The Pre-Holiday Fond Farewells, Friendly Hellos & A Focus On The Future Edition

The year is barreling to a close, and with 5 new openings and a list of 30+ incoming restaurants, retail, and apartments in the works, Rittenhouse is continuing to trend up.

November was the month or now or never for a number of projects.

We’re still waiting on some to open in December but for the most part, many places were pushed to 2025. The good news? There weren’t too many of them, and closings were down to 1 compared to October’s 2, but is a pop-up a real closing? Probably not.

Summing all the things up as we head into the holidays:

• In closings we’re aware of, we lost a seasonal pop-up, a restaurant concept, and some scaffolding (good riddance), with one to come in January.
• In openings (again, that we’re aware of), 3 retail stores opened, including a pop-up, plus we got another cookie store, and an eatertainment.
• We added 5 – 5! – new places to our list of future openings, even if one of them is within its existing retail space.

Find deets below and send us an email here with anything we may have missed!

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Soon-To-Be A Fond Farewell:

The North Face | 📍1515 Walnut St St

The Retail Gods that taketh are back, and unfortunately they’ve come for The North Face. After 15 (!!) years, the brand is NOT renewing its lease and The Business Journal found out via a state filing, and not directly. Their last day according to the paperwork will be January 31st.

Fond Farewells:

Boqueria | 📍1620 Sansom St

In new news we heard via the grapevine, and confirmed by a window decal: the “energetic Barcelona-style” tapas and sangria restaurant Boqueria, which was slated to arrive in The Josephine is no longer coming. We did hear from their CEO that they are opening other locations (cough, Atlanta) but Philly is not in the picture for now but may happen in the future (keeping our fingers crossed!)

Scaffolding | 📍220 S 16th St

Spirit Halloween | 📍1628 Chestnut St

Just like Jacob Marley’s ghost took the ghosting concept to deliver the very spirit of Christmas in A Christmas Carol, we were hoping this Spirit Halloween would also make that transition to give us Spirit Christmas. But alas, it did NOT happen, so RIP.

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Friendly Hellos:

Cellar Dog |📍258 S 15th St

If you’re an ex-New Yorker, you may remember Fat Cat in the Village: It was a hodgepodge of music and games, along with all the elements of a good dive bar. Then in 2021 they reopened as Cellar Dog and are now in Philly, replacing Howl at the Moon on 15th Street – see it here.

JD Sports |📍1528 Chestnut St

In the city known for its love of sneakers, it’s only fitting we have more footwear options than we can shake a stick at. And now JD Sports slides into the former H&M store which had been there for a decade we now (finally!) have a big sportswear store. Check it out here.

Shop Sixty Five 📍1525 Walnut St

In pop-up news, Shop Sixty Five is back for the holidays, occupying Taft’s original space. This high-end, well-known women’s boutique store used to be at 1921 Walnut St and then S 17th St but closed during the pandemic. They’re back for now, and once again carrying top brands which include Veronica Beard, Aviator Nation, L’Agence, and Cult Gaia among others.

Sunglass Hut |📍1703 Chestnut St

Jumping from the second floor of The Shops of Liberty Place to nearby Chestnut Street is Sunglass Hut, who created a roomier and brighter showcase setup We love the glow-up but this is a new version of The Sunglass Hut, or at least here in Philly: you can’t pick up glasses by yourself and try them on. Back in the old days, this space had BJ Variety and Philly Bagels.

Taylor Chip |📍1807 Chestnut St

Long in the making after unforeseen delays, Lancaster-based @taylorchip has fortunately now arrived in Rittenhouse! The pretty in-pink store is equal parts cookies, ice cream, and coffee, with ice cream flavors (PB&J, Sweet Potato Casserole) and cookie options (cookie cakes!) that make it stand out nicely in the neighborhood.

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Focus on the Future:

1701 Market |📍1701 Market St

The former Morgan Lewis office building is getting ready to enter its luxury rental era. JackPhillyRE shared that this particular project from Alterra, who owns The Versailles on Locust St among others, had been on and off for some time now. Maybe because converting office buildings to residential is both expensive and complex? But the sign is up so it’s happening (no takebacks!). You can find more details on his article here.

Amma’s II |📍1500 Walnut St

The former home of Max Brenner’s will house Amma’s, the popular South Indian restaurant that’s currently on Chestnut Street. The new space is pretty big, so it’ll likely be the biggest Indian restaurant in the neighborhood, and the first one with a liquor license to boot.

Aritzia |📍1725 Walnut St

Construction for the long-anticipated Philly Aritizia continues to move along. This month they’ve finished the exterior tiling and erected a barrier around the front as they carry on the work inside. We’re following the construction – see updates here.

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. Construction has begun, albeit slowly. This will be their seventh location, and first for PA.

