century was a pharmacist first, mixing remedies and
“healthful” cocktails of pulverized herbs, fruits and flowers with soda water
and flavored sugar syrups to make them palatable. Water was charged with
CO2 gas to produce soda, an industrial evolution of the mineral spring waters
popularly found at health spas in early America. Soft drinks (without alcohol)
were drawn from fancy marble fountains following the Civil War and became
popular spots for ladies, children and temperance tee-totalers.
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OUR BRIEF HISTORY
Ryan and Eric Berley grew up in the trolley-car suburb
of Media, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia.
Known as “Everybody’s Hometown,”
Media provided the setting for a
Rockwellian upbringing. In
the family home, Mother
Berley began an antiques
shop called The Saturday
Evening Experience
selling old, framed
magazine art and
advertising. Rob
and Carole Berley
even decorated
the family dining
room as an
old-time ice
cream parlor.
Each summer the
Berleys took road
trips to all corners
of America visiting
small towns, antique
markets and
museums, fueling
the boys’ passion
for history.
Many years
later, following
college degrees
in History &
Entrepreneurship
(Ryan) and
Philosophy &
Business (Eric), the
family acquired the historic
building at 116 Market St. in
Old City, Philadelphia. The Berleys were enchanted
with the building’s old advertisements painted on
the brick {look up outside}, decorative window bays,
original tin ceilings and penny tile floors. One wintry
night in a local French restaurant, the family was
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discussing possible ideas for uses of the building and,
on a lark, the idea of starting a soda fountain came up.
The long, narrow space and the architectural details
seemed to beckon ghosts of the past, what
might have once been...
The brothers Berley then set
about the task of researching
and designing an old soda
fountain. They traveled
the country visiting
old soda shops and
devoured antique
soda fountain
dispensary
manuals to
learn the art
of the Soda
Jerk. Ryan used
his knowledge and
connections in the
antiques trade, along
with Carole’s, to source
the fixtures for the shop.
Meanwhile, Eric began learning
the ice cream craft with relatives
in Buffalo, NY, who own a chain of
stores. After a significant 18-month
renovation of the building, the boys
opened The Franklin Fountain the
last week of summer, September 2004.
The first steady employees were
Mom and Dad, helping out on the
weekends. Since those early days
countless newspaper, magazine and
television pieces have featured the
little soda shop. Ten years later,
“The Fountain,” as it is affectionately
known, has become a local institution and achieved
international renown. Serving all walks of life,
languages and cultures {even pets!}, the long lines at
The Franklin Fountain are legendary.
THE END.
AROUND
the soda shop
Sidle up to the vintage Tennessee pink
marble soda fountains that front the
counters. These were purchased by
the Berley Brothers at various antique
venues nearby where they had been
salvaged from defunct fountains. Run
your fingers under the marble countertops
to feel the petrified chewing gum
accumulated from over 90 years of patrons.
The dark cherry wood back bar came from a pharmacy in Lancaster
County and dates to 1910, exhibiting stained glass doors in the Arts &
Crafts style, along with a Tennessee pink marble top. A replica of a
Houdon bust sculpture of Benjamin Franklin sits atop, watching...
At the corner of the front counter is the Soda Fountain draught lamp, circa 1905. Crafted of Mexican onyx with
a bronze Art Nouveau standard and slag glass lampshade, silver-plated spigots dispense soda water or plain seltzer.
Fruit and other sweet flavored syrups are mixed with seltzer to create sodas the old-fashioned way, by hand. This
is one of the oldest working soda fountains in the United States and was acquired by the Berleys near Los Angeles
from a movie prop-house where it had been mothballed in the 1970s after a failed Paramount Pictures pilot. The
owner had originally purchased it in Philadelphia nearly fifty years ago!
The antique oak wall intercom near the front window connects to our upper office to relay
messages. The wall telephone near the milkshake machines, from the 1920s, is working and
may eventually ring if you linger.
The twin National Cash Registers are bronze and nickel-plated brass,
both dating to the 1910s, before these metals were rationed for World
War I munitions. On the nickeled model, the Berleys painted favorite
Benjamin Franklin quotes on the $ flags offering free wisdom with
every purchase.
The ceiling fans are newer cast iron reproductions of an 1890s style. They
employ a sewing machine belt drive to function off of a single central motor.
The Fountain has a myriad of “fans,” of all types and ages.
The oak cigar cabinet, at the back of the shop, housing candy, gums and bottled soda dates from 1910 and came
from Bomberger’s Pharmacy, which the Berley Brothers salvaged in Chester, PA. We’re not sure exactly what
was stored in the secret fold-out doors behind the glass-fronted cigar cases. Liquor during prohibition? Cash?
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WHY FRANKLIN?
In 1728, The Pennsylvania Gazette began and was printed by Benjamin
Franklin, who built it into the largest circulation newspaper in the colonies.
The Gazette was the antecedent of The Saturday Evening Post, taking over
the publication in 1821. Franklin’s printing house and shop was located
directly across Market St. from The Franklin Fountain, opposite historic
Christ Church. A small bronze plaque on the 2nd Street subway station
now marks the spot.
While they were planning their soda fountain, Eric and Ryan attended
an exhibition of Jean Antoine Houdon, a French sculptor of the
Enlightenment. Among the famous luminaries carved in marble, the boys
were captivated by the bust figure of Benjamin Franklin created in 1779
{owned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art where it is on permanent
view}. The life-size likeness of Franklin met Eric and Ryan face-to-face and
spoke to them. Franklin’s life continues to inspire the Berley brothers in
their pursuits, mixing entrepreneurial energy with creative tinkering and a
dash of philosophy for a lasting legacy of positive accomplishments.
