Kouklet's Lease Ran Out, and East Passyunk Picked Up a Vacant Anchor Space
Mardhory Santos-Cepeda is doubling her bakery's footprint two doors down, in the old Laurel bar space, and that leaves 1617 East Passyunk open for the next tenant.
Kouklet Brazilian Bakehouse is moving down the block on East Passyunk Avenue, from 1647 to 1615, the former ITV bar attached to chef Nicholas Elmi's closed Laurel restaurant. Owner Mardhory Santos-Cepeda's lease at the old spot expired in August and the landlord declined to renew, so she's been running month to month while she lined up the new space.
The new location is about 1,200 square feet, roughly 50 percent bigger than her current 800 square foot storefront, with seating for about 15 and a window counter. She's turning it into an all day cafe, keeping the pastry counter and adding eggs, tapioca flatbreads, rice bowls and a real coffee program. Target opening is February.
The part worth watching is next door. The old Laurel space at 1617 East Passyunk is still sitting vacant and available for lease. A bakery with a loyal following just proved this stretch of the avenue can support a bigger food and beverage operator, and that's exactly the kind of signal a landlord uses to find the next one.
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
Why it matters
A tenant's lease ending opened a bigger space two doors down and left a known commercial corner open behind her, both leasing opportunities on the same block.
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