Borromini |📍1809 Walnut St

Long gone is the local cultural icon that was Barnes & Noble but, its departure was not in vain, as Stephen Starr‘s Italian concept right on the Square arrives next year. We appreciate the lovely art or mood board that’s been added to the construction structure.

Botld Expansion |📍119 S. 18th St

Botld opening up in 2023 was pretty unique if you know how weird and antiquated 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 sexy cocktail bar in the current location.

Brooklyn Dumpling |📍1504 Sansom St

Coming into the old Snap pizza location on Sansom is Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, the brand that’s been expanding nationwide.They have a location in Queen Village and just opened up another one in University City. The Rittenhouse space is intimate, and on-brand for them since it’s sort of fast-casual. They’re just waiting for the final sign-off before opening so – any day now!

Cake & Joe |📍1735 Market St

More sweet treats are coming, and another local darling at that: 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 space facing the garden area between the 1701 and 1735 Market St. buildings”. ETA in 2025 is TBD.

Dave’s Hot Chicken |📍1731 Chestnut St

STILL pending in the former South Moon Under boutique space – Dave’s Hot Chicken, the known national Nashville hot chicken chain across the US. Until then Hangry Joe’s, another franchise that opened up this year, remains the solo hot chicken QSR in the area. Work is happening, so soon we’ll have more options for delicious Nashville hot chicken!

Dear Daphni |📍125 S 20th St

Schulson’s Mediterranean concept is coming along nicely! It’s been in the works since 2021 but construction always takes longer than expected, as does beauty and amazing food, based on what we experienced at their recent pop-up dinner, so we’re going out on a limb to say it’s totally worth the wait.

Di Passare |📍151 S. 24th St

This old Sotto space has been empty for soooo long. So a dual functional space with a juice bar open during the day and a downstairs restaurant lounge open to guests in the evening sounds great! It’s been in the making for some time now, and we can’t wait to see what it looks like when it’s ready for its debut.

Equinox |📍1909 Walnut St

A lot of New Yorkers’ favorite go-to gym for eucalyptus towels, Equinox, is one of those other highly anticipated openings in the area that was slated to happen this fall. However, while rumor has it that it’ll open in January, they are not sharing an ETA.

Five Iron Golf |📍3 Logan Square

At the same time the Rittenhouse location reopened after renovations, Five Iron Golf announced a partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust to open up a much larger space nearby at 1717 Arch Street that will also have an outdoor patio and Callaway club fitting. ETA is early 2025 so think spring.

Flight Club Darts |📍1417 Walnut St

The UK export Flight Club Darts coming to Rittenhouse is making progress! It’ll join Puttshack, Spin, 5 Iron Golf, Cellar Dog, and Garage Bar in offering the neighborhood places to eat, drink, and play (“eatertainment”). They shared an ETA of early 2025 and we’re tracking construction here.

Garage Bar |📍1501 Spruce St

In September 2023 it was shared that a 3rd Garage Bar was opening in the long-closed Fox & Hound space and was received with open arms, the others being in Fishtown and Easy Passyuink. This one would be the biggest one by far, “clocking in at 6,500 square feet plus a large kitchen” and bring all the fun things the neighborhood could use, with Skeeball machines, pinball, billiards, and more Eagles watch party options. We’ve reached out for a new ETA as the one one was fall so we’ll keep you posted!

Harper Square |📍113-119 S. 19th St

The old Cavannaugh’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. Feeling for the neighbors, though, as completion is a LONG way off: 2027 to be exact.

HRG’s “Quirky” Wine Bar |📍1534 Sansom St

Things in the news that catch our eye: “quirky” and “wine” together. Is it hard to believe? Maybe, until you know it’s coming from Hawthorne Restaurant Group, the team behind Wine Dive and Sonny’s Cocktail Joint. So you know it’ll be fun! The “no pretense” (their words) wine bar is replacing the long-closed Nails by Anna D on the fun street that is Sansom. ETA is TBD. And because they leased the entire building, Rittenhouse will also get a 2nd drinking spot called Liquorette.

Jordan Brand’s World of Flight |📍1617 Walnut St

There’s a reason why Sneaker Con happens every year here in Philly as this city LOVES its sneakers. So when news dropped that the Jordan Brand was opening up its first US World of Flight store after Tokyo, Seoul, China, and Milan – let’s just say, people got excited. ETA is still 2025, and we’ll continue to share construction updates here. Note that they are spending a ton of time shoring up the foundation, so that’s positive!

Josephine | 📍1620 Sansom St

New window decals, new details: The new Josephine apartments on Sansom adjusted their plans which revealed that Boqueria was not coming, however, what IS coming a super nice, super high-end sushi concept. If it’s one thing Rittenhouse doesn’t have a lot of is many fine sushi options, this is welcome news.

Also coming is an entertainment sports bar and an artisanal cafe that will fill out that side of Sansom and give The Happy Rooster some nice neighbors.

