We thought we would pass along some business happenings from along 45th Street. First, Demetris (photo above), which serves pizza and Mediterranean cuisine, has reopened at 4438 Chestnut Street after being closed for some time for remodeling. The restaurant offers dine-in, take-out and delivery services and the menu features traditional and gourmet pizzas, pasta, salads, charbroiled burgers and gyros among other things. The hours are Monday-Thursday 3:00 – 11:00 p.m., Friday & Saturday 3:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., Sunday 3:00 – 10:00 p.m. For more information call 215-222-8300 or visit their website.

Also, in case you missed it, a new pharmacy, Aspire Rx, has been operating between Walnut and Sansom streets for a few weeks. The exact address is 132 S. 45th Street. The store hours are Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Sat 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., closed on Sundays. For more information call 215-883-0332.

Finally, the pharmacy turned restaurant Rx at 45th and Spruce has been closed for a few days now due to some technical issues (see photo below). This morning quite a few people turned up at this popular brunch spot and were visibly disappointed to see the “Closed” sign. We are trying to get in touch with the Rx owners to see what’s happening and will let you know as soon as we have more details.

Firehouse Bicycles has just expanded into a second location in West Philadelphia after purchasing the legendary Wolff Cycles at 4311 Lancaster Ave. Wolff Cycles has been in operation since the 1930s and is possibly the oldest continuously operating bicycle shop in Philadelphia.

The shop has been re-named “Wolf Cycles” – the new owners decided to drop one “f” to make a fresh start, but also to preserve some of the legacy of the old shop. Firehouse Bicycles at 50th and Baltimore continues to operate. Their current staff has been divided to serve customers in two locations.

Wolf Cycles has on tap the same new and used bikes, gear and services that Firehouse offers. The store hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10 – 6 p.m. For more information or if you have questions please call 215-222-2171.

Some bad news for the Philly Diner pancake fans – the restaurant closed Sunday after 10 years of operation. The reason? The owner decided not to renew the lease, the Penn student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian reports.

The restaurant has faced some tough times like a 2009 shooting that prompted switch from a 24-hour service to more limited hours.

It’s not clear who the diner’s owner is, but it seems that this person has other restaurants in the area. If you go to the diner’s homepage (www.phillydiner.com) it redirects to Ed’s Buffalo Wings & Pizza, a family-owned restaurant also located in University City (35th and Lancaster).

According to a sign on the diner, its restaurant and kitchen equipment will be auctioned off online at this website Thursday and Friday. The equipment is available for inspection on Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
 

PhillyCarShare is ending its experiment as a nonprofit and has been sold to Enterprise Holdings, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Many neighbors are probably wondering what will happen to the PhillyCarShare membership and its fleet (26 locations in West Philly) once the sale is finalized. According to Enterprise officials, they are going to retain the PhillyCarShare name, its 25 employees and even expand the fleet, which has been shrinking since 2009.

There was no mention of whether this transaction will affect membership fees and other rates. Currently, a PhillyCarShare residential member pays $15/month ($125/year), $0.25/mile, and hourly rates begin at $4.45.

The Inky quotes PhillyCarShare executive director Gerald Furgione:

“Enterprise definitely saved us. The only thing we regret is that we will no longer be a nonprofit.”

A bill for $2.7 million in back taxes and penalties has apparently led to the sale.

The debate over whether car sharing firms should be treated the same as regular car rental firms, which pay an excise tax in most states for each car rented, has been heating up in recent years and may be behind the sale as well.