University City businesses bring sense of tradition to campus

Tradition is a big part of life at the University -- look at the reverence accorded to Spring Fling, Hey Day, Commencement, Alumni Weekend, the ritual singing of "The Red and Blue" after sporting events, and the ever-popular toast throwing at football games. But just off campus, the businesses that occupy storefronts in the heart of the University City shopping district harbor as much history as the hallowed halls of campus buildings. The first-ever Urban Outfitters, for example, opened at in 1970 at 4307 Locust St. -- next door to another Penn institution, Koch's Take Out Shop. The offbeat store's founder, Richard Hayne, graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in anthropology. Hayne had a friend in the Wharton MBA program who encouraged him to open Urban Outfitters, according to Siobhan Knox, assistant to the chain's chief financial officer. The "fashion-forward" store moved in 1976 to its current location, inside the Warehouse at 4040 Locust St., she said. There are now 22 Urban Outfitters stores nationwide, Knox added, primarily on the East and West coasts but also in college towns like Ann Arbor, Mich. and Madison, Wis. "The recipe [for Urban Outfitters] is a major metropolitan area with a large university population," she added, explaining the philosophy company executives use when they are searching for new locations. "We never do malls, we look for sites that have a lot of walk-through traffic, foot traffic and high density of apartment residences," Knox said. "Also, it's not only where students go to school, it's where they live and shop." Although Urban Outfitters is currently known for its wide selection of '70s apparel and retro, inexpensive-but-hip home furnishings, it wasn't always that way, according to Knox. "We're not a retro shop per se," she said, adding that when the store opened, it sold mostly jeans and T-shirts, not relics from the '40s and '50s. "We sell whatever is fashionable and trendy." Down the block from Urban Outfitters, at 208 S. 40th St., is Smokey Joe's, which bills itself as "University City's most famous bar and restaurant." Walk a bit farther, to where 40th Street intersects with Walnut Street, and two more long-standing businesses come into view. To the left, at 4034 Walnut St., is one of the 20 Lee's Hoagie House franchises in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Owner Jan Zucker, who recently celebrated his shop's 10th anniversary, said he chose to open in University City because he wanted to be on a college campus and felt the University had the "most advantageous location" of any school in the city or suburbs. Zucker said that although he has an accounting degree, he has been working in the food-service business for 34 years and has seen many changes during that time -- most notably, a desire for more healthy food. While Urban Outfitters has secured a niche with its unique -- even odd -- blend of merchandise and industrial ambiance, Zucker said he has been forced to contend with increasing competition from restaurants not on campus when Lee's opened in 1985. Despite the competition and fears Zucker said the University fosters in new students about crossing 40th Street, he and his wife "plan on being here for a very long time." His manager has been with the store since opening day, and many employees have worked at Lee's for a number of years. "We've been to weddings of students, baby showers," Zucker said, adding that he and his employees pride themselves on knowing what regular customers like to eat. "We love it -- it's fun -- that's what makes coming to work every day enjoyable." Look right from the corner of 40th and Walnut streets, just past PNC Bank, and another University City landmark comes into view. Stanley Shapiro's Campus Copy Center has been in University City -- in various incarnations -- since 1959. The business started as a photography studio, Shapiro said. He then added copy machines, typesetting and offset printing in 1972, in a four-story building that has since been demolished. "Campus Copy Center as you know it today opened in 1990," Shapiro said. He's all but given up photography at this point -- but he still does instant passport photos. A second Campus Copy location opened in 1983 at 3736 Walnut St.; it closed last year and will reopen across the street October 2 at 3733 Walnut St., in the University's newest parking garage. Campus Copy is a family-owned business, Shapiro said. He and his wife both work at the store and his son Ronald serves as general manager. "We want to keep it family, keep our hand on it," he added. However, 15 non-family employees keep the place running, and most have worked at Campus Copy for five or more years. Shapiro said that like Zucker, he has had to deal with increased competition over the years -- not only from Kinko's Copies just two doors away, but also from Wharton Reprographics and University Copy Service. At 3741 Walnut St., two doors from the Campus Copy location that will open next month, is Joseph Anthony Hairstyling, which is now celebrating its 50th year on campus. Owner Anthony Voci said his father came from Pittsburgh in 1945 to open the barber shop's first location at 3645 Walnut St. Voci joined his father in business in 1957, then opened his own shop at 40th and Spruce streets in1960. He moved to a storefront at 3738 Walnut St. in 1968, and just a month ago relocated to his current space. Although it seems that he's moved as many times as hairstyles have changed during the past few decades, students, faculty, staff and neighborhood residents haven't forgotten him, Voci said. "I was raised here, I worked here all my life, and I enjoy the campus very much," he said. "I've met a lot of nice people -- I wouldn't think of working anywhere but here." Even the opening of competing salons in the area hasn't impacted him, he added. "I just take care of my own business -- we do the best we can here."

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