Our Team
Proprietors
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 years later, the two are proprietors of Good Dog Bar in Philadelphia and Atlantic City. And they still like each other.
Greta, one of their dogs
Greta is a four-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 and peanut butter—Greta’s very favorite snack is bananas. 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 three-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, tomatoes, yogurt and watermelon, but his absolute favorite snack is a juicy pineapple. Dog parents: Heather & Dave.
Executive Chef
Philadelphia & Atlantic City
Carolynn Angle
Carolynn Angle has spent much of her lifetime in the Philadelphia food industry, almost by accident. Though she’s an esteemed chef, she didn’t necessarily intend to have a life in the restaurant business. Instead, it’s been a combination of talent, work ethic, and a little bit of serendipity as she worked her way over from Bryn Mawr to Center City and Northern Liberties. And as the head chef at Good Dog Bar, where she’s been since 2018, she’s the one responsible for bringing deliciousness to the table, night after night. Her personal favorites? Seasonal daily specials created from locally sourced, fresh food that tastes great and supports the local economy. When she’s not working, this self-proclaimed animal lover is being inundated and adored by her houseful of pets.
Carolynn’s dogs: Thor, Mickey, Tony and Rambo
Thor, a long hair Chihuahua; Mickey, a Border Collie Jack Russell; Tony, a Jack Russell Chihuahua Pug mix; and Rambo (aka BO), a German Pinscher.
Four dog brothers living it up in Cheltenham, where they live with dog mom Carolynn Angle as well as cats Jack, Marielhemmingway, Brigid, Dana, and Brutus and Oreo the cockatiels. Just like any big family, these pets have alliances. Rambo, who’s really on loan from Carolynn’s cousin, may be sweet and calm tempered, but he’s the source of envy from some dog siblings. Fortunately, he’s got Tony to team up with him. And while there are plenty of playmates for everyone, Thor’s favorite is his own stuffed animal dog, aptly called ‘Dog.’ Of all the dogs, ‘Dog’ requires the least work. Dog mom: Carolynn Angle.
Philly MGT Staff
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 lentil salad and poke bowl, which he eats on the regular. In his off time, Jeff likes hanging with Jenny and their cat Murphy, cooking, eating, reading and 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.
Harlan Joseph
Bar Manager
As the Good Dog Bar Manager responsible for the beer program, Harlan Joseph, who’s been at Good Dog since 2013, likes different beers during different seasons. In summer, he’s a big fan of Pilsners and IPAs, and is particularly digging *Tonewood Fuego, an IPA out of New Jersey, as well as Shacksbury Cider out of Vermont. And while Harlan likes Good Dog’s empanadas and poke bowl, he always recommends Carolynn Angle’s seafood specials whenever they’re available. A trained graphic designer, you can see his expertise in the Good Dog menus and promo posters. And when he’s not working or designing, he’s hanging with his wife and their cat, Clove.
Meg Robinson Smith
Bar Manager
Meg Robinson Smith has worked in many fields—carpentry, real estate, even in the post office—but she’s always drawn back to the bar business, particularly the bar business at Good Dog Bar. Though she started at Good Dog in 2008, she’s left and returned several times, always with the support of her Good Dog family. While she’s worn many hats at Good Dog, these days you can find Meg handling the wine program as Bar Manager—right now she’s especially into the *French rose Les Dauphines, as well as the poke bowl (Insider tip: Get it with added shrimp). A Philly native, Meg recently moved to the Mount Airy section of the city, where she’s got a little more space, loves working in her front and backyard flower gardens, and hanging with her cat Jane Doe.
Gabriel Aranow
Sous Chef
Gabe Aranow, the unofficial Mayor of Philadelphia, is the very official sous chef at Good Dog Bar, where he’s worked since 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’s worked with Chef Carolynn Angle 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 chilling with his dog, Cliff Lee.
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 eleven 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. Dog dad: Gabe Aranow