Rick's Steaks Leaving RTM?

[Capaneus]

I'm not sure how one goes about changing the RTM's charter or whatever it is that sets the board of directors - but that there is only one merchant representative on the board is disgraceful. 

It is the merchants that have made Reading Terminal Market what it is, not the management that comes and goes, or the RTM board that changes as city politics change.  There are two constants - the merchants, many of whom are second and third generation, and the customers, many of whom are third, fourth and fifth generation.

These people, the merchants and the customers, are the ones that have the best interest of the market as their number one priority.  They are the ones that should have the say - not the Vice President of Finance for the Convention Center or some guy that manages the airport retail franchises.

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Couldn't disagree more with the proposition that either "...it's the merchants that have made the Reading Terminal Market what it is..." or that "...the merchants are the ones that have the best interest of the market as their number one priority." Fact is, human nature and our economic system being what they are, if left to their own devices most merchants, at RTM or anywhere, would mostly be concerned with squeezing more profit from their businesses. Which is perfectly fine: it's their function, that's why they're merchants. But it's also why having someone else with a broader view running the show is essential. Or we're going to end up with, for instance, a Market festooned with Coke signage.

And if I understand things correctly, the merchants were brought in to meet someone's vision of what the market should be. If that is true, they didn't "make" anything, other than in the obvious sense of being present on a daily basis.

As for customers... Kitten Syndrome: people root for whatever's cuter, or most immediately in their interest, not for whatever makes for a better market in the long run.

I have no illusions that current management is anything remotely approaching perfection. And reform may well be called for. But please lets not allow hackneyed populism drag down yet another institution. We have so few left.

[vigna]

I think Holly has been right on the mark throughout this thread. It seems to me that the main issue is that the Market Board is retaliating against a merchant who had challenged them over the years as a forceful head of the Merchants Assoication. From what I've heard from other merchants in the Market, they are now completely intimidated. The Amish, an exception, are protesting because they see this as an ethical issue and they are principled folks. Others merchants must be wondering whether a similar lease non-renewal will be the fate of anyone else who rocks the boat. The Amish are probably immune from retaliation, but not other individual merchants.

And who is this Board anyway? Political hacks and hangers on. I wonder whether the charter of the Board can be challenged.

Glad to see that Tony Luke has stated that he wants no part of this conflict. If he were to open in the Market, I would have no confidence that his operation would be a success. The Tony Luke operation on Spruce Street near Penn was truly awful. There were long lines the first days after opening, but the surly service and poor food quickly became known around campus. I would guess the place closed because of scant business, not because of a lease issue.

[Holly Moore]

I'm not sure how one goes about changing the RTM's charter or whatever it is that sets the board of directors - but that there is only one merchant representative on the board is disgraceful. 

It is the merchants that have made Reading Terminal Market what it is, not the management that comes and goes, or the RTM board that changes as city politics change.  There are two constants - the merchants, many of whom are second and third generation, and the customers, many of whom are third, fourth and fifth generation.

These people, the merchants and the customers, are the ones that have the best interest of the market as their number one priority.  They are the ones that should have the say - not the Vice President of Finance for the Convention Center or some guy that manages the airport retail franchises.

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Couldn't disagree more with the proposition that either "...it's the merchants that have made the Reading Terminal Market what it is..." or that "...the merchants are the ones that have the best interest of the market as their number one priority." Fact is, human nature and our economic system being what they are, if left to their own devices most merchants, at RTM or anrywhere, would mostly be concerned with squeezing more profit from their businesses. Which is perfectly fine: it's their function, that's why they're merchants. But it's also why having someone else with a broader view running the show is essential. Or we're going to end up with, for instance, a Market festooned with Coke signage.

And if I understand things correctly, the merchants were brought in to meet someone's vision of what the market should be. If that is true, they didn't "make" anything, other than in the obvious sense of being present on a daily basis.

As for customers... Kitten Syndrome: people root for whatever's cuter, or most immediately in their interest, not for whatever makes for a better market in the long run.

I have no illusions that current management is anything remotely approaching perfection. And reform may well be called for. But please lets not allow hackneyed populism drag down yet another institution. We have so few left.

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Out of curiosity were you around Philadelphia in the late 70's and early 80's when the market was a dark, dank public embarrassment? I'm guessing not. Anyone who was realizes that it was the tenacity of the long term merchants and the savvy leadership of David O'Neil that saved the market and started it well on its way to what it has become today.

