Earlier this week Grub Street mentioned that Marc Vetri and his partners were gearing up to create an Italian pub on North Broad Street. Yesterday, at a small lease signing ceremony at Osteria, a much bigger picture came into focus. It turns out that Vetri’s pub is part of developer Eric Blumenfeld’s larger plan to redevelop the former Wilkie Buick dealership, the sprawling space at Broad and Mt. Vernon streets, into a mixed-use facility with multiple restaurants and 98 loft-style apartments, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. In addition to Vetri, Stephen Starr and caterer/restaurateur Joe Volpe are on board.
Starr plans on opening a casual seafood-centric restaurant tentatively called Route 6, which is the main road that runs through Cape Cod. The 150-seat restaurant will reportedly feature a menu inspired by New England clambakes, with lobster rolls, corn on the cob and the like. To complete the picture, the space will feature picnic table seating and a horseshoe pit outside. Volpe, who owns Cescaphe Ballroom in Northern Liberties and Cooperage at the Curtis Center, plans on building a catering venue large enough to accommodate up to 700 guests. Fall 2011 is the expected opening date.
Starr, Vetri in on N. Broad project [PBJ]
Earlier: Vetri and Co. Moving Forward With Their Casual Italian Pub
