They were gone before I got here, but you can still get their paraphenalia.
Deweys played a role in the gay liberation movement in Philadelphia. In fact, this event was the beginning of the gay-rights movement. According to In These Times, it occurred before the famous Stonewall riot. In the days after that event, a few gay patrons set up an informational picket line at the lunch counter.
There was a Dewey’s in West Philadelphia that was haunted by a student from PCOM, which was at 48th and Spruce in those days.
Ed Cunningham of Philly’s WHYY remembers a Dewey’s downtown. He writes, “Believe it or not, Dewey’s Famous stood at the intersection of 17th and Walnut Streets, today one of Philadelphia’s toniest intersections. The old photo still somehow looks like the boardwalk to me.” Here’s a picture of the original Dewey’s on that corner.