Taylor Chip has closed its Philadelphia locations barely a year after their opening, citing insurmountable expenses.
The Lancaster-based cookie chain, known for its dense and chewy treats, expanded into the city in 2024 with shops in Fishtown and Rittenhouse. But by Tuesday, all Taylor Chip branding had been stripped from the 1807 Chestnut St. storefront. “For rent” signs hung from the door in their place.
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Doug Taylor, who co-founded the company with his wife, Sara, said via email that the couple “decided to exit the Philly market due to the expense to get in there combined with the time it took.” They plan to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and focus on their shops in Central Pennsylvania.
The Taylors said they were unprepared for the lengthy permitting process they encountered in Philadelphia. Though they expected to open roughly six months after signing leases on two city storefronts in late 2022, they ultimately spent two years prepping the shops for business. The Taylor Chip in Rittenhouse opened first in November 2024. The Fishtown store, located at 1828 Frankford Ave., followed in January 2025.
These stores were “unable to generate enough profit to offset the debt created during those prolonged delays,” the company said in a release.
With the loss of the Philadelphia shops, Taylor Chip is retooling its business strategy. The brand will recommit to serving “rural” customers and growing its online offerings. It also will invest in Taylor Chip Nutrition, a line of protein cookies that the Taylors see as the company’s future.
“Building something from nothing means taking risks, and not every bet pays off the way you expect,” Doug Taylor said in a statement. “We’re proud of what we built in Philadelphia, even though it didn’t work the way we hoped.”
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