Guppy's Hosts Good Times for Charities

When Robin Gupta bought the bar that would eventually become six years ago, he did so on whim and with a particular idea of what owning a bar would be like.

“I was getting a sandwich at and a developer was talking about the [Grande at Riverview] condos going up and immediately wanted to own the property across the street,” he said. “When I initially bought this place, I thought I’d never be here but to drink, but I quickly learned that isn’t how it’s done.”

Since then, Gupta, a mortgage company owner turned full time bar owner, has established Guppy’s Good Times as a neighborhood bar with a philanthropic bent, a combination that he credit’s for the establishment’s

“The atmosphere is a corner bar, “Cheers” kind of place,” he said. “People know each other, the staff becomes friends with the patrons and we try to maintain a happy, family-type feel.”

Gupta’s mantra of keeping things personal goes beyond service and familiarity. One of the key reasons that Guppy’s has become so well know, he thinks, is its focus on charity.

“We have almost weekly fundraisers for charitable causes,” he said. “When I first bought the bar, people were always looking for checks and I was giving them out. I needed to come up with a better business plan, because I never wanted to say no to anyone. Now, we’ve got a full plan and it’s normal for us.”

Gupta said the bar allows groups to use its space for fundraises most Saturday nights during the year. Charities can charge a price at the door and the bar will provide drinks at near cost to encourage business.

Some of the bar’s more successful fundraises, including events for the Children’s Hospital o f Pennsylvania and for breast cancer research, have raised over $9,000 in a single night.

“We’re doing as well as we are because we’ve helped out so many people,” he said. “People will come up to me and thank me for helping their friend or their aunt or [whoever], and that word of mouth brings a lot of business through the door but it also helps make this a more genuine place.

Guppy’s philanthropy has even inspired some its younger patrons to start their own charity groups, according to Gupta. That kind of goodwill means the most to him.

“That kind of spinoff is what I like most about [our efforts], he said. “After enough time, word has gotten around that if you give Gup’s a call, they’ll help you out. I’m proud of that.”

Guppy's Good Times is located at the corner of Maple and West Elm Streets in Conshohocken. For more information, including contact information regarding events at Guppy's, check its website.