West Philly’s Favorite Bruncherie Is Taking Over the Trolley Car Station Space
The restaurant space left empty with the closing of Trolley Car Station will become home to a Middle Eastern restaurant in early 2020.
Renata’s pancake spread | Facebook
A new outpost of Renata’s Kitchen, the Mediterranean cafe in West Philly known for their classic brunch food served alongside Middle Eastern favorites like shakshouka, falafel and burekka, will take over the space left empty earlier this year when Trolley Car Station closed. Owners Kate and Yasser Aiq will continue serving breakfast and lunch in their current space located at 4533 Baltimore Avenue, while expanding the new, larger location into an all-day affair with breakfast, lunch, cocktails and dinner, the Inquirer reports.
In a Facebook post, the couple shared that they look forward to “working closely with the neighborhood and University City District to host community-centered events at the Park and breathe a new life and anchor to the Trolley Portal Gardens.” Trolley Portal Gardens, where the space is located, was part of a $4.5 million project meant to bring public space to one of the busiest rail stations in the city, the 40th Street trolley portal.
Yasser was on the opening team at Parc in Rittenhouse. He and Kate opened Renata’s Kitchen in 2012, moving to the current location in September 2015. The new location is expected to open in early 2020.
