Where an old, grand church building stood for 136 years until last December there is a glass box now. Well, at least it’s a useful box.
Many of our readers will be excited to know that the new retail space at the corner of 40th and Sansom was completed earlier this month and already started welcoming its first occupants. Dunkin’ Donuts, Zesto Pizza, and Jake’s Sandwich Board already opened their doors. Hai Street Kitchen, a Japanese burrito shop, is coming in early 2015, according to Philly.com’s The Insider.
November 25th, 2014 at 3:14 pm
Dammit. Still very few options for a celiac in this side of town. 🙁
November 25th, 2014 at 10:23 pm
This is a lousy replacement for the stately church that was there for so long. Plus as a new building its pretty lousy in itself. So much of what is being built in UC these days is just one step up from aluminum siding, trash for cash.
November 25th, 2014 at 10:58 pm
WHY does there need to be another chain, when there’s a perfectly good coffee/gelato shop RIGHT around the corner? No character at all..pretty soon, UCity will be box stores and overpriced condos.
November 26th, 2014 at 11:36 am
Each Dunkin Donuts is an independently owned franchise. They provide jobs for many new immigrant workers, and lets be honest, they have better prices for those who aren’t at PENN on a full-ride.
Small local shops are great, but something tells me the asking lease price is going to be somewhat prohibitive for your local hipster coffee shop. Take it easy. Not everyone in the area is flush with $5 coffee cash. Some of us are excited to get a cheap cup of joe.
November 30th, 2014 at 1:10 am
If many of your readers “are excited to know” that there will soon be burritos and dunkin’ donuts coffee served out of a tacky glass box at 40th and Sansom, then they must lead exceptionally dull lives.
December 1st, 2014 at 12:55 am
yaaaaay. (clap…. clap…. clap)
December 8th, 2014 at 5:51 pm
I must disagree. The market provides for a dunkin donuts in this area. It is what the majority of people who frequently shop this area consider to be coffee, clearly, and that’s why dunkin is opening, with bells on, here.
Also, I disagree with the box being tacky. I feel, again, it is an appropriate building for the use, and the patrons that use it. The fresh grocer and theater across the street are gems of buildings, thoughtful, ahead of their time. Dunkin building is just simply appropriate for the use.
And its too bad about the church, agreed, but too costly to renovate, too costly to insure. But imagine, the holiness of getting your coffee and crullers in an old church building. What an opportunity lost, unfortunately. But again, it just doesn’t pay. The clientelle in this neighborhood just simply would not appreciate, and hence pay for with their patronage, such a gesture.
Its just merely a response to the surrounding culture and economy. Nothing more, nothing less. And therefore is an appropriate building in this location. Behind the mcie dees