A Conversation with the (Unofficial) American Ambassador to London
J.P. Teti, founder of multi-unit American restaurant & dive bar chain Passyunk Avenue
Last week, we wrote about Ben Franklin in Philadelphia and how, fresh from his London apprenticeship, he gathered a circle of friends and colleagues to form The Junto — likely America’s first true social club — a group whose influence rippled through early Philadelphia and the fledgling nation at large. And, of course, how our own Junteau pays homage to it.
It feels fitting, then, to follow up with an interview featuring Philadelphia’s current unofficial ambassador to London — my friend J.P. Teti, founder and CEO of the multi-unit American restaurant & dive bar chain Passyunk Avenue. You might even say he’s the city’s unofficial ambassador of Americana writ large. After all, Passyunk has at various times been ranked by National Geographic and TripAdvisor as the #1 American Experience in London.
J.P. is a perfect subject for our interview series because, like our other interviewees, he quit his long-time corporate job in his 30s to build something of his own — something that’s since grown to have a lasting and positive impact on so many.
His growing chain of “regional Americana-themed” sports dive bars is, in essence, exporting a slice of the American ethos to anyone abroad willing to indulge — one cheesesteak and pint of “Yunkling” at a time.
Much has been written about J.P. over the years, thanks in no small part to the trophies Philly’s sports franchises have been hauling in lately. Some of those trophies — and their champions — have been spotted at Passyunk Avenue locations themselves.
Think of the Eagles finally breaking through with that unforgettable Nick Foles Super Bowl win in 2018 over Tom Brady and the Patriots, then doing it again in 2025 with Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley over the Chiefs. The Phillies taking back-to-back NL East titles in 2024 and 2025. And of course, the deep postseason runs — like the Phillies’ trip to the 2022 World Series and the Sixers’ hard-fought playoff pushes — not to mention the recent Phillies-Mets game at London Stadium in June 2024.
As you can read on the Eagles’ website (link), while studying in London in 2011 J.P. — born in Trenton to a deeply South Philly family — went out one night craving a cheesesteak with his friends, most of whom had never even heard of one. Assuming it would be easy to find — surely someone had imported the concept to the Old Empire, right? — but he came up empty. That night changed everything. From then on, he was determined to build a business to fix the situation.
The problem he soon encountered was the lack of an adequate supply chain in the country to make it happen. So what did he do? He built one from scratch. Unable to buy Cheez Whiz through the usual foodservice or retail channels in England, he first sourced cases from an American military base before shifting to an even more clandestine middleman in Europe. Eventually, he went full food scientist mode and three months later developed his own version — as close to Whiz as possible but with his own spin. Next came the famous Amoroso rolls, which also couldn’t be found in England. He went through half a dozen British bakers before finally finding one that could deliver the right bake. And then there was the literal meat of the matter. J.P. found a willing supplier across the Channel in the great agricultural empire of The Netherlands.
So in 2014, while still working his full-time corporate job (from which he would soon resign), J.P. opened his first venture — the precursor to the budding empire — a food truck at Old Spitalfields Market called Liberty Cheesesteak. It launched to much fanfare, particularly among nostalgic American expats yearning for some good old comfort food, as well as Londoners who just love a hearty, meat-and-cheese stuffed sandwich.
Eleven years later, that single food truck has evolved into five standalone brick-and-mortar bar-restaurants across London, plus the newest “Passyunk Play” concept adjacent to their flagship Waterloo location — complete with a batting cage, pool table, air hockey, and darts. There’s even the great story of their house beer “Yunkling.” When he had trouble importing Pennsylvania’s finest Yuengling (America’s oldest brewery) for his taps, he partnered with a local brewery to create their very own version. And now J.P. and his growing team have their eyes set on a European expansion across the channel.
Over the years, especially lately, the spotlight has only grown brighter on J.P., his team, and the growing business. You can read (link) about how Jason and Travis Kelce showed up at Passyunk one day to record their podcast — Travis in town supporting his future fiancée, Taylor Swift, during her Eras Tour stop in London. And of course there’s the most recent New York Times piece (link) about the epic Passyunk Super Bowl party that essentially shut down the Waterloo Tunnel — which, naturally, ended in victorious pandemonium for Passyunk and the legion of green in every direction (I would know, I was there - check the bottom-right photo above).
But what hasn’t been written about is J.P. the man himself — what drives him, his philosophy, his ambition, his family, and his views on entrepreneurship and designing an “intentional life.”
I’m proud to call J.P. a personal friend. As a fellow American in Amsterdam, having moved recently after more than 15 years in London, he embodies almost perfectly what The Junteau itself champions — the American “pursuit of happiness” ethos, entrepreneurship and independence, and the ongoing work of balancing family, health, and commercial ambition.
We hope you enjoy this deep, wide-ranging interview spanning the beginning, present, and future of Passyunk and its relentless founder.
Q: J.P., thanks for doing this. So you come from an Italian immigrant family in South Philly, grew up in Lawrenceville, NJ not too far away, and now you’re living all the way in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tell us about your early life and career. What were you doing?
A: Once upon a time, I was destined for a career in elected politics. I graduated undergrad highest honors with a degree in political science and was a high flyer. Then I parlayed a White House summer internship into a full-time staffer role after I graduated. So it was straight into my chosen field at the highest levels and I felt indestructible.
But those feelings of indestructibility quickly dissipated after a few years in the barrel of American politics. After my government stint, I sought some political experience on the campaign side and threw myself into several campaigns as a communications consultant. After one particularly bruising cycle where I literally spent every day, every hour, with a candidate running for a US Senate seat, it was clear to me that the goals I had for my personal life and those that a career in politics would permit were divergent.
