In case you hadn’t heard, we wanted to let you know that Shake Shack, a well-known New York City-based fancy fast-food chain, opened a West Philly location this morning, according to a report by Philadelphia City Paper. The University City branch of Shake Shack is located at Chestnut Square, the recently completed mixed-use development on Drexel’s campus at 32nd and Chestnut. The two-story University City Shack includes a patio for al fresco dining. The restaurant will be open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

This is the second Shake Shack location in Philadelphia – the first one opened in summer 2012 in Center City at 20th and Sansom.

Recently, we reported that two other popular food joints have chosen West Philly for their new locations. HipCityVeg opened this week on 40th Street between Walnut and Locust and Federal Donuts is coming to our area in early 2014.

Photo from HipCityVeg’s Facebook page.

In July, we reported that Nicole Marquis, owner of HipCityVeg—the to-die-for vegan eatery east of the Schuylkill River—is bringing her jewel of Rittenhouse Square to West Philly. Well, turns out HipCityVeg’s second location, which will make itself home in the former Won Oriental Restaurant space at 214 South 40th Street (between Walnut and Locust), is opening this week (thanks to Philly.com for the heads up on both accounts). If all goes well with construction today, HipCityVeg’s West Philly spot should open tomorrow, Melissa, a worker at HipCityVeg’s 127 S. 18th Street location, told West Philly Local.

HipCityVeg’s West Philly hours are tentatively 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a possible later closing time Thursday through Saturday, said Jess, another HipCityVeg employee. Jess also added that the hours are “up in the air,” though, and management will have a better sense of how to move forward after the weekend. We’ll update this post when we have more info.

–Annamarya Scaccia

Photo by Michael Persico.

The news has spread like wild fire and we’re also happy to let our readers know – Philly’s homegrown fried chicken and donut shop Federal Donuts has set its eyes west of center and is expected to open a location at 3428 Sansom Street, which is on Penn’s campus. This will be the third location for this popular local chain. The somewhat bad news is that the new shop is not expected to open before early 2014. We’ll keep you posted on the date when we know more.

Th American Red Cross does tons of great work in the city. In our neck of the woods, they run the Red Cross House at 4000 Powelton, which provides families displaced by disaster in the area a well-appointed, private, free place to stay. This Saturday the Red Cross is gathering about a dozen barbecue vendors in the parking lot at 39th and Market streets for a cook-off.

This thing runs from noon to 4 p.m. and will feature a cook-off among some of the area’s leading BBQ restaurants and vendors. Several local bands will provide the music and there will be plenty of activities for kids.

All proceeds will benefit Red Cross House and Red Cross disaster relief efforts.

In the last 24 hours, 34 people needed Red Cross assistance after their homes were destroyed by fire. 32 of those people are now staying at the Red Cross House in West Philly.

Click here for ticket info.

The Philadelphia Mobile Food Association (PMFA) is holding its next member meeting on Monday, Sept. 23 in Silverman Hall at Penn Law
located at 3501 Sansom Street. Prior to the 6:30 p.m. meeting, members and non-members are invited to “Making Money in the Mobile Restaurant Business” workshop, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. PMFA Board Members Harris Eckstut, Joshua Kim, and Rocco Gallelli will lead and moderate a discussion of essential business practices for mobile restaurateurs, ranging from budgeting and controlling food and labor costs to tips for local sourcing.

This workshop is the first in a series of informative classes open to the public about the mobile food business.

To attend, use the entrance to Silverman Hall on 34th St. between Chestnut and Sansom streets.

The problems are continuing for the Watusi II at 45th and Locust and its owner Noel Karasanyi. The bar’s commercial activities license has been revoked for “serious tax violations,” according to a sign affixed to the building dated Sept. 11.

The business owes about $37,000 in back taxes, according to the Revenue Department website. The closing of Watusi II follows The closing of the Watusi Lounge at 46th and Walnut earlier this month due to an expired food license. Both bars are owned by Karasanyi, who has a Yeadon address listed on tax and real estate documents. Karasanyi also owns the Third World Lounge at 49th and Baltimore.

All three establishments have received complaints about late night noise and fights. Three people were shot near the Watusi Lounge on Aug. 30 and the Third World Lounge got some brief citywide publicity for its second-floor “pee pipe” that drained onto the sidewalk along 49th Street.

The Watusi II was briefly closed and put up for sale in 2012, but later taken off the market and reopened. The cease operations sign at the Watusi II lists its name as “Spider Kelly’s,” which is the name of the establishment before it was sold in 1988. It still retains that business name in city records.