Spring 2025 Continues To Exceed All Expectations: The May Edition Of Fond Farewells, Friendly Hellos & Focus On The Future
The neighborhood’s busiest opening month in years sets the stage for an even hotter summer.
May was the hottest month on record in years for business openings.
The Neighborhood Gods blessed us with a GREAT mix: Veterinary services, a Guadalajara-inspired café & speakeasy, an upscale women’s fashion boutique and a whimsical jewelry store. Add to that, a buzzy eatertainment spot, two restaurants (one doubling as a nightlife destination), two ice cream shops, AND a cheesesteaks joint. That’s a lot of options and we are SO here for it!
The May Scorecard:
- After April’s couple of much missed closures, we caught a welcome breather with minimal departures. Still, two businesses are slated to close later this year, and beloved doggie ice cream purveyor Salty Paws is crossing Broad Street for new digs.
- On the bright side? Ten—count ’em, ten!—new businesses planted their flags in Rittenhouse this month. Some arrived quietly, others made splashy debuts, and several had been highly anticipated neighborhood additions.
- Our future pipeline is HOT: While nine prospects moved off our incoming list, we added four fresh ones (not counting the Lululemon expansion or Joan Shepp’s relocation).
The best part? Summer hasn’t officially begun, so we’re just getting warmed up! Dive into the full breakdown below, complete with details and links. And if we missed anything do drop us a line at rittenhouseramblings@gmail.com—we appreciate you!
Soon-To-Be A Fond Farewell:
Brooks Brothers |📍1513 Walnut St
The Business Journal broke the news first about Mitchell & Ness moving to the Brooks Brothers space, and the Philly Inquirer confirmed that they’ll be leaving in June. NOT known just yet is if they will (hopefully) stay in Rittenhouse but we’re tracking it!
Salty Paws | 📍211 S 17th St
Cue some summertime sadness: The adorable doggo ice cream store Salty Paws is making the move over to the other side of Broad on South Street. Deets here on why they couldn’t stay in Rittenhouse. We’re excited for them – the staff is ridiculously sweet and patient – but we won’t deny that we and our Chief Happiness Officer will miss them dearly everyday.
Shiroi Hana |📍222 S. 15th St
After 20 years, the owners of Shiroi Hana, a charming sushi and Japanese restaurant right next to Good Dog bar put the building up for sale as he plans to retire. ETA for closure is still pending, so continue to enjoy the delicious sushi for as long as possible!
Friendly Hellos:
Bond Vet |📍2101 Walnut St
Guess who moved into the former storefront for Carlo’s Bakery? NYC’s veterinary chain, Bond Vet! In addition to dog and cat pet care they also offer emergency services – something that no city (we feel) can have enough of but hopefully you never have to use. They are offering “founding member” deals!
Catbird | 📍103 S 18th St
The itty bitty layerable jewelry store from Brooklyn that is Catbird arrived as promised in Spring! The store is carefully curated and whimsical, complementing the jewelry options in the neighborhood and more: see our deep dive here.
Flight Club Darts | 📍1417 Walnut St
Flight Club, the high-concept darts venue that’s already stormed London and New York faster than Netflix greenlights true crime docuseries, officially opened in the former Citizens Bank location near Broad, right on Walnut. It’s really given that area a glow-up that we know will continue with the arrival of other businesses such as Mr. Edison. You can get all the deets here.
La Jefa |📍1606 Latimer St
One of this month’s quietest openings was La Jefa, the Guadalajara-inspired cafe and speakeasy located at the back of Tequila’s (but with its own entrance). As we shared in our deep dive the vision arose during the renovations, and the execution is immaculate: The front space is a sunny cafe with coffee and pastries while behind the curtains is the speakeasy/bar pictured that’s hoping to launch soon. The best part? Brunch is served Wednesday through Sunday!
Leo | 📍300 South Broad Street
Leo, a Mediterranean restaurant concept launched in The Kimmel Center, replacing Garces‘ Volver. Led by the NYC chef who launched Curtain Call, the Kimmel’s all-day cafe and night-time cocktail space, it’s designed to be a place where locals hang out. We’re excited to do some in-person research to verify this as it looks really elegant and sophisticated. In the meantime, check out the menu here.
