Yesterday, we passed along the news that Sneaker Villa, a national shoe and apparel chain, would be taking over the large space on the 600 block of South Street that was last home to a Walgreens. Today, we have news of another national chain on the horizon for a recently vacated space just a couple of blocks away.

The building

For decades, Philadelphia Bar and Restaurant Supply held down this corner of 5th & Bainbridge & Passyunk, offering restauranteurs and neighbors alike a chance to purchase commercial-grade kitchen wares in a very unique environment. Whether you enjoyed the friendly service, the challenge of locating what you were looking for, or the old timey cash register, this store truly had something for everyone. Especially those looking for the odd coffee airpot, chef’s knife, or china set for ten. In conjunction with the recently closed John C Paul and Sons paper goods store across the street, the store saved many a restaurant manager a shlep to Old City to procure random restaurant necessities right before the dinner rush.

Closer look

According to Passyunk Post, 629 E. Passayunk Ave. will soon be home to new tenant Painting With a Twist. The (somewhat strange but apparently successful) concept is that customers rent out the space, invite their friends, bring a couple of bottles of wine, and take a group art class. According to their website, the store does corporate events, birthday parties, bachelorette parties, and any other celebration you can think of that could involve art and booze. And being located right off of South Street, we can certainly see this place drawing a good amount of attention. Truth be told, we’ve always thought that this was one of the best corners in the entire city in terms of visibility for a commercial tenant.

As Philadelphia Bar and Restaurant Supply only closed their doors for good a few weeks ago, and their old space will require some pretty significant alterations for a new business to take over, we’d guess that Painting With a Twist is still a few months away. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on when it opens, as well as anything else interesting going on at this intersection.