PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread II

[TonyTone]

VTV05427 by Tony Valuez, on Flickr

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[TonyTone]

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[Justin7]

Hot take from a long time union supporter: Unionizing small, low-margin, independent businesses is idiotic and needs to stop before we no longer have any small, low-margin, independent businesses.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by Justin7

Hot take from a long time union supporter: Unionizing small, low-margin, independent businesses is idiotic and needs to stop before we no longer have any small, low-margin, independent businesses.

I am not familiar with the situation and the pros/cons and why coffee shops are unionizing. Would you mind briefly explaining?

All OCF Coffee House locations close permanently, a week after workers moved to unionize
https://www.inquirer.com/food/restau...-20240610.html

[bdurk]

I agree. I'm very liberal and my father is a union member so I've always been pro-union but the whole coffee place unionization movement is kind of whack to me. It's not really that crazy of a skill, baristas make great coffee but I'm sure I could learn most of what they do in a month or two. Big corporations like Starbucks SHOULD be unionized and it's so crappy that they are union-busters, but these smaller coffee brands are the wrong people to go after. Like you said, if this keeps happening we're going to only have Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts left.

edit: despite this opinion I am somewhat happy to see OCF go. terrible company all around

[skyhigh07]

Yeah, I live in Fairmount and used to go to the OCF there frequently. Despite the cope of some Reddit users, the food and coffee were fine (coffee was Colombe). The place was always busy and was one of the few cafes in the neighborhood where you could sit and hang out in. No matter how it’s spun, it’s a loss for the community.

The food industry is rough and operates on very thin margins. 60% of restaurants don’t survive their first year.

[japmes]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

Yeah, I live in Fairmount and used to go to the OCF there frequently. Despite the cope of some Reddit users, the food and coffee were fine (coffee was Colombe). The place was always busy and was one of the few cafes in the neighborhood where you could sit and hang out in. No matter how it’s spun, it’s a loss for the community.

The food industry is rough and operates on very thin margins. 60% of restaurants don’t survive their first year.

Speaking of restaurants in Fairmount, any idea what's happening with the old Fairview space? I saw a Philly Business Journal headline about a new restaurant coming but couldn't read the article. The area is in desperate need of more food options.

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by japmes

Speaking of restaurants in Fairmount, any idea what's happening with the old Fairview space? I saw a Philly Business Journal headline about a new restaurant coming but couldn't read the article. The area is in desperate need of more food options.

Saw that as well.This is what the new owner intends…

”Vallery said he wants the restaurant to be a gathering place for nearby residents and tourists visiting the penitentiary and other attractions in the neighborhood. Fairmount is adjacent to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a stretch of the city housing cultural institutions like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, the Rodin Museum and the Franklin Institute.
"I just always had a vision of having a restaurant that was bright, inviting, [with] good music, just a spot where you can come and socialize and have a good time," Vallery said.
The 2,400-square-foot restaurant will seat about 100 people indoors and offer four additional tables of outdoor seating. Vallery and the restaurant's decorator and manager Ebony Dwyer plan to give the space a vivid color scheme reminiscent of Miami. They will also have pop and rhythm and blues music playing throughout the restaurant.
Val's Restaurant will serve dishes such as steak, lamb chops, lobster, king crab, salmon and sushi, Vallery said. It will also offer vegan options for customers.”

I think the problem for Spring Garden/Fairmount is that there isn’t a lot of available commercial/restaurant space. We need more new development along Fairmount Ave with ground floor commercial. The demand is certainly there.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Justin7

Hot take from a long time union supporter: Unionizing small, low-margin, independent businesses is idiotic and needs to stop before we no longer have any small, low-margin, independent businesses.

100% agree. These kids come off as dumb and are going to have a tough life if they think they're going to be pampered their whole lives. Best of luck to them, it's a shame they got themselves and their co-workers fired and left the community worse off as a result. However, it doesn't sound like they learned a lesson. Ugh.

These are the same kids who were sticking it to their small rowhome landlords during the pandemic, demanding free rent without any consideration for how mortgages work.

“This does feel like retaliation,” said Alabiso, who was also an assistant manager. “It’s all just so incredibly sudden. We’re all just in the lurch trying to figure out what to do.”

Simpson said the workers involved in OCF’s union campaign had considered this potential outcome but had not thought it was likely.

“There was some talk of shutting down but we genuinely believed that our connections with the community, especially in Fairmount, are so strong that he wouldn’t do it — we’re where people get their drinks and their lunch and have meetings every single day,” Simpson said. “I just think it’s really reflective of how little Ori actually cares about the community to shut down these locations.”

Reached by phone Monday, Feibush said OCF’s shops had always been subsidized financially by both OCF Realty, his development company, and by Feibush personally...

...But the costs associated with responding to the union organization were “staggering beyond anything — tens of thousands of dollars in just the [last] week and a half,” he said. “It put its finger on the scale in such a profound way as it relates to the finances of the organization that it was just a strain that we couldn’t reliably overcome.”

I'm not going to quote the full article, but even The Inquirer with it's typical slants couldn't make Ori look like the bad guy here. It really is a shame.

