Recent delays in the openings of several University area restaurants are a disturbing sign.
Specifically, Qdoba Mexican Grill and Metropolitan Bakery, originally slated to open in November, have pushed those dates back to the spring. The opening of the Marathon Grill, located in the Bridge: Cinema de Lux, was pushed back to April.
Some of the openings that have gone off relatively smoothly in recent months, including the Ann Taylor Loft and The Marvelous, a record and comic book store, are encouraging.
However, these new delays in the restaurant openings do not speak to the same efficiency and dedication.
In the case of Qdoba specifically, according to Philadelphia franchise owner Will Charbonnet, the delay appears to have been the result of bureaucratic inefficiencies on the part of the University in the signing of the lease.
Also, the site which formerly housed Steve Madden remains empty to this day, which, given its central Walnut Street location, is a waste.
It is interesting to note that many of the restaurants that have opened smoothly have been of the high-end variety that are, by their nature, priced out of the range of many students. It is frustrating to see these locations open without much delay, while venues that would cater more to students' budgets are placed on the back burner.
While Penn has a long way to go in matching some of our Ivy League peers, much has been accomplished to date. The University City area has come a long way in terms of the revitalization of local business and commerce. For Penn students, it seems that every year has brought more openings and more conveniences. Hopefully, this priority will not get lost along the way during the upcoming administrative transition.
These restaurant delays, however, threaten to tarnish that good record. Hopefully they will turn out to be the exception, and not the rule.
