More West Philly and University City shops have reopened in recent weeks or are reopening soon as Philadelphia has been slowly reopening under the Green coronavirus reopening phase. Restaurants have also begun reopening their indoor space. Check out some business news and updates below.
• Gift shop VIX Emporium (50th and Baltimore) is reopening to customers for in-person shopping this Saturday, Sept. 12 with COVID-19 safety protocols. The store will be open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and will offer private shopping appointments on Wednesdays (you can book an appointment for yourself and two guests here; a $10 deposit will be credited toward your purchase). Continue Reading
Starting today, Philadelphia restaurants can offer limited indoor dining to customers, in addition to outdoor dining and takeout/delivery options. Restaurants are now allowed to seat guests inside at 25 percent capacity, according to a new regulation by the City, and have to follow strict social distancing and other COVID-19 safety rules.
Many city restaurants have been preparing for socially distanced indoor dining – separating tables at least six feet apart and installing barriers. Here are other rules that restaurants have to follow if they want to reopen indoor dining:
• The maximum of four diners per table is allowed.
• Servers must wear both masks and face shields for additional protection.
• Bar service is not allowed. Alcohol can be served when in the same transaction as a meal.
• Food establishments are required to be closed for service by midnight.
• Restaurants must install physical barriers in restaurant kitchens and at cash registers and food pick up areas where maintaining physical distance of at least six feet is difficult.
• Restaurants must screen every employee for symptoms before every shift and prevent them from remaining on-site if they have any COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough, fever, shortness of breath or loss of taste or smell.
If you live in Garden Court, Cobbs Creek or Cedar Park and need a pizza fix, check out Park Pizza, a new restaurant and pizzeria at 434 S. 52nd Street across from Malcolm X. Park. Park Pizza’s co-owners are experienced restaurateur Joe Scarpa, the former owner of Allegro Pizza at 40th and Spruce, and his son Sean Dundon who worked as a restaurant manager.
They both were approached by the Spak Group, a local real estate company which has been renovating buildings on 52nd Street, to open a neighborhood pizzeria. But, it took a few years for Park Pizza to get going, according to Dundon. Continue Reading
Last month Philadelphia entered a modified Green reopening phase and most businesses were allowed to reopen, including hair salons and barber shops, and spas and gyms, with COVID-19 safety protocols. Many West Philly restaurants also re-opened for outdoor dining, but indoor dining has been delayed until at least September. Unfortunately, since the COVID-19 pandemic struck some businesses in the area closed their doors permanently. Here’s an update on what’s currently happening at some local businesses and organizations since we posted the list of temporary closings and cancellations in the spring. Continue Reading
Sharing Excess, a Philadelphia non-profit dedicated to providing healthy food to local communities, is hosting a Free Food Fest this Saturday, Aug. 1 from 12 – 3 p.m. at Monumental Baptist Church (50th and Locust).
Free Food Fest will be a grab-n-go market in partnership with Wawa, Giant Heirloom, Saxbys, and other local Philly food sponsors. Food donors will set up booths in the parking lot of Monumental Baptist Church and distribute food and beverages for free. Reusable bags will be distributed at the entrance to be used as “grocery boxes” at the corner of 50th St. between Locust and Chancellor from 12 – 3 p.m.. Continue Reading
Re-opening of indoor dining in Philadelphia has been postponed until at least Sept. 1 due to COVID-19 concerns, according to an announcement by Philadelphia health officials made on Tuesday.
Philadelphia is currently in a modified Green re-opening phase with outdoor dining allowed. Indoor dining was expected to reopen in the city by the beginning of August, however the number of new coronavirus cases has increased in the past two weeks.
Some 142 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 were announced in Philadelphia on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 29,945. Continue Reading
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