By Deb Risden
Taste of Philly opened its doors in Falcon Dec. 17 inside JAKs Brewing Company and Taproom on Stapleton Drive at Meridian Road. Taste of Philly in Falcon is Joe Foreman’s third franchise.
Foreman owns a Taste of Philly on Dublin and Marksheffel and one on Voyager and Middle Creek, both in Colorado Springs. Foreman said the location inside another restaurant is a first for Taste of Philly. “We’re excited about teaming up with JAKs,” he said.
Although the restaurant is inside JAKs Brewery, it offers the Taste of Philly’s full menu that includes original and multiple variations of the Philly steak sandwich and other sandwiches like hoagies, along with salads, appetizers and desserts. Foreman said one of their customer favorites is the Rueben sandwich. They also have a children’s menu.
Foreman is not a Colorado native, but has lived in Colorado since his family moved from Florida when he was 5 years old. He has lived in Salida and Colorado Springs and the last 12 years in Falcon. Foreman had his start in the restaurant business as a dishwasher at the Falcon Inn in Monument when he was 13 years old. He has been in the restaurant business ever since, except for a few years when he and his wife, Melissa, owned an auto repair shop.
Although auto repair was a successful business venture for the couple, Foreman wanted to get back into the restaurant business. “It’s the love of my life,” he said. “I love cooking. I love customer service.” Foreman said he loved Taste of Philly sandwiches so much that he wanted to own a franchise. He opened his first franchise in 2022 on Voyager Parkway.
One of JAKs owners, Tony, approached Foreman in his Dublin restaurant about opening a franchise in a JAKs location, he said. Once the opportunity arose in Falcon, Foreman set out to convince the Taste of Philly company owner that the location is a great opportunity. “A restaurant in a restaurant is different. I talked him into it,” he said. “JAKs owners are great, and it has a great atmosphere. It’s not like a regular bar; it’s kid friendly. All of my customers can go sit in JAKs to eat their meal.”
Foreman and his wife, Melissa, and four sons are a blended family. Their sons went to Falcon schools, and one is now a regional manager for Taste of Philly.
They plan to hire soon, but for now Foreman and his wife are running the Falcon location solo. The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Foreman’s secret to success: “You’ve got to love what you’re doing and put out consistent food.”
