FWOT closes; owners blame Penn officials

Fingers, Wings and Other Things has shut its doors permanently, leaving another retail vacancy along the 40th Street corridor.

The fast food restaurant, located at 208 S. 40th St., was open sporadically throughout the summer, ultimately deciding to close for good.

FWOT's owners and University real estate officials disagree about the reason for the restaurant's closing.

"They put us out of business," FWOT co-owner Craig Flaxman said, blaming the University's real estate company, Trammell Crow, for much of the situation.

Trammell Crow Senior Vice President John Greenwood refuted Flaxman's claims.

"We were working with them," he said. "We weren't working to remove them, we were working to keep them."

Flaxman has been trying to rally support from nearby stores and restaurants, but with little success so far.

He claimed that FWOT and other small businesses in the area were targeted because they were drawing "the wrong kind of clientele."

"Fingers, Wings and Other Things thought that this was our project," Greenwood said. "I guess they were frustrated with respect to the progress of the street. They wanted us to resolve it for them and we can't."

Construction was a big part of the problem in Flaxman's eyes, as the street was blocked off and debris and vehicles crowded the area.

"Right away we were complaining that we were operating at 30 to 40 percent," Flaxman said.

Responding to the allegations, Greenwood said that the real estate company was being unfairly blamed and that much of the construction was actually part of a city water main repair project.

Flaxman also complained that he had no forewarning about the new theater project and the construction it would cause, and no support from the University once the theater construction was delayed.

He also said Trammell Crow asked him to renovate the restaurant, but he felt they would force him out even if he complied.

Greenwood, however, said the renovations were requested with the sole intent of making the store look good and complementing the surrounding area.

"They've got a lease, they've been in there a long time," Greenwood said. "You want them to make improvements in their store, freshen it up."

Smokey Joe's used to own the space FWOT occupied years ago, but as of now, future plans for the spot are still under discussion.

But a manager said last night that the popular campus bar has no plans to lease the former FWOT space.

Greenwood said his team is already working to fill the latest empty storefront on 40th Street.

"We're going to work on certainly re-tenanting it," Greenwood said. "We're starting to brainstorm that right now. Hopefully it will be something terrific and fitting."

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