Picnic, a gourmet grocery store and takeout shop, opened this Saturday on Walnut Street.
Located at 3131 Walnut St., Picnic is the newest addition to the retail complex in the Left Bank -- the $58 million, 282-unit luxury apartment building that opened in February on the eastern edge of campus.
Owners say Picnic fills a consumer need for residents of the Left Bank, and business has been steady so far.
"Today's lifestyle is just busy, busy, busy," said Carol Felpon, a spokeswoman for the Left Bank. "This is a wonderful service to the residents at the Left Bank, as well as residents in the area."
The new food retailer offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, with the option of eating at the restaurant or taking food out.
"My background is American bistro, multi-ethnic style," Picnic chef and owner Anne-Marie Lasher said.
Lasher is a former co-owner and executive head chef of Fork, an Old City bistro.
"She has a phenomenal reputation," Felpon said.
Lasher said Picnic's first couple of days of operation had been going well, estimating about 50 customers per day, but that they were still in the process of "figuring things out."
"We've had some repeat business which is always a good sign," Lasher said, and noted that one customer thought that "everything was fabulous."
Prices at Picnic run anywhere from $4 to $12 per pound, and Lasher estimates that a typical lunch with soup, sandwich and dessert would cost $10.
Picnic has a seven-year lease with Left Bank developer Dranoff Properties. Lasher hopes to attract both residents and University students to the area.
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