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BEN FRANKLIN PRINT SHOP, PHILADELPHIA
BLOCK & BUILDING
---------------------------- Early Confectionery History ---------------------------- The property you are currently resting your feet upon was
originally granted by Pennsylvania’s Quaker Founder, William Penn,
to his daughter Letitia. While Letitia stayed in England and never
lived in Philadelphia, the courtyard which later became a street
alongside The Franklin Fountain was named in her honor. By the
18th century, Letitia Court was home to a burgeoning community
of shopkeepers, and of particular interest, two confectioners: Benjamin Jackson, one of the earliest chocolate makers in America,
BENJAMIN JACKSON ADVERTISEMENT, 1757
and Christopher Ludwick, a famed bread-baker for Washington’s
army, who established a gingerbread shop on the court. By the Victorian period, many other confectioners, soda fountains and
ice cream saloons were mixed into the block. Shane Confectionery (also now owned by the Berley Bros.) at 110 Market St.
began as a fruiterer in 1863 and remains America’s Oldest Confectionery Shop, in continuous operation for over 150 years.
----------------------------------------------- Printers Row ---------------------------------------------- Down the center of Market Street (originally High Street) stood
market sheds and stalls selling fresh produce, meats and other goods
brought from the local countryside. Print and book binderies lined
Market Street, this section being known as Printer’s Row. Here
stood the print shops of luminaries Benjamin Franklin (across the
street); John Dunlap, first to print the Declaration of Independence;
Matthew Carey, who printed the first atlas and Roman Catholic
bible in North America; and Robert Aitken, printer of the first
English language bible in America at the order of the Continental
Congress in 1782 (see historical marker nearby Shane Confectionery).
FRONT AND MARKET STREET, CIRCA 1840
------------------------------------ Retail History of our Building -----------------------------------
The building now home to The Franklin Fountain was built in 1898-99 and
designed by Angus Wade Jr., a German-American architect, for his client
Conrad Schwoerer. At the turn-of-the-century the building housed Schmidt’s
Saloon on the ground floor and Charles Wheeler, printer, on the upper levels.
By 1908, a coffee & tea roastery operated within and by the 1920s it may
have housed a pharmacy, based on painted advertisements on the upper walls.
These historic wall ads reveal a leather and sporting goods shop operating
through the Depression into the 1950s, “Independence Ice Cream” in the
1960s, a health foods purveyor in the 1970s, an insurance brokerage, and most
recently “Eroticakes III,” a specialty cake baker catering to the bachelor and
bachelorette party trade. The Berleys continued the sweets tradition in 2003.
-------------------------------------- Architecture of our Building --------------------------------------
The building was considered modern for 1899, employing steel I-beams and
concrete construction, with large windows to allow for natural light to cast
upon the print shops above. The building is faced with hard Roman brick and
cased with decorative tin in a late Victorian blend of neo-classicism and
colonial revival themes. Inside, the penny tile floors are original and have seen
millions of customers trod their snowflake patterns, from the men standing at
116 MARKET STREET, CIRCA 1907
the saloon in 1899 to the lines of ice cream eaters today. The ceilings were
installed circa 1905 and blend Adams-esque masks, gryphons and fruited urns with fleur-de-lis swags beading down the tin
walls. At one point, the entire lower wall portion was faced in white Italian Carrera marble, although only one panel of this
remains at the rear of the shop nearest the water closet (WC). What can be seen inside the Fountain today is 80% original to its
appearance in the early 1900s.
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WE’RE SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH & HAPPINESS
The Franklin Fountain’s kitchen processes milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts,
wheat and soy. Please notify a soda jerk if there’s someone in your party
who has a food or nut allergy. We’ll do everything we can to provide a
SAFE and ENJOYABLE experience.
CASH ONLY
There is a cash machine at
Old City Market, on the
corner of 2nd & Market Sts.
We also accept personal
checks.
The REST ROOM is located behind the
mirrored door at the rear of the Fountain
stencilled “W.C.” for Water Closet.
WATER & REFRESHMENT
FREE ON TAP: During warm months, the
vintage brass and cast iron water fountain on
the Letitia Street sidewalk services all guests.
Paper cups are available for your convenience.
During cold months, an antique stoneware
water cooler near the cash registers
serves unlimited paper cups of ice water.
PHOTOGRAPHY: No commercial
photography or videography is
allowed. Please extend the courtesy
of asking permission before taking
photographs of the soda jerks.
No flash photography, please.
Ask a soda jerk for a full
explanation of our
photography policy.
BOTTLED WATER & BOTTLED SODA:
Ice cold bottled water is available for
purchase in the coolers located in the front
and the back of the shop, along with choice
cold bottled sodas.
COURTESIES
GRATUITIES: Our soda jerks,
dish-washers and floor managers rely
on tips for delivering stellar service.
Tips are shared evenly amongst these
staff. Please consider helping them
while they sweat it out! Thank you.
TELEPHONES: Alexander Graham
Bell never imagined personal telephones
back in 1876, and if he had, he surely
would have built booths to
have private conversations
whilst speaking on them.
Please be aware of your
neighbors & surroundings
and extend them
courtesies if you must
be on the telephone.
DISHES, WASTE & RECYCLING
DIRTY DISHES: This quick-service fountain is a self-bussing
restaurant, please bring your dirty dishes to the wash bins
located outside during warm months and inside during cold
months. Also, glass, plastic bottles and aluminum cans go in
the dish bins for internal recycling. Your help is appreciated!
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COMPOST: We are a
green business and care
about the Earth. Please
pitch your paper napkins,
straws, ice cream and
cornstarch soda cups in
the trash bins for compost.
WWW.FRANKLINFOUNTAIN.COM