Our Team

Heather Gleason & Dave Garry

When Heather Gleason opened Good Dog Bar back in 2003, after a five-year stint in executive recruiting and several years in the restaurant business, she was just 28 years old and doing everything from running the business to bartending at her new place. She needed a bartender, and she had one in mind—Dave Garry, bartender extraordinaire at The Standard Tap in Northern Liberties. Not only did Dave agree to join Heather at Good Dog, the two tied the knot in Vegas just a few short months later. Almost twenty-two years later, the two are proprietors of Good Dog Bar in Philadelphia and they still like each other.

Greta, one of their dogs

Greta is a seven-year-old lab/hound mix who, like her brother, loves snacks. While she’s willing to eat just about everything—from biscuits and bones to sweet potatoes, bananas and peanut butter—Greta’s very favorite snack is rotisserie chicken. When she isn’t snacking, Greta loves to fetch, especially in the ocean. This girl is mad for water. Dog parents: Heather & Dave.

Tito, their other dog

Tito is a six-year-old Pitbull/hound mix whose favorite space is the couch—any couch, inside or out—and his activity of choice is snuggling on said couch. In between snuggling sessions, Tito is super into snacking—it’s his second favorite pastime. Tito loves jerky, carrots, pears, yogurt and watermelon, but his absolute favorite snack is a juicy pineapple. Dog parents: Heather & Dave.

Gabriel Aronow

Executive Chef

Gabe Aronow, the unofficial Mayor of Philadelphia, is the executive chef at Good Dog Bar, where he started as a sous chef in 2018. His employment at Good Dog was kismet—he helped his now-boss Heather Gleason open up Hard Rock Café in Philadelphia way back when he was a 17-year-old busboy, and later worked with Dave Garry at Standard Tap. If that weren’t enough, he worked with Good Dog's former Chef for over 25 years. When he’s not whipping up delicious grub, you might find him drinking tequila (Cazadores is his favorite), recommending the Good Dog Burger to hungry customers, or soaking up the sun at a Phillies game.

Cliff Lee, Gabe’s dog

Cliff Lee, named after a former Phillies pitcher of the same name, is a German Shorthaired Pointer/Bluetick mix, who was rescued from Tennessee years ago. An Aquarius, Cliff loves celebrating his January 21st birthday with long hikes in the woods, chasing squirrels, road trips and sleeping the day away. He’s also not averse to snacks. His favorites are street treats (anything found edible in the city) and the last bite of anything his Dog Dad is eating. He is not a fan of fireworks, gunshots or rain, so those will never be part of his birthday celebrations. RIP Cliff Lee, the world is not as bright without you, but you will always be remembered fondly as the GOAT. Dog dad: Gabe Aranow

Imani Williams

Sous Chef

A Philly native as is most of her family; like her father who has been her biggest inspiration as he did most of the cooking for her growing up.  She started in restaurants in 2008 and worked her way from server to expo.  The fast-paced environment of the kitchen is what ignited her love for cooking.  She loves that the kitchen moves quickly and keeps her on her toes.  She believes cooking is like a dance and loves being reminded of when she was a young dancer.  She became a sous chef in 2019 and has worked at various places throughout the city (most recently Vernick Fish) before finding her place here at Good Dog Bar in December of 2024. She loves cooking at GDB because she has the freedom to create dishes that showcase all the different cultures of our beautiful city. Her favorite style of cooking is American Home Style. Chef Imani is currently living pet free, but had a beloved pitbull named pumpkin she misses dearly.

Jeff Kile

General Manager
As General Manager of Good Dog Bar Philadelphia, Jeff Kile is a busy guy. Whether he’s opening the restaurant, walking to the bank, or chatting with customers, he’s almost always handling multiple things simultaneously, and keeping it pretty friendly. Not only has Jeff been at Good Dog Bar since 2008, doing everything from tending bar to running the beer program, he even met his wife Jenny Kile there. Jeff likes lots of things about Good Dog, particularly Fat Head Brewing Company Head Hunter (a West Coast IPA that’s almost always on tap at Good Dog), a Marlborough, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the caesar salad and poke bowl, which he eats on the regular. In his off time, Jeff likes hanging with Jenny cooking, eating, reading, movies, and drinking by large bodies of water (preferably the ocean but the Schuylkill will do in a pinch) and fixing things. It’s a little Zen and the Art of Restaurant Maintenance.

Paul Rodella

Bar Manager

Hailing from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Paul joined the workforce early and has been in management roles for nearly 15 years. Before moving to Philadelphia, he managed an Art Deco Performing Arts Center in his hometown for eight years. Paul moved to Philadelphia with his paramour, Lauren Menn, as she embarked on a new career. After working various jobs around the city, he was grateful to join Good Dog Bar, thanks to owner Heather and GM Jeff.

Paul joined the Good Dog crew in August 2023. He loves the bar's chill neighborhood feel paired with insanely delicious upscale comfort food. Each floor of Good Dog offers a unique vibe, so there’s always something for everyone.

What does Paul rave about? The wings—hands down his favorite dish. When it comes to drinks, an Old Fashioned made by Zach hits the spot. At other bars, Paul usually orders a Hazy IPA and a shot of Irish Whiskey or Reposado, depending on his mood. He’s all about the talented and kind crew at Good Dog and lives for live music and time with his darling Lauren when he’s off duty.

And let's not forget Reginald, his super social furry friend with all-black fur who looks like a little shadow. Reginald loves making new friends and being the most adorable and sweet pet ever. Oh, and surprise, Reginald is a cat.

Shaye Cope

Bar Manager

Shaye is Good Dog's newest addition to the management team; she started on Memorial Day 2025. Hailing from NJ by way of Florida this horse girl turned bartender has been in the game damn near her whole life. Her father helped to open Applebee’s restaurants all across Florida, where she was indoctrinated into rolling silver ware and hospitality in general. She started hosting as a teenager and quickly made her way through the front of house ranks to become a bartender at 18. Her mother, also a bartender, taught her plenty of techniques to create deliciously dangerous drinks. Shaye graduated into management about 5 years ago, her favorite part of the job is procuring great cocktail menus and meeting people from different walks of life. She is the attentive and actualized mother to three stunning children, Landynn, Kennedy and Harper and we can’t forget their amazing American pitbull Biggie Smalls.