Jason Fehon is heading into his seventh year as owner of Bill’s Best Brewery in Glenside.
In 2023, the microbrewery launched a new menu and doubled its square footage and seating capacity, though Fehon said growth hasn’t been easy.
“The brewing business has been taking a lot of hits, people are drinking less, and there’s always change in the marketplace,” he said. “You have to find ways to go with those changes rather than fight against them. You have to be aware of what people want, and I think we’ve been able to adapt pretty well. It’s a labor of love. We take it day by day and we enjoy the process.”
Bill’s Best offers a monthly brunch with their favorite food trucks, “Vinyl Night” on Wednesdays, “Quizzo” on Thursdays, and pizza on Fridays.
“We always have something going on,” said Fehon, 44, a Bryn Athyn native who now lives in Wyndmoor (Springfield Township).
Among Bill’s Best’s initiatives is their annual Chili Cook-Off. Now in its fifth go-around, this year’s contest will take place on Sunday, February 1.
“We have people bring their homemade chilis and everyone votes on their favorite. We give a plaque each year to make it more competitive,” he said. “It’s partly to address the winter lull and entice people to get out of their houses and try some homemade chili. It gives the community some fun during a tough time of year.”
Fehon noted the importance of community-building, which included serving as the last stop along the annual Glenside Onesie Bar Crawl in December.
“Things like that are fun and the organizers are regulars for us. Being part of the community is so important for us,” he said. “We’re a local neighborhood brewery and we try to promote the community through events like that. We give stuff to fundraisers around town all the time. Those little things are important. Small businesses have to band together.”
All in all, Bill’s Best has been “a dream come true” as Fehon put it.
“We now have a whole space dedicated to production. That’s been a game-changer and we’re working on getting a larger brewing system, which should come at some point this year. That will allow us to can every batch make in terms of our to-go options,” he said. “In the early days, we had a shoestring budget and were only open a few days a week. I look back on those days and wonder how we managed to do everything in such a small space.”
Current schedule:
- Monday CLOSED
- Tuesday 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- Wednesday 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- Thursday 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- Friday 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- Sunday 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Fun Fact: Fehon graduated from Arcadia University in Wyncote (Cheltenham Township) and has worked for WMMR as a DJ on Saturday mornings for the past 21 years.
“Arcadia used to make all the students do an internship. I interned there and was able to work my way up,” he said.
For more on Bill’s Best Brewery, 57 S Keswick Avenue (Cheltenham Township), you can visit their Facebook page and website.
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