After 35 years of operation, Occasionally Yours, a beloved brunch restaurant in the Swarthmore Ville operated by husband and wife Scott and Theresa Richardson, will close on Mar. 24. The business opened on April 1, 1989 as a takeout and catering service, before becoming a restaurant by popular demand.
When asked about his plans after Occasionally Yours, Mr. Richardson mentioned that he had nothing related to business and wanted to enjoy retirement life instead.
“One of my plans is to have the best garden I’ve ever had because I’ll be able to spend time with it and I’ve never been able to do that now. When the pandemic hit, it was around two years of waiting. Then everything opened back up again and business-wise, it would be dumb to walk away then. But now, 35 years has a little bit of a saying to it, 36 has none.”
Explaining the origins of Occasionally Yours, Mr. Richardson says: “My wife, Theresa, was the catering director at a restaurant, and we decided that we wanted to start a business that did mostly takeout and catering for occasions. We were thinking, ‘Well, we want to be yours for that occasion.’ And that’s how we came up with this cutesy name.”
Aside from Swarthmore, he also initially considered West Chester, Media and other Pennsylvania locations to open the restaurant in.
“When we were deciding our business locations, we explored Swarthmore. I came out of the alley and Theresa came around the corner, we literally met in front of this window and saw a rent sign. When we heard the address would be 10 Park Avenue, I remembered this sitcom called Green Acres, where someone says ‘Park Avenue’s where I’d rather be.’ We both looked at each other and said Park Avenue’s where we’d be.”
However, it wasn’t until the implementation of the OneCard system in the Ville during the fall of 2016 that Occasionally Yours saw more students dining in.
“For the first 25 years, we rarely saw students downtown. When the college made the commitment to move the campus bookstore down, everything started moving down here a little. Then the turning point was the OneCard system, which was a win for everybody,” Scott said. “The college’s enrollment numbers were increasing, and Sharples at that time could not handle meals for so many people. The students also wanted a variety in meals, which they could now go to the Ville for. Sometimes, you have situations in life where everybody wins, and there was no loser in this one. Maybe except for the parents.”
To further attract the student body, Mr. Richardson changed the menu and concept in 2019, the restaurant’s 30th anniversary, to fit student tastes.
“Our chef at the time, Ave, had worked somewhere around Bryn Mawr and knew the college population preferred better presentation of food. So we made a commitment to give high-quality products, present them beautifully, and hopefully have a wonderful flavor. We redid the inside, put avocado on some dishes, and elevated the menu,” Mr. Richardson explained.
Reflecting on the relationship of Occasionally Yours with the campus community, Mr. Richardson found joy in getting to know not only students but also prospective students and their families.
“We literally meet hundreds of students that we get to know a little bit. Specifically, a lot of sports teams come in. I like to go to the games, and I’m an avid basketball fan. It’s also been really cool to watch the students’ growth and how people change between eighteen and 22, it is amazing.”
“Another one of the biggest delights as a business owner is meeting people from all over. When I see a family coming, and it’s pretty obvious that we’ve never seen them before, I’ll ask if they’re looking at the college. Then you find out that you’ve been to their town, or some commonality with them. I’ve always found these layers of connection fascinating,” he said.
Mr. Richardson hopes that the college community will remember Occasionally Yours as a fun place to visit with friends and relax with a good meal.
“My wife, Theresa, and I feel totally blessed. We were two young kids with the cliche of the American dream, dreaming of starting a business, and having that be successful. Swarthmore is a diamond, and we feel wholly blessed that we’ve been able to spend our working career here. It’s been a hell of a ride.”
The chef that brought them success was Nathan Moore. These old coots are full of it. Super abusive to one another and I heard Scott call Theresa the c word like 10 times. Good riddance.