Glenside native Brian Koch is the owner of Lombard House, a Philly bar in Portland where Eagles fans can enjoy games surrounded by fellow supporters, writes Matt Breen for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Koch got the idea for the bar after he moved to Portland and could not find a place where he could truly enjoy watching his home team. In 2016, he turned an almost century-old building in Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood into Lombard House.
“My intention was to make it a Philly bar, but I wanted to ease into the neighborhood,” said Koch. “St. Johns is like a lot of Philly neighborhoods where you don’t just show up and be the new guy. So I kind of eased into it.”
A year after opening, a group of Eagles fans who also relocated to Portland started gathering at his bar every week to watch the Birds march toward the Super Bowl. Soon, Koch’s bar became known as a home away from home for Philadelphians in Portland.
Today, the bar also sponsors a Little League team called the Phillies and has live music in the backyard.
Read more about Lombard House in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
