With the apparent closure of Marco Polo Ristorante & Bar in Elkins Park, The Philadelphia Inquirer recently published an article featuring memories of employees and visitors over its 27 years in business.

The story is a follow-up to last week’s coverage by The Inquirer which included the thoughts of co-owner Tony Duva, who said that the restaurant’s future is still uncertain. However, Maria Romano, a Realtor, told the same reporter that the lease has ended and the property is up for grabs. 

An excerpt from the follow-up:

Former customers like Suzy Bonn regarded Marco Polo as “our go-to for family dinners when I was a kid,” she said. “It had such a cozy and comforting ambiance. I loved their carbonara but for some reason what I remember most were those bright green olives in oil and the sorbetto in the frozen lemons and peaches.”

Pam Salazar Doyle, like other locals, also wants closure regarding the closure. “We really want to know what happened, though we know it won’t change the outcome,” she said. “It was one of the places we used to go with Grandmother 25 years ago and with my dad now, as well as with my kids. It was a staple. We counted on it. We also would do takeout, which was as good as dine-in.”

Michael Foell, who worked at Marco Polo from 2002 to 2017, said he loved “the constant busyness, the excitement and chaos of serving hundreds of people on a busy night, and of course the staff — a ragtag team made up of hard-working people who in their own right were so much fun.”

Foell called it a staple in the community. Every year, Myers Elementary School celebrated its fourth-grade graduation at the restaurant, ushering off students to Elkins Park Middle School. It also was popular after Cheltenham High School’s graduation each June.

Marco Polo’s staff. Photo: Amber Pants via Facebook

For the full story, you can click here.

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Photo: Marco Polo’s website