We were meandering around South Philly earlier today and were stopped dead in our tracks by an unexpected sign in the window of 1352-56 E. Passyunk Ave., a building that was most recently home to a Rita's Water Ice but has been vacant for a couple of years. Other people might instead remember the building as Nifty Fifties, but that was quite a few years ago. We visited this property at the beginning of the year after noticing a renovation permit in the window, but we didn't know whether a tenant had signed a lease for the space or whether the landlords were simply building out a vanilla box in an effort to attract a tenant. Whatever was happening back then, it's now clear that there's a new tenant coming soon.
The signs on the building indicate that El Paisano Supermarket #1 will soon open at this address. On its face, this seems like a curious location for this kind of business. Don't get us wrong, we love our local bodega and appreciate the convenience it provides, since we live a decent walk away from a supermarket. The same cannot be said of the people who live near the intersection of 10th & Reed.
Between the Acme and the CVS at this intersection, just about all of your grocery needs should be covered, no? And while it's true that many bodegas carry some items priced lower than large grocery stores and they may also offer some products not found at the Acme, we don't see how they'll be able to compete with a supermarket that's located across the street. Unless there's something we're missing, we don't see how this place is going to be able to make it long term at this location. Still, we wish them all the best and hope that things work out, somehow.