Former Pickles & Pies storefront. (Photo West Philly Local)
A deal is in the works to bring a Subway franchise to 4533 Baltimore Ave., the former site of Pickles and Pies. Franchise representatives reportedly shared plans with members of the Spruce Hill Community Association last night.
No zoning variance is required for the location, but there is a Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing scheduled for December.
Barry Grossbach, who handles zoning issues for the Spruce Hill Community Association, said that the Subway franchise has applied for a takeout certificate, which is required of any restaurant. The Subway will likely have limited seating.
“Our zoning committee is still discussing the application for a take out certificate,” said Grossbach by e-mail. “[A zoning hearing] is scheduled for December 21st. We expect to have a decision before then.”
The zoning hearing will likely be at the regular ZBA spot – 1515 Arch St., 18th Fl.
December 7th, 2011 at 11:48 am
My only concern for them to consider is parking of patrons blocking the alley entrance next to the building, that is basically my alley and was a frequent problem with the grocery that was there before pickles and pie. As long as they work with thier patrons on that I would not mind a subway there.
December 7th, 2011 at 11:56 am
I vehemently oppose national chain/franchise businesses on Baltimore Ave! A Subway takeout joint will give nothing back to our community. Locally owned businesses return their profits to our local economy.
December 7th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
An important distinction: it isn’t take out only as their plans indicate limited seating; they need only a takeout certificate to operate, as does every other restaurant currently on Baltimore Ave.
December 7th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
This is sad, I also oppose national chains, an given Baltimore has been more a locally owned businesses scene…this is just a downward spiral. I would not want to see Baltimore ave become what 40th and Walnut is. If it’s a franchise, I can only hope the owner of the franchise is local. Also we have a million pizza/hoagie shops in the area…why would we need another?!
December 7th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
These posters are missing an important point- most Subway locations are owned by small business owners who are often LOCAL residents. They might own a handful of the same restaurant, but they’re usually local.
Subway is a successful franchise-oriented business which allows the strength of its brand to HELP entrepreneurs be MORE successful so that when a new one opens they can skip over that period (which every other small business is required to go through) called “who the hell is this and why should I bother?” Brand strength is a key ingredient in business longevity.
I’d also like to point out this same opposition happened with the McDonald’s in chestnut hill for fear of ‘national’ taking over (many years ago now). And are we seeing a fierce decline there? Nope.
And by the way, 40th and Walnut employes a LOT of people. So if u want to cry about the businesses, then please at least admit that the locals can get a JOB.
December 7th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
A store that employs people is better than an empty storefront. But Subway? $5 footlong of mehhh. I’ll continue spending my dollars at establishments that serve *good* food.
December 7th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Why, oh why would we need this on B’more? Someone open a vegetarian hoagie shop instead! Give Fu-Wah a run for it… although I love those guys–they have 47th on LOCK.
December 7th, 2011 at 2:47 pm
noooooooooo! so ugly, do something original that has stable hours and I will support that. never this. keep west philly original
December 7th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
I’m all for having more quirky, local businesses on Baltimore Ave. If the choice is between an empty storefront and a Subway, as seems to be the case here,
December 8th, 2011 at 8:37 am
Well, this is a pickle.
December 8th, 2011 at 9:49 am
Subway? Oh, please no. I love that stretch of cute old fashioned small businesses, and I really, really hate Subway. Their sandwiches taste like wilted cardboard.
December 8th, 2011 at 11:03 am
The franchise owner is from Baltimore, MD and has no other businesses in Philadelphia according to a poster on UCity group. This is just asking for trouble between parking, traffic, blocked trolley routes, and worse yet:
FRANCHISE BUSINESSES IN OUR BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD!!!
This will not serve Spruce Hill or Cedar park well.
December 8th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
One way to let your voice be heard is to contact Spruce Hill Community Assoc (SHCA) and let them know you are not happy about Subway moving in. The ZBA does take into account what the local community association says. SHCA will most likely provide a letter to the ZBA at the hearing either supporting the application or in opposition to the application.
To contact SHCA either call them at 215-349-7825 or email Barry Grossbach (b.grossbach@gmail.com) who is listed as the zoning contact on the SHCA website.
December 8th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Y’all should have bought more pickles and pies.
December 9th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
NO TO SUBWAY ON BALTIMORE AVE!
December 9th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
For those who oppose franchises on Baltimore Ave, please join me in petitioning against this. If anyone wants to work up a draft of the petition, please post links to it here. If no petition has appeared by Sunday, I will draft one and post here myself.
December 9th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
I’m pretty sure this is a done deal. if people are really so negative about it’s presence, i guess it will fail. if it succeeds, i guess that’s truly the voice of the people talking. personally, i don’t see much difference between a subway shop and one of the plethora of drab, banal pizza shops that dot baltimore ave’s length. or dollar stores. or craptastic stores that sell HOT! CHEETOH! and loosie cigarettes. now, THOSE sure are quaint and classy.
December 10th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
@Suzanne
You have a point about the quality of some of the local businesses but ignore the quality of others. A Subway would be a detriment to the sandwich shops we already have populating the avenue, and would open the door to more corporate franchise influence infiltrating our neighborhood.
My personal take is we should do what we can so this does not open, at all. If more people than not feel a Subway would be a detriment to the neighborhood, we should have say.
Does anyone have experience community organizing? I am new to this, but want to help make a difference.
rmaster1776@yahoo.com
December 11th, 2011 at 10:20 am
My kids and I were walking past Pickles & Pie maybe 2 months ago commenting on its defunct-ness – this guy sitting on the bench outside the storefront heard me and said, “That’s going to be a Subway. And THAT (defunct PFCU at triangle of Cedar/Baltimore/46th) is going to be a Domino’s!”
The Oracle of Baltimore Ave was right about the Subway — is he right about the Domino’s too?? (ack)
December 11th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Hey all,
The former Pickles and Pies is about to become a Subway Sandwich store. I personally feel national franchises have no place in our community; if there is a broad base of agreement on that sentiment, I aim to petition against them moving in. Could you guys please share this with your friends in West Philadelphia, and your impressions?
Thus far, the people who are against it seem to be doing so without voicing much else. Those for it seem to believe it is not that big a deal, though with little enthusiasm for Subway.
My thoughts.
1. Subway has an unfair market advantage over most local businesses as they can purchase their stock at a cheaper rate thanks to corporate standards.
2. There is a good chance that businesses that close after Subway has moved in could then be replaced by other National Franchises.
3. We’d have little argument for not allowing those franchises to move in if we already have a National Franchise here.
4. While some of the local businesses could certainly be improved, it does a disservice to our neighborhood to replace them with storefronts that do not represent the community.
5. We can take up a petition to induce standards into our community businesses that would denote no National Franchises, and could lead to improvement of local businesses as well.
There are a few streets we can use as a guide to how to proceed with ours. There is Manyunk’s Main Street (http://www.manayunk.com/business-directory), which does have a Starbucks on their block of mostly locally owned businesses. There is Northern Liberties (http://www.yelp.com/search?find_loc=Northern+Liberties%2C+Philadelphia%2C+PA). There is South Street (http://www.southstreet.com/) Let us look at these streets, or any street you can think of, really, as a model for what we’d like to be.
Ultimately, this is in our communities hands. Together, we can shape our neighborhood into what we want it to be. We have until the 21st of this month to compile a case against Subway coming in, if that is what we want to do..
Robert Benjamin Jaffe
267.808.6510
rmaster1776@yahoo.com
December 11th, 2011 at 10:17 pm
I’m pretty sure the Sunoco A-Plus across the street is a national chain establishment, so I think that cat is out of the bag.