Malai | 📍260 S 18th St
If ever there was an argument to be made for transforming a vintage art gallery into an ice cream shop then Malai Philly should be up there; The airy, light-filled space is filled with vibrant colors that extend to their ice cream, sorbet, and soft serve flavors that are both familiar and exotic at the same time, as we shared in our blog post here.
Shay’s Steaks & More | 📍1526 Sansom St
Logan Square-based cheesesteaks shop Shay’s Steaks was able to move quickly into the hot spot vacated by Bagel & Co, right on the social-heavy street that is Sansom. Called Shay’s Steaks & More, this location offers the same “gourmet cheesesteaks” the OG location is known for.
The Saints | 📍1907 Chestnut St
West African restaurant and lounge The Saints softly opened up on the second floor just above Jeni’s Ice Cream. It offers an interesting fusion of West African and contemporary techniques, married with Instagram-worthy vibes as you can see in our article here.
Veronica Beard | 📍 1709 Walnut St
And just like that, the final empty ground-level store on Walnut in the former rockstar spot formerly occupied by Allbirds is Veronica Beard, the trendy, versatile and stylish womenswear brand that’s got us wondering if we’re a Charlotte or a Miranda (when it comes to our shopping personality, i.e.)
They had said they were opening in spring and they were NOT kidding – like a true Samantha, they delivered exactly when promised. The lovely boutique opened up on May 30th with all the sophistication we’ve been craving, joining an already fabulous row that would make even the pickiest fashionista say “I couldn’t help but wonder… is this the perfect addition to Rittenhouse’s retail scene?” Obviously, yes, as you’ll see here.
Weckerly’s | 📍1600 Spruce St
You screamed, we screamed, and poof – like that – we all got MORE ice cream! Weckerly’s brought their iconic ice cream sandwiches and SO much more to the best location: 16th and Spruce, where furniture store 1600 Spruce used to be. Check out the results of our in-person research here.
Focus on the Future:
15th Street Pizza* |📍254 S 15th Street
Prepare to mangia: 15th Street Pizza* (the name as shared by one of our fellow Ramblers) is thisclose to opening! It’s in a busy and fun section of 15th Street, so it’s sure to be a hit. Plus, one of the people listed on the permit apparently owns Vintage Wine Bar, Garage Bar, and Time so you know it’ll be interesting. By the time you read this it could be open and we’ll reveal answers in next month’s installation and on social, of course.
Abercrombie |📍1702 Walnut St
We love a good brand comeback story, so we’re PSYCHED that Abercrombie is returning to the neighborhood! Construction is underway with a 4th of July ETA, and we’re tracking progress here, and hoping they will have their Eagles merch in store.
All Aboard Candy |📍233 S. 20th St
If you’ve ever been to Boyd’s holiday market, then you’ve probably seen the colorful and fun candy brand that is All Aboard Candy. AND they’re opening an adorable brick-and-mortar store in the former Tortorice’s eatery right next to 1-900-Ice-Cream. ETA is June!
Amma’s II |📍1500 Walnut St
Popular South Indian restaurant Amma’s on Chestnut Street is slated to expand to the shuttered Max Brenner space on 15th street along with a liquor license. But more exciting than that is the fact that they’re planning to open in June! We’ll share more updates when we get them.
Ayat |📍2021-23 Sansom St
The New York to Philly (and vice versa) love continues with the impending arrival of Ayat, a Palestinian restaurant, replacing the long-vacant Roxy Theatre space. This will be their seventh location and first for PA. Last we spoke with them, they were targeting summer 2025 to open so fingers crossed!
Banshee |📍1600 South St
Beloved Tio Flores may be gone, but its prime location didn’t stay empty for long. The Philly Inquirer announced that the team behind shuttered favorites Cheu Fishtown and Bing Bing Dim Sum has secured the lease. Their vision? A bistro featuring clean Scandinavian design and an eclectic menu that defies easy categorization.
Given the owners’ track record for creating neighborhood gems, we’re thinking that this may become the area’s next essential dining destination. ETA is summer so we’ll know VERY soon!
Borromini |📍1809 Walnut St
Construction is moving quickly now for Stephen Starr’s highly anticipated Italian restaurant on the Square in the former Barnes & Noble (RIP but please know, your sacrifice was not in vain).
ETA is summer (know they are HUSTLING) and if you want to stay informed in real-time, we recommend following Keith McNally – he’s involved in the project and shares great pics and updates.
