Chamber News

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Meet our Family Business of the Year - Fearless Restaurants

Congratulations to Fearless Restaurants, CCCBI's Family Business of the Year!

This award, sponsored by Bentley Systems, was designed to recognize the accomplishments and impact of a family business in our community.

We are thrilled to introduce you to this inspiring business who will be honored at our upcoming Business Excellence Awards Luncheon.

Fearless Restaurants is a renowned, family-owned restaurant group headquartered in the Greater Philadelphia area, with a strong presence throughout Pennsylvania's Main Line and neighboring communities.

Established in 2003 by acclaimed restaurateur Marty Grims, Fearless Restaurants launched with bold ambition, acquiring the historic tall ship Moshulu. Now the group’s flagship, Moshulu is docked at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia and offers contemporary American cuisine paired with stunning waterfront views. The Grims family’s legacy in hospitality dates back generations, with Marty’s father and grandfather both shaping their enduring passion for the industry.

In 2017, Marty’s daughter, Sydney Grims, joined as Director of Business Development, fueling the group’s expansion and the evolution of the Fearless Restaurants brand. Together, this dynamic father-daughter leadership duo champions creativity, sustainability, locally sourced ingredients, and unforgettable guest experiences—delivering a distinctive alternative to the conventional restaurant chain.

Proudly positioned as a family-owned collection of artisanal, independently curated dining destinations, the group currently operates 13 acclaimed properties, with a highly anticipated 14th location set to debut this summer.

“Receiving this recognition from the Chester County Chamber means so much to us, because this community is not just where Fearless Restaurants does business — it is where our family lives.

My dad Marty and I are fourth-generation Philadelphia restaurateurs, and everything we have built has been rooted in the belief that a family-owned restaurant group has a responsibility to show up differently than a corporate chain does. We know our neighbors, we employ their children, we celebrate with them and feed them on ordinary Tuesday nights, and that relationship is everything to us.

This award is really a reflection of them.”

Shared Interest Group- Restaurants, Cafe, & Food Industry

Yesterday morning, CCCBI hosted a Shared Interest Group for our Members in the Restaurant, Cafe and Food Industry. The intent of these quarterly meetings is to stage opportunities for Members to learn, network and develop long-term, meaningful relationships in a casual setting that promotes conversation and camaraderie.

This high-energy group covered topics on retention, finding and keeping staff, as well as tariffs, promotions and marketing. After a strong start to the discussion, they then covered employee engagement, work-life balance, gratitude, and creating a clear organizational workplace environment. All of the participants were engaged and created a positive space for strong conversation. Thank you to all who joined us, including Turks Head Wines, Madi’s on a Roll, Fearless Restaurants, Good Girls Bakery, Gryphon Café West, Little Miss Moffitt, Café Gourmino, LLC and Twin Valley Coffee LLC.

How Professional Women Build Sustainable Influence & Energy - with Michele Garrett & Women Influencing Business Network

Early this morning, CCCBI hosted How Professional Women Build Sustainable Influence & Energy, an interactive workshop for our Women Influencing Business Network.

Our Member, Michele Garrett of Michele Garrett Coaching, presented to and engaged an intimate group of women from our chamber. Participants explored how to intentionally build energy while identifying the habits, patterns, and influence that deplete it. This two hour interactive workshop provided insightful, reflective, and thought-provoking material for our attendees.

The engaging group brought high collaborating energy, creating the perfect idea exchanging atmosphere. We could have spent another two hours discussing these topics and sharing ideas! Thank you to our guest speaker, Michele Garrett, our refreshment provider, Oola Bowls, and all our participants in this morning's wonderful event!

Legislative Update

GAC Meeting with Guest Speakers from PECO

First thing this morning, CCCBI's Government Affairs Committee held our monthly meeting virtually. This session welcomed two guests from PECO focused on Understanding Data Centers and their Impact on the Electric Grid.

Jeff Byers, Senior Economic Development Specialist, and Tom Bonner, Director of Policy, Advocacy & External Affairs, shared an informative presentation diving into the rise and functioning of data centers. There are currently 20+ ongoing data center projects in PECO's service area, which require infrastructure planning, grid updates and collaboration with developers and state agencies. With a responsibility to serve service requests, including requests from data centers, PECO has implemented "Cluster Studies," to better understand, adapt and serve their customers, whether they be residents or businesses.

Our region in particular carries a unique combination of strengths that appeal to data center developers, including our electric generation resource base, transmission grid, skilled workforce as well as sales taxes and tax exemptions. Policy makers and industry stakeholders throughout the country are facing historic demands for power from data centers and AI. At the same time, older baseload generating units are retiring and new, renewable energy provides less capacity and is more challenging to interconnect. This is driving initiatives for new investment in our transmission grid, so that it avoids blackouts or catastrophic system failures.

This is where PECO's Cluster Studies become invaluable in assessing and predicting the needs to keep our energy reliable and sustainable. Some of the Cluster Approach benefits include proactive evaluation of the additional loads data centers will induce and identify areas in need of reinforcements, improved coordination with key stakeholders and coordinated planning for transmission, distribution, service delivery for all customers. Currently, PECO supports policies that ensure data centers pay their fair share of upgrading and maintaining the grid to avoid shifting those costs to other customers. Looking ahead, PECO is continuing to identify key issues that may affect their service, their customers and our region.

Following this interactive discussion, our government affairs consultant provided timely updates on tracked legislation that may have effects on our Membership. We encourage our Members to communicate how pieces of legislation may be affecting their business or community. Thank you to all who joined us this morning!

Read our Legislative Agenda

Member Spotlight

Chefs for Seniors

Chefs for Seniors offers a fresh, nutritious, and completely customized alternative to traditional senior meal services.

Our Chester County personal chefs create meals tailored 100% to your dietary needs, health goals, and flavor preferences. Whether you have long-time favorites or want to explore new dishes, we’ve got you covered.

Mark Gellert, owner of the Chester County & Upper Montgomery County, PA Chefs for Seniors franchise, is a personal chef who combines his culinary training with a deep passion for serving others. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a degree in Culinary Arts, Mark has over 20 years of experience in the senior care industry. He has spent much of that time working in Chester & Montgomery County, PA and cares deeply about serving the community. His commitment to exceptional service and genuine care for seniors is at the heart of his business.

We don’t believe in a “one size fits all” approach to meals. After years of supporting seniors and families with nourishing, home-cooked food, we’ve learned that every individual has unique dietary needs, health goals, and flavor preferences. That’s why each client receives a personalized meal plan that makes mealtime both enjoyable and stress-free.

Let our team take care of everything—from menu planning and grocery shopping to cooking and clean-up. All of our chefs are ServSafe certified, background-checked, and fully insured, so you can enjoy the experience of having your very own personal chef with confidence and peace of mind.