Come April 2017, Acme may replace Fresh Grocer at 40th and Walnut. Fresh Grocer, which is affiliated with ShopRite, “did not renew their lease in a timely fashion,” according to a statement released on Monday by the University of Pennsylvania. The statement also said that Penn identified a new operator for this location, which is reportedly Acme.

Fresh Grocer employees and customers have been distributing flyers asking passersby to support Fresh Grocer.

Employees of ShopRite’s Fresh Grocer at 40th & Walnut Streets are petitioning customers to lobby Penn to not change the store’s ownership: pic.twitter.com/XS1R7CTjFl

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald) December 24, 2016

Signed by The Burns Family (Patrick J. Burns is Fresh Grocer’s president and CEO), the flyer urges customers to contact Penn’s executive vice president Craig Carnaroli by phone and email, join the movement to save the store on Facebook, and use a #SavePennFroGro hashtag on social media.

The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s staff writer Jason Nark spoke to Fresh Grocer customers and asked their opinion about the store’s possible closing. Read his report here.

Here is information on holiday hours and closings for assorted local cafes and stores. We’ll update the post as more information becomes available (let us know about your business at: editor@westphillylocal.com or via Twitter @westphillylocal).

Stores:

Mariposa Food Co-op (49th and Baltimore)

Dec. 24: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Dec. 25: Closed
Jan. 1: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.  Continue Reading

Santa Claus and Hanukkah Harry Are Coming to Town!

Mark your calendars. On Saturday, Dec. 17 from 2-4 p.m., the one and only Santa Claus is loading up his sleigh with his best friend Hanukkah Harry to serve up family photos, Santa selfies, and the world’s best Latkes to you and your family. Everyone is invited, so don’t hesitate to just stop in and take some quick selfies with the legend… no, not Elvis!

Snacks and refreshments will be provided by Philly Homebrew Outlet, but feel free to bring some of your own treats and liquid concoctions to share.

Huge Selection of Bottles and DIY Kits including Bagels & Cream Cheese, Soap, Mozzeralla, Vegetable Fermentation, Kombucha, Beer, Wine, and More!

Looking to bottle up that special Limoncello, Bitters, Cordial, Hot Sauce or whatever other delicious liquid concoction that you made for gifts? Look no further. Philly Homebrew Outlet is a one stop place for bottles, caps, corks, shrink wrap, wax, and more.

The shop also has new vegetable fermentation kits, kombucha kits, soap making kits, and more!

Philly Homebrew Outlet West is located at 1314 S. 47th Street and open Mon-Fri: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sat-Sun: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, call us at 215.596.5408 or visit our website.

https://www.facebook.com/phillyhomebrewoutletwest/
https://twitter.com/phillyhboutlet
https://www.instagram.com/phillyhomebrew/

The property at 4301-4303 Baltimore from an archive photo taken in 1912, when a butcher shop was located where Clarkville is now. Crews work to install the trolley tracks on Baltimore Avenue. (City of Philadelphia, Department of Records).

The days of cheap slices and cold 40s at the corner of 43rd and Baltimore are long gone. At the Spruce Hill zoning committee meeting last night, the owners of 4303 Baltimore Avenue (the row home adjacent to Clarkville and across from Clark Park) threw out a couple of names of restaurants interested in moving into the first floor restaurant space they have proposed.

They include:

• Koreana – A Korean street food place with a current location at 3801 Chestnut St..
• Ant’s Pants – Café/brunch. Current location at 2212 South St.
• Southeast Bistro – Southeast Asian meets Cajun. Current location near 19th and South.
• House – A more traditional lunch/brunch place in Media.
• Same Same – A Vietnamese street food restaurant with a location in Northern Liberties.  Continue Reading

This is a reminder that Clark Park Thursday Market (43rd and Baltimore) is taking a break until June 2017, and the last mid-week market will be held this Wednesday (Nov. 23) due to Thanksgiving. The market will have special hours this Wednesday – from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Clark Park Saturday Farmers Market is open throughout the year, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. For more information on other city markets run by The Food Trust, visit: http://thefoodtrust.org/farmers-markets

From left to right: Noah’s Pizza owner Mekonen Hailu, executive chef Sal Traina, and co-owner Chris (Photo by Rana Fayez)

Pizza lovers of the west rejoice, we now have more options. Noah’s Pizza just opened next to Lil’ Pop Shop at 4602 Woodland Ave. Now we’re quite aware of the shortage of quality pizza on our side of the river, but this is exactly why owner Mekonen Hailu decided to transition his previous business, Noah’s Market, into what is now Noah’s Pizza.

The pizza shop opened about a couple of weeks ago, with the idea to provide quality pizza to the neighborhood. “There is more need for pizza than a mini market here,” said Hailu.

The pizza chef? Sal Traina, he’s the executive chef at Chestnut Hill Hospital. He’s really good friends with Hailu and well, he loves making pizza, so he decided to add a side gig to his work week. “I wanted to help out a friend,” said Traina.  Continue Reading