Botld Expansion |📍119 S. 18th St
Botld opening up in 2023 was pretty unique if you know how lovely PA’s liquor laws are. Freestanding spirit stores are NOT the norm. Not surprisingly, Botld did well (being the official Eagles spirits brand doesn’t hurt either), expanding to other locations, and now they’re taking it to the next level with a cocktail bar in the back space. ETA is TBD.
Bullseye | 📍1509 Walnut St
This neighborhood is quickly becoming a central hub for both unique AND trendy kicks – we have JD Sports, New Balance, the World of Flight store – and now Bullseye, the PA collectible sneakers boutique! It’s gliding into the former Atmos space that’s on the same block as the relocated Mitchell & Ness flagship store on Walnut. So a killer location.
ETA is June!
Cake & Joe |📍1735 Market St
Cake & Joe is slated to come to Market Street, offering a dessert option for a street that’s been hurting since the pandemic, because, WFH. Known for their gorgeous mousse desserts and drinks, this will be an intimate Cake & Joe store with “roughly 1,200-square-foot ground floor facing the garden area between the 1701 and 1735 Market St. buildings”. ETA is TBD.
Dance Robot | 📍1710 Sansom St
Getting a Japanese comfort food place to replace The Foodery (RIP) is great news, and even better with its snazzy new name, Dance Robot. However, hearing that it’s an offshoot from Royal Izakaya, one of the best chefs in the country, makes it even better. Construction is underway, so a 2025 opening is DEFINITELY in the cards!
GLDN Rule | 📍1735 Sansom St
Sparkling news for South Street – GLDN Rule is bringing it’s permanent jewelry to the neighborhood! The boutique is moving into the Pennmark Pharmacy space, and offers a selection of clothes, and accessories. This is addition to a wide selection of jewelry, “rangles” aka ring bangles, charms, etc., plus they can host private jewelry parties.
ETA is June 12th!
Greyscale | 📍 1608 Latimer St
The mysterious hair salon debuting in the former Commonweal Gallery space, right next to La Jefa? Greyscale! They’re a “modern-day barbershop” from founder Vlad, who has a shop in Highland Park, NJ. The booking site is live so by the time you’ve read this it’s likely that they’re open!
Harper Square |📍113-119 S. 19th St
The OG Cavanaugh’s and other businesses on Sansom by 19th Street are thoroughly gone as demolition is now fully completed to make way for Pearl Properties‘ Harper Square: A residential building with plans for 215 units over 54 stories. OCF Realty has a nice deep dive into the project. Completion is a LONG way off: at the current rate of construction, which is nil, we’re thinking it’s now a 2028 open.
Herman Miller |📍1615 Walnut St
Filing this under “retail stores coming to Rittenhouse not on our Bingo card”: The iconic and luxury furniture brand Herman Miller, which is sliding into the previous New Balance location, and we are SO here for it! The window decal says the launch is summer 2025 and based on who we’ve seen coming and going, it looks like they’re on track!
Joan Shepp |📍1905 Walnut St
Don’t call it a comeback, but…the high-end fashion boutique Joan Shepp is making her fashionable way back to Walnut St, after having done a pretty long stint at 1811 Chestnut (so not too far away!). They will be having moving sales (!!) so be sure to follow their Insta if you’re interested. ETA is September!
Jordan Brand’s World of Flight |📍1617 Walnut St
It feels like FOREVER since Nike announced that the first US “World of Flight” experiential retail store – a trend we’ve been seeing manifest itself here on Walnut Street – was coming to this gorgeous townhome who’s previous tenant was a British clothier. BUT based on our construction updates that you can see here we’re really, really, really hopeful that 2025 is in play for its debut!
Kissho House | 📍1522 Locust St
Talk about sushi with a side of serenity: Kissho House, a luxe Japanese restaurant that will have sushi, omakase, and robotayaki from a former chef who was at Hiroki and Royal Izakaya, is slated to open this summer (construction and permits permitting, i.e.) Joining Kissho will be Urban Oasis, a head and facial spa – so a little something extra to add to the vibe! Interestingly, this entire building was home to a law office.
Lil Sweet Treat | 📍 1527 Walnut St
It’s continuing to rain delicious treats in the neighborhood as Lil Sweet Treat announced they’re coming to Walnut Street! The viral NYC brand is known for its globally sourced gummy candy mixes will gliding right into the former TAFT shoes space. See our article here for more about them but ETA is this summer!
