Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael And Holly Otto.
Hi Michael and Holly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
O’Jung’s has been a family-owned business since 2001, and it’s grown and evolved quite a bit over the years!
The name O’Jung’s came from the original owners, Holly’s parents, Louie and Bobbi Jung. When they first purchased the bar, they weren’t quite sure what to name it. Someone in the family suggested putting an “O’” in front of Jung as a fun nod to Bobbi’s Irish heritage, and the name just stuck! Today, everyone knows O’Jung’s and its familiar location at 2nd and Fernon in South Philly.
We purchased the bar from Louie and Bobbi in 2018. We’re proud to be a neighborhood bar and restaurant in Pennsport, the South Philly community where we also live. Being part of this neighborhood means a lot to us, and staying involved in the community through things like youth sports, local schools, and the Mummers is incredibly important to our family.
Originally, O’Jung’s was more of a traditional neighborhood bar that served very little food. Then COVID hit, and we knew we needed to make some changes. We added a full menu, and our customers absolutely loved it!
Michael works full-time as a union electrician, but he also has a culinary background and a real passion for food. He learned under Chef Tony Clark and is the creative mind behind all our food and drink offerings. From our weekly food specials to our seasonal cocktail menus, he’s always coming up with something new for our customers to enjoy. People look forward to our new food specials every Monday morning, and it’s been so rewarding to see how much everyone loves what we create.
Over time, O’Jung’s has become well known for our food, cocktails, and live entertainment. We’re still a small, family-owned and operated mom-and-pop business, and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of. Many of our staff members are family or close friends, and we truly consider them part of our family. We’re fortunate to have some of the best people working both front and back of house, and we’ve built such close relationships with our team over the years.
Another big part of our growth has been our seasonal holiday cocktail menus. We started incorporating holiday-themed cocktails and décor, and it really took off! We realized how much our customers loved the experience, so we decided to bring that same energy to every season and holiday. From Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day to spring and summer, fall and Halloween, and finally Christmas, we love giving everyone something new and exciting to look forward to.
We’re currently serving our fall and Halloween cocktail menu, and we’re always looking forward to what’s next!
At the heart of it all, O’Jung’s is about family, community, and creating a place where people feel welcome. We’ve grown so much over the years, but we’ve never lost sight of what makes us who we are: a neighborhood business built on relationships, good food, great drinks, and the people who walk through our doors.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We’d love to say it’s been a smooth ride, but honestly, nothing is ever completely smooth! We take each day as it comes and try to take everything with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, we’re just happy and fortunate to have such great customers who walk through our doors and continue to support us. We’re truly so grateful for every one of them!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Michael works full-time as a union electrician, but after work, he comes to the bar and restaurant just about every day to help out. He’s the creative mind behind our food and cocktail menus, always coming up with new ideas and things for our customers to enjoy.
Holly works at the bar and restaurant every day, taking care of all the shopping and the many day-to-day responsibilities that go into keeping the business running as smoothly as possible.
We both put a lot of time, hard work, and love into O’Jung’s. Being a small, family-owned business means we’re very hands-on with everything we do, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
We’d say that as much as Michael loves cooking and coming up with new menu items, he also enjoys sitting back, relaxing, and being the one who gets to enjoy being on the other side of the bar!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Ojungs215.wixsite.com
- Instagram: O’Jung’s215
- Facebook: O’Jung’s
