Here’s some exciting news about new cafe and restaurant openings in the area, but there is one business closing, too.

Out West’s barista @swagscappuccino at work. (Instagram photo)

• A new cafe, Out West, opened over the summer at 5127 Walnut Street and already has a lot of admirers. Founded by Philadelphia entrepreneur and James Beard Award winner Muhammad Abdul-Hadi (he also owns Down North Pizza in Strawberry Mansion), Out West offers “coffee, breakfast and community,” according to its website. Executive Chef Mike Carter has prepared a creative menu, including items like Crispy Lamb Scrapple Sandwich and Smoked Black Bean Toast. Out West also has an interesting selection of specialty drinks, like Avocado Lemonade and Honeydew Sage Matcha Soda. Just like Down North Pizza, Out West is mission-driven – it provides job opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals. The cafe is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For more info, visit: www.outwestphilly.com.

• The Famous Cookie Creamery, a collaboration of two iconic Philadelphia brands – Famous 4th St Cookie Company and Bassetts Ice Cream – has opened a University City location at 4004 Spruce St. At this place, you can enjoy cookies and ice cream in many ways, but the Cookie Creamery specializes in ice cream sandwiches – customers can choose any combination of two cookies and their favorite flavor of ice cream. Passero’s Coffee is a third collaborator for this location. The University City shop is open Monday through Sunday 8 a.m.-10 p.m. For more details, go to: famouscookiecreamery.com.

• An Indian cafe, Chai Nashta, is opening “very very soon” at 4520 Baltimore Avenue, according to its owners’ announcement on social media. The “coming soon” sign for Chai Nashta appeared on the storefront more than a year ago but the owners had to deal with some “speed bumps” along the way, according to the announcement. While the cafe hasn’t officially opened yet, it participated in both Baltimore Avenue Dollar Strolls over the summer, offering treats like Butter Chicken sliders, Bhel puri, and Masala lemonade. We’ll keep you posted about the cafe opening date. In the meantime, visit its Instagram page.

• Sad news for local vegans: Grindcore House West, the vegan cafe and bakery, has permanently closed its storefront at 42nd and Chester after five years of operation. Their last day of service was September 15th. The cafe was a collaboration between Crust Vegan Bakery based in Manayunk and Grindcore House, a South Philly based vegan-friendly coffee shop.

Do you know of more business openings or closings in the area? Please let us know in the comments below.