Liquorette |📍1534 Sansom St
Sometimes, when you plan to launch a “quirky wine bar” aka Wine Dive on the first floor, you may also plan to launch a bar bar on the second floor. And if it’s one thing the team behind local faves like Grace & Proper (vintage European vibes) or Sonny’s Cocktail Joint knows, it’s making a bar that’s going to be unique and cool. Now we know: it’ll be a “high-end, technique-driven cocktail bar that’s inspired by luxury European cocktail bars.” ETA is 2025 as they’re focused on launching Wine Dive first.
Lululemon Expansion | 📍1718 Walnut St
Not only are new businesses arriving, and some shifting into larger spaces, we’re now also seeing the beginning of what may be a new trend: expansion! And setting the way is none other than Lululemon whose landlord, according to the Business Journal, is actively engaged in helping us get some extra Lululemon love by allowing next-door neighbor Indochino to exit their lease early AND helped find them their new digs at 1519 Walnut St aka the former home to Bonobos.
It’s not a done done deal but we are optimistically confident! ETA is 2026.
Madis Coffee Roasters | 📍1441 Chestnut St
Madis Coffee Roasters announced last year that they were expanding to this side of the Schuylkill with 2 locations: one of them is planned for the corner of 15th and Chestnut, at the base of The Element Hotel, which has never been occupied. ETA is 2025 and we’ll hopefully know more this summer.
McDonald’s |📍1604 Chestnut St
In a highly anticipated comeback story, McDonald‘s is returning to the neighborhood. Only this time, it’ll be on Chestnut Street, replacing the old Portabella that moved into bigger, nicer digs just the next block over. It’ll give the new Taco Bell Cantina* a run for its money and give us more options to pick from at 1 am.
Permits and zoning notices are up on the building and, since this is a big brand with lots of red tape, we’re thinking we’ll have some McNuggets to nibble on nearby in 2026.
Mitchell & Ness | 📍1513 Walnut St
In yet another example of one business taking over the lease of another, one of our favorite sports stores, Mitchell & Ness, is moving into the gorgeous Brooks Brothers store. This is a much larger, bi-level space which gives them plenty of room to give us even more of want we want – more sweet sports merch!
ETA is TBD, but with Brooks Brothers moving out in June, we’re thinking they may not be able to open their NEW flagship (!!) until 2026 but we’re sending out good vibes to move up that date just in time for football season.
Mr. Edison |📍 200 S Broad St
After years of renovations, it’s been great to see The Bellevue coming back to life with a beautiful new look. And that journey back to its former grandeur continues with a brand new restaurant called Mr. Edison from famous restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow. It’ll slide right into the former Polo store on Walnut and keep the incoming Flight Club Darts across the street company.
The concept and vibes have not been shared, but based on his previous well-known restaurants, such as China Grill, and Asia de Cuba, and the new ones he’s been launching, you know it’s going to be as equally fabulous as the refreshed Bellevue. ETA is this year, but, construction, you know?
Musette | 📍238 S 20th St
If we have to judge a cafe from its Insta, the pretty wording on the exterior wall, the logo AND our fellow Ramblers, then we’re SUPER excited about Fairmont’s Musette expanding to Rittenhouse! They plan to offer an aperitivo/pre-dinner menu, along with coffee and pastries in the former Ultimo space. ETA is June, so we’re getting very excited!
Rhythm & Spirits |📍1617 JFK Blvd
If you’ve ever been to the Rhythm & Spirits in AC, well, you’re in luck as it’s making its way over to the former Classic Cake Cafe in Suburban Station! Rhythm & Spirits Philly will be similar, i.e., Italian food with no rules (must find out more about that), live music, and best of all – brunch! That’s a great area for tourists and visitors to Dilworth Park, so it’ll be sure to be in demand. ETA is fall!
Stephen Starr’s 3rd Restaurant on the Square | 📍225 S. 18th St
Stephen Starr may be a bit preoccupied at the moment as he preps Borromini for launch but we know he has great plans for the former Devon Seafood & Grill space that he snapped up (fantastic location!)
If you ever had the chance to go to Devon, you likely remember the beautiful arches in the ceiling, the tiles, and the expansive space in the back, down the steps – it was a story and vibe in itself. ETA for the next big Starr restaurant on the Square is 2026.
