University City District has released dates and more details for their signature summer events.

The Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll will return on Thursday, June 6 and Thursday, Sept. 12, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. This popular event showcases local businesses with a chance to try their signature items and offerings – for just $1! The event also provides an opportunity for new businesses to introduce themselves to the community. As the event has grown over the years, more community vendors have joined it. UCD is now also offering smaller vendors an opportunity to sell food and merchandise at the event after they obtain a permit through the Philadelphia Health Department. Read more about participating vendors for the June 6th Dollar Stroll here. Continue Reading

A sign inside Saad’s Halal restaurant.

The fasting month of Ramadan began on Sunday evening, and this is a reminder that some local businesses will be closed or have limited hours during this month.

As usual, Saad’s Halal (45th and Walnut) will be closed during the month and will reopen on June 8th.

Manakeesh Cafe and Bakery across the street will be closed during the day for the month of Ramadan (until June 4th). It will be open in the evening from 7:30 p.m. for order pickup and for dinner from 8:00 to 10:30 p.m. It’s also accepting iftar catering orders during this month (please email manakeesh@gmail.com).

UPDATE (6/16/2019): Don Barriga Mexican Grill’s grand opening is on Sunday, June 16, from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. You can try their dishes at 50% off today, according to co-owner “Guero” Barriga.

Just a few months after The Farmacy restaurant closing, a new eatery is coming to 45th and Spruce. A restaurant serving authentic Mexican dishes, Don Barriga Mexican Grill, is opening in the space soon, possibly even this month, according to the building owners.

Currently, the space is being remodeled/renovated.

Stay tuned for the opening date and more info.

Just seven months after opening at 40th and Baltimore, Trolley Car Station restaurant has closed its doors. A new operator is currently being sought for the 125-seat restaurant, according to a report by Philly.com.

The highly anticipated restaurant opened in a new two-story building next to the remodeled 40th Street Trolley Portal in September 2018, but things didn’t go as well as the owner, developer and restaurateur Ken Weinstein, who had reportedly invested $2.5 million in the new restaurant, had expected. The restaurant concept, which included hiring 20 staff members with the neighborhood’s diversity in mind, didn’t turn out to be financially viable, according to Weinstein. “We opened with a concept that I thought would work and it just didn’t resonate,” Weinstein told Philly.com’s Michael Klein.  Continue Reading

The two-story restaurant space on the southwest corner of 40th and Walnut, where Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar used to be located, is finally getting a new tenant. Panera Bread is coming soon to the space, according to a sign posted outside. The space, which also includes an outdoor seating area, is currently undergoing renovation.

Harvest Seasonal closed its doors in early 2017 and until now the space remained vacant. The University of Pennsylvania owns the building and had been looking for “a tenant that will appeal to both the University and surrounding community,” according to an earlier report.

There is no official opening date for Panera Bread yet, but it is expected to be this Spring.

The new 3-story mixed-use building at the southeast corner of 42nd Street and Chester Avenue may be getting a coffee shop. A request for a special zoning exception was submitted to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for 4134 Chester Avenue to include a coffee shop with up to 20 seats in the ground-floor commercial space of the building, which also houses two residential units on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

According to the zoning appeal posted on the city’s License’s and Inspections website, the coffee shop will not use any commercial cooking appliances and will serve prepared food.

It’s worth noting that there is a Dunkin Donuts shop on the same block, and a Starbucks on Woodland Avenue, just a block away from this building. However, Millcreek Tavern across the street may soon be replaced by another residential building, so that corner will likely have more residents soon.

Stay tuned for more information.