Officials moved one step closer to filling the Moravian Cafes at 3401 Walnut Street with announcements that Taco Bell, KFC and Quiznos signed a letter of intent late last week.
In addition to filling two of three remaining spots in the food court, the University also finalized a lease with CVS Pharmacies.
With the deal, officials announced that the current campus CVS located at 3915 Walnut St. will eventually close in the fall.
Construction will begin on CVS soon, Penn "won't start construction with Quiznos or Taco Bell or any retailer until they sign a lease. But a letter of intent is a good sign of progress," Facilities and Real Estate Services spokesman Tony Sorrentino said.
A letter of intent is not necessarily a binding legal document. However, Sorrentino said that the University has confidence that a lease will be signed.
Taco Bell is a Mexican fast-food chain, Quiznos sells subs and KFC sells chicken.
Officials are still looking to fill one remaining spot in the eastern side of Moravian, a space which has remained mostly empty since the beginning of the semester.
Famous Famiglia and Gourmet Ice Cream will continue to operate.
Though no contract is in place, Sorrentino said he hoped the new food court tenants will open by September.
A dividing wall currently exists between the half of the 15,000-square-foot site that will become a CVS and the other half that will be occupied by five individual food venders.
Both campus CVS stores will operate for a few months during the transition, but officials hope to have the old space in use by 2006.
The 3900 block of Walnut Street now has several major vacancies, which officials said they will address later this week.
The new placement of CVS upsets some who live on the western side of campus.
College freshman Nicky Berman, who lives in Harnwell College house, said the new pharmacy will be inconveniently located.
She also said that she does not plan on visiting the new Moravian to eat because she has no interest in any of the new restaurants.
"They are all really bad for you," she said.
College sophomore Eitan Danon looks forward to change.
"I'm just really excited to have Taco Bell on campus. We've long deserved a Taco Bell," Danon said, adding that he will probably go more often because of the new selections.
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