If all goes according to University plans, students will return at the end of the summer to a very different, revamped 40th Street retail area.
By the end of August, two new restaurants -- the Marathon Grill and a restaurant version of the local food truck the Greek Lady -- will have moved into the already-popular shopping area that houses the Bridge: Cinema de Lux, Ben and Jerry's, and Qdoba.
The Marathon Grill, which will open on June 15, is the seventh installment in a growing Philadelphia chain that was started 12 years ago. The restaurant on 40th Street will be the first of these family-owned restaurants that is not located in Center City.
We are "excited and a little nervous about it," said co-owner Cary Borish, adding that it is "just going to be really great."
In the first few weeks after the unveiling of the restaurant, it will not be open for all meals. However, within a short time, the Marathon Grill will be serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as dessert and brunch on certain days.
The restaurant will offer a wide range of casual American-style foods including omelettes, Belgium waffles, grilled chicken sandwiches and homemade soups.
The Grill will also have around 60 outdoor seats and will offer a 10 percent discount for students.
The Borish family will additionally be opening a large bar called the Marbar above the Marathon Grill restaurant.
The bar will be around 4,000 square feet, and will have a large lounge area, a flat screen television and three bars, as well as a large disc jockey station and live entertainment, according to Borish. Marbar will open sometime in August, and will be the first bar of its kind within the Marathon chain.
Marbar will be "comfortable and modern but [with] a sense of style to it," Borish said.
Also slated to open on 40th Street this August is a restaurant version of the Greek Lady, a popular food cart.
The new restaurant will include an expanded menu as well as the same items that made the cart a popular destination for students.
The addition of these restaurants marks another step in the diversification and development process for the 40th Street area.
According to Tony Sorrentino, director of external relations for Facilities and Real Estate Services, "40th Street is this amazing corridor where the Penn campus meets the University City residential neighborhood."
