In the last twenty years or so, there's been little change at the northwest corner of 22nd & South. L2 had quite a run, opening there in the late 1990s and closing their doors in the summer of 2013. Prior to that, Russian-themed vodka bar Cafe Republic came and went, and before that a Fifty's-style place called Linoleum made its home there. Last summer, a deal to bring a Stabucks to South Street West fell through, and the space has remained vacant ever since.
The other day, a post on the Southwest Center City Facebook Group caught our attention, as an eagle-eyed neighbor spotted a sign on the building suggesting change is in the air.
Reading the sign, it seems that a new business called Growler Stop will be opening in this space. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they'll have beer, sandwiches, and pizza (yum!). We couldn't tell you much more than the sign- city food detective Michael Klein has covered it and he hasn't been able to uncover who's behind it either.
Assuming it's relatively well done, we imagine such a business will find success at this location, despite the competition across the street. Then again, with all the beer love in the area and the much-embraced Triangle Plaza just a block away, there's probably room for the new guys and the stalwart Omega Pizza. After all, this is the same area that sports a Rita's and an Igloo location within a couple hundred feet of each other.
We'll keep an ear to the ground and see if we can dig up some more news on the Growler Stop. Has anyone out there heard any more details?