New Businesses Keep It Local

Room at a new hotel opening in Queen Village this fall

Hotel photos by Joseph Brin

New Businesses Keep it Local Philadelphia-inspired rooms at a new hotel and regional wines at Bloomsday

by Suzanne Dreitlein & Heather Shayne Blakeslee

Two new Queen Village businesses have taken over long-vacant corners to offer neighborhood amenities. Bloomsday Cafe on Headhouse Square is serving up highly curated, seasonal food as well as coffee and regional wine; a new hotel, tentatively named The Queen, will offer 30 rooms that feature a vintage industrial aesthetic, a full-service restaurant located on the ground floor, and a roof deck with panoramic views and a full-service bar.

Richard Veitch, lead builder and master craftsman on the hotel project, has been working on breathing new life into the buildings at the corner of Bainbridge and 5th streets. His painstaking craftwork now reflects the beauty and local color of Queen Village. “Rich was the brain behind so much of the design,” says Adam Zaken, who owns the hotel along with Ido Zaken. “The hotel is a piece of art— we commissioned it, and Rich is the artist.” The brothers are no strangers to the neighborhood: Ido’s father owned Dr. Denim on South Street, and Adam spent many days in his youth hanging out on South Street and eating cheese fries at Ishkabibble’s. Now an adult and property owner, he says, “Queen Village is an incredible neighborhood. Our goal was to make something special for the area.”

A rooftop view from the new hotel

Although it would have been much easier and faster to demolish and build new, building on the original structure was of the utmost importance to the Zakens, Veitch, and their whole team. They capitalized on Veitch’s building experience to reuse as many materials as possible, which also ensured that the new building maintained consistency with the existing architectural characteristics and history of Queen Village. Guests will find exposed brick, the standard of homes throughout the neighborhood, as well as a nod to our waterfront industrial past with exposed iron beams and industrial fixtures.

Steel beams and exposed brick are part of the industrial aesthetic

The property will be managed by the Sonder hospitality group. Location manager Eric Kravitz, a Hawthorne resident, notes that they plan to staff more than 90 percent of their team with people from the area. He also said that Sonder chose to operate in Queen Village because it provides guests an opportunity to experience an amazing neighborhood that lies just outside of the historic area while being highly walkable to many attractions and some of the best restaurants in the city. Kravitz says this accessibility is important to guests who typically use car shares and explore neighborhoods on foot.

‘WOW… that is so good, and it’s from around here?!?’

When guests set out from their suite, they’ll definitely run into locals who have found the haven at Bloomsday Cafe on 414 S. 2 St. It opened on July 12 and since then has been serving coffee, wine, and light fare with an emphasis on local sourcing and thoughtful curation that complements its proximity to the Head House Square Farmer’s Market. Located in the long-empty corner of 2nd and Stamper streets, Bloomsday is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, providing a cozy place to meet with friends over a glass or two of wine or to sip a cup of coffee. Bloomsday also uses local roaster Rival Bros. Coffee and serves Near & Far teas, kombucha, and yerba mate on draft. On the second week of September, members in their new wine club will receive their first selections of regional wines. Owner Zachary Morris says that even people who are skeptical of local wine, their first reaction to his curated selections is usually, “Wow… that is so good, and it’s from around here?!?” Morris knows his stuff: he spent six years teaching at the Wine School of Philadelphia as their director of education.

Zachary Morris of Bloomsday Cafe

He travels extensively with his wife and children to keep up with the business. “This past year we’ve been to Alentejo in Portugal, Sierra de Gredos in Spain, Empordá in Catalonya, the entire island of Sicily, and Slovenia,” says Morris. Summer and fall trips include Austria and Georgia.

Those who are curious can stop by for Bloomsday’s “Open Bottles” events for Wednesday happy hour. “It’s a chance for us to open and pour a small sample of some bottles that we feel strongly about at a given moment. Anyone is welcome,” says Morris. Classes are also forthcoming.

“My biggest aspiration is to be a neighborhood fixture for a long time,” Morris says. “We certainly weren’t focused on being a trendy place. Rather, we wanted to be a place that anyone would feel comfortable coming to at any time— a true neighborhood cafe that can last for generations.” ■