[japmes]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

Saw that as well.This is what the new owner intends…

”Vallery said he wants the restaurant to be a gathering place for nearby residents and tourists visiting the penitentiary and other attractions in the neighborhood. Fairmount is adjacent to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a stretch of the city housing cultural institutions like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, the Rodin Museum and the Franklin Institute.
"I just always had a vision of having a restaurant that was bright, inviting, [with] good music, just a spot where you can come and socialize and have a good time," Vallery said.
The 2,400-square-foot restaurant will seat about 100 people indoors and offer four additional tables of outdoor seating. Vallery and the restaurant's decorator and manager Ebony Dwyer plan to give the space a vivid color scheme reminiscent of Miami. They will also have pop and rhythm and blues music playing throughout the restaurant.
Val's Restaurant will serve dishes such as steak, lamb chops, lobster, king crab, salmon and sushi, Vallery said. It will also offer vegan options for customers.”

I think the problem for Spring Garden/Fairmount is that there isn’t a lot of available commercial/restaurant space. We need more new development along Fairmount Ave with ground floor commercial. The demand is certainly there.

Thanks. I hope it's done well but the Miami theme and sushi offering is suspect. We'll see.

[skyhigh07]

“There was some talk of shutting down but we genuinely believed that our connections with the community, especially in Fairmount, are so strong that he wouldn’t do it — we’re where people get their drinks and their lunch and have meetings every single day,” Simpson said. “I just think it’s really reflective of how little Ori actually cares about the community to shut down these locations.”

I’m probably too cynical these days, but welcome to the real world bud! Everyone has competing interests and not everything ends like you think it should. You overplayed your hand! Everyone loses now!

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by japmes

Thanks. I hope it's done well but the Miami theme and sushi offering is suspect. We'll see.

Yeah had the exact same thought lol. The concept seems like it needs some edits.

[PhilliesPhan]

Originally Posted by japmes

Speaking of restaurants in Fairmount, any idea what's happening with the old Fairview space? I saw a Philly Business Journal headline about a new restaurant coming but couldn't read the article. The area is in desperate need of more food options.

The Fairview is gone? I used to love that place! That was the first restaurant me and my wife (then girlfriend) dined at once the restaurants began operating at 25% indoor capacity during the pandemic.

Fairmount definitely needs more food options. I thought that the neighborhood would have more options once the large developments along Ridge Avenue wrapped up, but that hasn't really happened. Fairmount Avenue from Broad to 17th, specifically the south side, could use a lot of new development. Fairmount Ave's energy drops off noticeably when travelling east of 17th Street. A more concerted effort to lure restaurants and other businesses to the Ridge Ave corridor should also materialize.

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan

Fairmount definitely needs more food options. I thought that the neighborhood would have more options once the large developments along Ridge Avenue wrapped up, but that hasn't really happened. Fairmount Avenue from Broad to 17th, specifically the south side, could use a lot of new development. Fairmount Ave's energy drops off noticeably when travelling east of 17th Street. A more concerted effort to lure restaurants and other businesses to the Ridge Ave corridor should also materialize.

Agree. There’s a lot of new available commercial spaces on Ridge, but I just don’t think people are ready to venture that far up yet. That area feels like it’s still figuring itself out.

[phishtown]

What does a downtown rebound look like? More residents and weekend visitors

NPR article on downtown rebounds with a focus on Philadelphia as a positive example. Nothing groundbreaking here, but always good to see Philly get some positive national press.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by phishtown

What does a downtown rebound look like? More residents and weekend visitors

NPR article on downtown rebounds with a focus on Philadelphia as a positive example. Nothing groundbreaking here, but always good to see Philly get some positive national press.

I wish they chose pictures that showed the true energy of the city. I mean, you have to try hard to find a picture of Rittenhouse with so few people in it. Regardless, great overall article.

I love this city.

[skyhigh07]

Been looking into the coffee unionization movement. Looks like it’s been hitting some snags with formerly unionized places voting to decertify. The article sites that Good Karma had been dealing with high turnover and employee dissatisfaction with the union. Anyone know why that might be? Seems counterintuitive..

https://www.nrn.com/news/two-good-ka...tifying-union/

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

The article sites that Good Karma had been dealing with high turnover and employee dissatisfaction with the union. Anyone know why that might be? Seems counterintuitive..

https://www.nrn.com/news/two-good-ka...tifying-union/

Because the union takes a portion of your wages and what is given in return would be a pittance at such a low revenue business? Juice probably isn't worth the squeeze.

I think Starbucks is a completely different animal (but ironically provides the most benefits). Not commenting on whether Starbucks should be unionized or not, just that if you were going to do it, that would be the place. To think you should or would unionize a small single location or multi-location chain is absurd IMO.

[bdurk]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

Agree. There’s a lot of new available commercial spaces on Ridge, but I just don’t think people are ready to venture that far up yet. That area feels like it’s still figuring itself out.

I live right off of Ridge in the area and I agree. There are some decent businesses in some of the new spots so far, especially the recently opened Our Town Taproom, but there is so much potential for more. Between 16th and 17th there is so much room for nice places, but instead we are getting our THIRD vape shop on the block. I understand why investors are hesitant, but man I think if you could establish a decent bar or restaurant here you'd be set in a couple years. I think Ridge between Broad and Girard will be like modern-day Frankford Ave in 10 years.

[Urbanthusiat]

Originally Posted by bdurk

I live right off of Ridge in the area and I agree. There are some decent businesses in some of the new spots so far, especially the recently opened Our Town Taproom, but there is so much potential for more. Between 16th and 17th there is so much room for nice places, but instead we are getting our THIRD vape shop on the block. I understand why investors are hesitant, but man I think if you could establish a decent bar or restaurant here you'd be set in a couple years. I think Ridge between Broad and Girard will be like modern-day Frankford Ave in 10 years.

Just gotta keep up with the infill. More people will fill these vacant storefronts.