So on this realization, I decided to tap out of politics in favor of private-sector work, which took me into the digital media space where I ultimately ended up working for Xerox in an overseas position running a division of the company in the Middle East and Africa. While I found this period of my life incredibly interesting — largely due to the territories in which I worked and the incredible people with whom I had the good fortune of associating — I experienced a growing sense of disillusionment. For as exciting and lucrative as my occupation proved to be, I came to wonder often about the consequence of what I was doing on a daily basis. I also felt that I was becoming accustomed to a certain standard of living that, in order to sustain, would require me to continue to toil in a field of diminishing fulfilment.
I had always harbored entrepreneurial ambition and my familial inheritance was one of entrepreneurship, so I decided to leave the safety and relative comfort of a job to pursue my own ventures, aware of the sacrifices inherent in such a choice, but not at all prepared for the loneliness and doubt that lay ahead.
Q: So we know you’re now leading and building Passyunk. How would you describe it in your own words?
A: Yes, I am the unlikely founder of a multi-site hospitality group and brand based in London and poised for European expansion. What we’re doing in presenting the best of regional American, ethnic idiosyncratic culture via immersive, experiential venues that seek to transport guests to the streets of South Philadelphia. The brand aspires to connect people to nostalgic Americana, by distilling core American values — not necessarily tapping into who we are at present, but presenting what we imagine and still believe America to be at its best, most optimistic and most attractive.
Q: What was the exact moment you decided you couldn’t stay on your old path?
A: When I literally asked myself if anyone would remember I was here if I died tomorrow. On my previous path the answer to that question was no, apart from family and some close friends. I wanted to do something consequential for society by building a venture that created fulfilment and delight both for those who worked alongside me to build it, as well as those who would consume the output of our efforts.
Q: Who was the first person you told about your plans? How did they react?
A: My wife was invariably the person who was on the receiving end of the frustration I experienced in my previous career. She would similarly hear all of the boasts I made about how I was going to right wrongs and change my trajectory. Over time, these boasts leaked out to others — close friends and family. My discontent and my threats to do something about them became so widespread that I feared if I did nothing then I would be branded a malcontent with no fortitude to make difficult choices. At this point, I had one final conversation with my then heavily pregnant wife — with our first child — and essentially asked for her blessing to leave my over-compensated, under-worked corporate job in favor of the vague outline of a new business I intended to create. She told me to go for it and I resigned the following Monday.
Q: How do your friends and family describe what you do now? Do they get it right?
A: My kids say that Daddy has restaurants that make great cheesesteaks and buffalo wings. Technically they’re right, but they slightly miss the nuance built into the essence of the brand — that the venues and food are just conduits for our unique interpretation of Americana that we hope many people will find attractive and inspiring.
On life, relationships & lifestyle —
Q: So you’re married with kids. How has your life or lifestyle changed shifting gears entirely from the corporate world to launching a hospitality brand?
A: Married with two kids aged 9 and 8. My career change has certainly enabled me to be far more present in our family life due to the flexibility of my schedule. I take the lead in many of our domestic responsibilities and, more often than not, I'm dropping off and picking up the boys from their school. I’ve become quite an accomplished youth football coach as well. Previously I wouldn’t have had the time to do most of this. So I may have sacrificed some level of financial gain, at least in the short or medium term, but I gained the flexibility to be a more engaged member of my family at a critical period of our family life. The value of this cannot be quantified in financial terms.
Q: Your wife told you to “go for it” in the beginning. Is she still on board?
A: My wife is the biggest supporter of the path we’ve chosen. She has been the emotional backstop, because there are days when you feel like it's all hopeless. Apart from continuing to finance the family with cash from a more "normal" job, especially in the early stages of my venture, my wife has functioned as our Chief Optimism Officer when no one else has been willing to take on that job. The role has been indispensable in the success we’ve had so far and, ultimately, it will be why this venture — apart from our children — will be the greatest, most lasting thing we’ve conspired to create together.
Q: How has your sense of identity shifted being an entrepreneur now for several years after grappling with your former political and corporate ambitions?
A: I’ve decided on a path that is not obvious and one that most people would be uncomfortable choosing. But as a result, I feel pride in the courage I was able to summon to do what I'm doing now. I find these attributes are attractive and inspiring to others and people start to seek you out for guidance. A benefit that I never anticipated was how much satisfaction I get from helping others who are on similar journeys to mine.
Q: What have you sacrificed?
A: I've sacrificed the concept of compartmentalization, which is something you don't even realize had value when you enjoyed it in previous lives. When it's your venture, compartmentalization doesn't exist any more. Your life and work and the meaning you derive from it becomes one and the same. It's always with you no matter where you are or what you are doing. The challenge becomes moderating the inherent highs and lows while maintaining relative perspective about the ultimate importance of this venture and your life in general.
Q: What do you or the family do for fun? How is that different now versus in the past?
A: Our lives are all so busy now that we prefer to get away to quiet locations away from activity and too many people. We like being among nature as I think we find it all very grounding and perspective-giving. Anywhere there are hot tubs and saunas is a bonus.
Q: Any vacations recently or coming up? Can you relax knowing you have a business running?
A: Your venture is always on your mind. That is the reality. However, my focus from the very earliest stages was to imagine the business I wanted to build and construct, perhaps prematurely, the organization that would be required to run that business. As such, I've spent much of the formative years of the business focused on building and investing in the organization that I believe will be capable of achieving the goals we set for ourselves. You are never entirely at ease, but leaning on a capable organization of dedicated, aligned people goes a long way to giving you comfort.
On ownership realities —
Q: What are the claimed positives about business ownership that are a bit misleading?
A: The idea that entrepreneurship equals freedom with no strings attached is bogus. You can't escape the gravity of…
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