The landmark Pub in Pennsauken plans to shut down for the summer (again)

The Pub, the retro South Jersey landmark that is one of the largest restaurants in the region, will close for the second consecutive summer.

David Gelman, whose family controls the restaurant on the former Airport Circle in Pennsauken, said last year’s shutdown “worked out well. It gave everyone some much-deserved time off and allowed us to do some projects to the restaurant without disturbing business.”

The Pub’s last day of service before the break will be June 29. Business will resume Sept. 19, around the same time it reopened last September.

Summertime traditionally is slow at the Pub, which can seat about 1,200 people in what resembles a medieval banquet room festooned with war flags, swords, and assorted taxidermy beneath wooden beams, as well as smaller dining rooms and a bar.

Gelman said he was not sure if the summertime closing will become a regular occurrence.

Last year, Gelman said, its six open hearths sat cold as workers fixed the roof, replaced kitchen equipment, painted, and replaced carpets — an estimated price tag of nearly $250,000.

» READ MORE: A look at the Pub as it reopens after a summer break

This year’s work will include upgrades to the plumbing, air-conditioning, and kitchen. Some carpeting will be replaced again, as “that stuff gets so much foot traffic,” he said.

About 120 people — cooks, waiters, dishwashers, managers, and workers in the onsite laundry room — work there on a peak night. On a typical Saturday, when 700 to 1,000 customers cycle through, the restaurant will roast 10 to 15 of the best-selling prime ribs, each weighing 12 to 15 pounds.

The Pub opened in 1951 on what was then known as Airport Circle at Route 130 and Kaighn Avenue and was rebuilt in the early 1960s after a fire. In its ye olden days, the Pub served lunch and dinner. Hours were shortened during the pandemic and it now opens at 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.