U. will fill retail voids with new diner, clothing store

Although the University was faced with two more holes in the campus retail landscape this summer, officials now say that tenants have been found for both locations.

Ma Jolie, an upscale women's clothier, shut down in May, and El Diner, the much-anticipated 24-hour eatery, closed in June after only four months on campus.

Furthermore, additional plans to put a Mexican eatery in the empty spot at 40th and Locust streets have fallen through.

But the University has located new tenants for some of these spots. Ma Jolie will be replaced by a more affordable clothing store and an authentic diner will take El Diner's old spot, Executive Vice President John Fry said yesterday.

Fry was enthusiastic about the new tenants and said that the future occupants are closer to what Penn students have demanded than either Ma Jolie or El Diner.

"Basically, it's much more in tune with what [the Penn student body] can afford," Fry said of the replacement for Ma Jolie. "Price points look good."

Of the new diner, he said, "It's a genuine greasy spoon, and we've executed a lease."

Ma Jolie had been part of the Sansom Common retail complex since the fall of 1999, but pulled out at the end of last school year. The company, which also had a location in Manayunk, was bought out by Leehefai -- another clothier -- early this month.

El Diner, formerly located on Walnut Street between 39th and 40th streets, had only been on campus since February, and was operated by Goldman Properties. According to University Vice President of Facilities Omar Blaik, representatives of the company told Penn that they did not have the administrative resources to devote to El Diner.

"They said this is just distracting and we're not able to put in the right level of management oversight," Blaik said.

Fry added that Goldman is currently overwhelmed with many sites the company owns downtown on 13th Street.

Gary Farmer, overseer of the restaurant division of Goldman, has repeatedly declined to comment on the closing.

Although Fry said the new options would be less costly, he added that he is not seeking to fill all campus retail vacancies with low-priced vendors because officials want to create "a buzz about University City."

"We're interested in a diversity of vendors," Fry said. "What you will see is a full continuum of price points. Is everything going to be driven off the typical student? No."

Furthermore, Vice President of Business Services Leroy Nunery said Penn is seeking to attract the broadest range of retail vendors possible.

"The issue for the diverse population that we have here on campus is to find the right combination of services, both retail and food," Nunery said.

While negotiations with the new clothier are ongoing, Fry said the University is close to announcing the new tenant for the El Diner location, which is more in line with student demands for an authentic diner.

Fry had originally expressed hesitation at the idea of a new diner, following the failure of El Diner and its predecessor Eat at Joe's.

Despite being on the verge of filling two of the campus retail vacancies, University officials are still looking for an occupant to fill the former site of the Friendly Express convenience store, commonly known as Uni-Mart. Uni-Mart closed last last October when the University exercised its option not to renew the store's lease.

A Mexican eatery was originally in negotiations to lease the 40th and Locust streets site, but Fry said that Michelle Leff and her husband David Fetkewicz have pulled out, citing the fact that they are busy with their two other Mexican cafes.

However, Fry also said that the University was considering several possibilities for the location.

"We have about four or five different things that we're looking at for that space," Fry said.

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