Philadelphia bar owners Fergie Carey and Jim McNamara, of Fergie’s Pub and The Goat, along with Tony Rim of 1225 Raw and The Foodery, have opened The Jim at 1701 S. 8th Street (8th & Morris) in South Philly.

The former JC Chinese Restaurant is now a neighborhood bar with the kitchen serving a menu of Chinese and Korean food. I found this photo of a menu on Facebook. Sounds promising!

Some minor renovations were made to minimally spruce up the place, but a distinct lack of decor leaves it with no real identity or personality. Not that it is a bad thing at all, but it looks like it could be any bar in the city.

I honestly think there is a missed opportunity for a tiki bar revival right now, but I’m forever dreaming of a real tiki bar in Philadelphia. Yes, Hook & Master has great tiki cocktails upstairs, but I’m talking about a Polynesian experience; a spot that feels like an escape to the islands or somewhere else.

Anything that Fergie touches usually turns to gold, and with these partners, The Jim is sure to have a good run. And my tiki bar dream is by no means a criticism and I wish them well.

As of this date, the bar doesn’t have much of a social media presence, sans an Instagram account which hasn’t been udpated. But I will update this article should that change.

Will you be checking out The Jim in South Philly?