Taco Bell |📍1614 Chestnut St
Construction is underway for the Taco Bell that is no longer serving alcohol (we thought Cantinas could exist without selling alcohol but we were wrong.) However, we still think it’ll be a hit, judging by our fellow Rambler’s thoughts. We will continue to monitor progress closely as its ETA is this summer.
Tacodelphia |📍2051 Walnut St
Fellow Rittenhouse rambler jessierose1 tipped us off that a new food place was coming to the former Chase location at 21st and Walnut, which Philly_junebug confirmed was Tacodelphia, a fast-casual restaurant formerly known in the area as Illegal Tacos. ETA is 2025.
Teddy Sourias Project | 📍 1515 Market St
Teddy Sourias, the founder of Craft Concepts Group, who has many restaurants you’d recognize in Center City, including Uptown Beer Garden, was planning a Japanese-inspired restaurant at 1515 Market that included a 4,000-square-foot patio. We haven’t seen any new updates just yet but we’re digging!
Time Mission | 📍 1534 Chestnut St
Time Mission, a social gaming experience where teams travel “through time to save the future,” is joining Sandbox VR to give us two experiential options in the neighborhood! Per a review of the Cali one:
“At Time Mission, each new portal took us to a different destination with a new challenge to solve together as a team. This over-world tied together a collection of artistic, unusual rooms filled with creative contraptions or other physical or mental playgrounds.”
Time Mission will live above JD Sports, which used to be a 2-level H&M. ETA is summer (was May.)
Uchi | 📍 1620 Sansom St
The award-winning, Austin-based restaurant Uchi is coming to the Josephine this year! Their Miami and other locations look stunning, but they’ve hired the same designers whose creativity can be seen at Schulson’s restaurants. So you KNOW the vibes will be amazing, and while the food looks stellar, we hear it’s even more delicious than it looks.
ETA is now late 2025, but construction is hustling!
Urban Oasis | 📍254 South 15th Street
NGL – we don’t know much about Urban Oasis, the incoming new headspa and facials place that will keep Kissho House company in what used to be a law firm.
Unnamed Italian Bakery @The Josephine | 📍1620 Sansom St
Good news: Every commercial space within The Josephine is taken! Next to the incredible-sounding Uchi we’re hearing will be a Philly-based Italian bakery, which will continue to make Sansom between 16th and 17th pretty awesome. ETA is this year!
Unnamed Sports Bar @The Josephine | 📍1620 Sansom St
LET’S GO SPORTS BAR! No, seriously, this is going to be pretty cool: The entire 2nd floor of The Josephine will be a known-brand name sports bar. ETA is this year, but don’t hold us to it! Also, do ping us if you know its name!
Unnamed Residential Project | 📍26 S. 21st St
The most recent project added to the residential construction projects in (slow) progress: A 200-luxury apartment building is being planned for a current parking lot, and:
The project would be outfitted with underground parking, a second-story restaurant with an outdoor patio, and a 16,000-square-foot ground-floor retail space, which they anticipate attracting a national retailer.
There’s no current ETA but they do plan to break ground this year (knocks on wood.)
Unnamed No Hospitality Restaurant | 📍1526 Sansom St
Upon Glu Hospitality’s closing of Bagel & Co and Chika Ramen (RIP) No Name Hospitality snapped up the leases because, obviously, it’s a no-brainer – this stretch of Sansom is such a great street for dining and socializing! With Bagel & Co now Shay’s Steaks and More, we’re now just waiting to see who moves into the ex-Chika Ramen restaurant.
WineDive | 📍1534 Sansom St
It’d been a while since we had any new updates on the quirky wine bar that was coming to the former Nails by Anna D space, so we were getting a tiny bit worried. But thanks to Wooder Ice we’re not worried anymore because Wine Dive itself is moving from South St, and in even more exciting news, the ETA is THIS summer!
Wonder | 📍1600 Chestnut St
Finally, something more valuable than a bank is opening in a former bank space! Wonder, a unique and buzzy food delivery, takeout + dine-in brand, is coming to town. ETA is this year, and we’re tracking its progress here.
Know of anything else coming or in the works? Shoot us an email at rittenhouseramblings@gmail.com so we can watch their progress together!