Kissho House | 📍1522 Locust St

In interesting news: the “Law Offices of Thomas More Holland” is being reborn as a multi-level modern Japanese restaurant that has a “vibrant” first-floor bar and a basement “sanctuary” that houses an omakase room. Alas, we will have to wait until next year to experience it – the exact time frame is TBD.

Liquorette |📍1534 Sansom St

Sometimes, when you plan to launch a “quirky wine bar” on the first floor, you may also plan to launch a bar bar on the second floor. However, if you’re the team behind local faves like Grace & Proper (vintage European vibes) or Sonny’s Cocktail Joint (“where high brow meets low brow“) you know you’re making a bar that’s probably going to be a very unique and cool one – and we love those in the neighborhood!

The current ETA is early 2025.

Madis Coffee Roasters | 📍1441 Chestnut St

Sweet news out of University City for Rittenhouse: Madis Coffee Roasters is expanding to this side of the Schuylkill with 2 locations. One is coming here and will occupy the corner of 15th and Chestnut, at the base of The Element Hotel, which has never been occupied. ETA is TBD.

New Balance | 📍1619 Walnut St

After years of the fluorescent lights staying on day and night, crews moved in and construction began and now we can confirm: New Balance is moving over into snazzy new digs, so to the OTHER side of the new Jordan store. Given the brand is on a hot streak we’re looking forward to seeing what they do with the space.

Royal Izakaya “Off-Shoot” | 📍1710 Sansom St

Getting a Japanese comfort food place to replace The Foodery (RIP) is great news. However, hearing that it’s an offshoot from Jesse Ito, one of the best chefs in the country, makes it even better. ETA is a 2025 opening and note that it won’t be sushi.

Saints Restaurant |📍1901 Chestnut St

Cocktail place Noche quietly closed this summer, and the space was immediately snapped up to be re-envisioned as an African restaurant and lounge by the owners of Pepper Fish Bar & Restaurant, and “will serve African dishes along with American and Italian menu items.” They also plan to offer bottle service in the evenings so you know it’ll be hopping! ETA is TBD.

Satori Laser |📍1921 Chestnut St

NYC export Satori Laser already has a space in Washington Square West but saw the influx of spas and laser businesses here in Rittenhouse grow and decided to join the fun, giving us even MORE options for self-care in a space that was vacated by Foreign Bazaar a long time ago. They are working on the space and the earlier ETA was fall but thinking it’s now early 2025.

Starbucks |📍2 Logan Square

This space has been empty for a long, long, long, long, long time because pre-Covid months are kind of like dog years, right? So, when we heard via fellow rambler Eva that Starbucks was coming to the former 2-Yelp stars Au Bon Pain space at 2 Logan Square, we were happy. ETA is also TBD.

Taco Bell Cantina |📍1634 Chestnut St

The empty storefront between Dig and Uniqlo is not going to be empty anymore as the Philadelphia Business Journal shared the neighborhood is getting its first Taco Bell, and a Taco Bell Cantina at that! Taco Bell Cantinas is known for being more city-friendly and serving alcohol. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until late Spring to find out, unfortunately because this is a highly-anticipated opening!

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 that was formerly known in the area as Illegal Tacos. ETA is pending but work is progressing!

Teddy Sourias Project | 📍 1515 Market St

We’ve been waiting for more details on this, so we’ll share what (little) we know: Teddy Sourias, the founder of Craft Concepts Group, who has many restaurants you’d recognize in Center City including Uptown Beer Garden, is planning a Japanese-inspired restaurant at 1515 Market that includes a 4,000-square-foot patio.

Tequilas |📍1602 Locust St

📸: Google Maps

The only place you can find a rose margarita in the neighborhood since it closed due to a bad fire, rest assured: Tequila’s IS coming back and like a phoenix rising from the flames. However, a more precise ETA is pending. Crazy fact: February 2025 will be 2 years since they closed.

Undisclosed @The Bards | 📍 2013 Walnut St

It was in the neighborhood for 26 years but hospitality is tough, and the pandemic unfortunately forced The Bards to close. The Philadelphia Business Journal noted that the Bards’ building and the Irish Pub + Cafe were up for sale but no buyer was noted. With a new alcohol application up we’re tracking this but not seeing any construction happening.

Weckerly’s | 📍 Maybe 1600 Spruce St, Maybe Not

Incoming to Rittenhouse – Fishtown ice cream darling Weckerly’s. The Business Journal reported that they were looking at 1600 Spruce which was formerly occupied by, well, 1600 Spruce, the decor store that recently left the neighborhood. Weckerly’s shared that they’re still looking and the aim is to open in 2025 for sure – see deets here. So yay, ice cream options and one that’s known for its ice cream sandwiches!

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Know of anything else coming or in the works? Shoot us an email here so we can watch their progress together!