Kitten Syndrome? Rick Olivieri? Cute. Nah.

Pussy Syndrome? As in RTM board and management trying to rule by intimidation. Closer. But not working for them.

Actually, this is simply about righting an injustice and protecting the merchants in the future, and therefore the market.

Edited August 3, 2007 by Holly Moore (log)

[Vadouvan]

The Amish, an exception, are protesting because they see this as an ethical issue and they are principled folks.

Holly is indeed passionate.

The Amish sell a good amount of vegetables at RTM that are mainstream commercial veggies not from the "farm" with the perception that they are. They are certainly no more principled than the rest of us.

[Holly Moore]

The Amish, an exception, are protesting because they see this as an ethical issue and they are principled folks.

Holly is indeed passionate.

The Amish sell a good amount of vegetables at RTM that are mainstream commercial veggies not from the "farm" with the perception that they are.

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For the record, the quote cited in Vadouvan's posting is not by me.

They are certainly no more principled than the rest of us.

And I am certainly no more talented a cook than Vadouvan.

All merchants in the market hope to make money. That does not make any of them ethical or unethical, principled or unprincipled.

Uniting, as most of the merchants have done, including the Amish, to protest injustice and to support a fellow merchant who, at no fault of his, is at risk of losing his family's livelihood, does speak to those merchants' character.

Edited August 3, 2007 by Holly Moore (log)

[Capaneus]

Quotes ©Holly Moore 2007

"Out of curiosity were you around Philadelphia in the late 70's and early 80's when the market was a dark, dank public embarrassment? I'm guessing not. Anyone who was realizes that it was the tenacity of the long term merchants and the savvy leadership of David O'Neil that saved the market and started it well on its way to what it has become today."

I was not. My sense of it is that the merchants ultimately deserve no more credit for the market's rejuvenation than they deserve blame for the decline. My understanding is that it was a public outcry about the RTM's imminent demise that brought together a number of people and organizations that took it over and brought it around.

"Kitten Syndrome? Rick Olivieri? Cute. Nah."

Wrong subject. I was commenting on the prospect of "the People" taking over the Market.

"Pussy Syndrome? As in RTM board and management trying to rule by intimidation. Closer. But not working for them."

Possibly. Not really convinced that's a fair characterization yet. In either case, I see no choirboys on either pew.

"Actually, this is simply about righting an injustice and protecting the merchants in the future, and therefore the market."

As should be obvious from everything I've posted so far, I see "protecting the merchants" and protecting the Market as very different objectives. Not necessarily incompatible, and occasionally congruent, but different.

[MarketStEl]

Quotes ©Holly Moore 2007

"Out of curiosity were you around Philadelphia in the late 70's and early 80's when the market was a dark, dank public embarrassment? I'm guessing not. Anyone who was realizes that it was the tenacity of the long term merchants and the savvy leadership of David O'Neil that saved the market and started it well on its way to what it has become today."

I was not. My sense of it is that the merchants ultimately deserve no more credit for the market's rejuvenation than they deserve blame for the decline. My understanding is that it was a public outcry about the RTM's imminent demise that brought together a number of people and organizations that took it over and brought it around.

I arrived in Philadelphia in September 1983, as the Market was just beginning its recovery from its decade-long funk; my first foray into the place was a month or two before Rick Oliveri set up shop. That public outcry came a couple of years later, after the Reading Terminal had ceased to be a train station with the opening of Market East Station beneath it; it was sometime around 1986 or 1987 when the city announced plans to incorporate the Reading Terminal into a new convention center. By that time, the Market had already come a long way back from the near-dead, and the worry was that the Convention Center Authority would turn it into an appendage of the convention hall once it got its hands on it. That fear has never completely subsided, as some of the posts you see in this discussion should make clear.

I think it's far easier to assign blame for its decline than credit for its revival. That blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the Reading Company, which worried more about the decline of its then-main business than it did about the market at the end of the line. (By the time I moved here, the Reading Company had become a real estate firm, which may account for some of the change in attitude; after all, if your main business is now making money from ownership of property, it would only make sense to maximize the use of your assets, and the Market was--and is--clearly an asset. The Reading Company also built the handsome Neo-Deco skyscraper next to the terminal that we now call the Aramark Tower; when it opened, it was briefly called One Reading Center.)

Management and merchants alike share credit for the revival, IMO. I don't think anyone here has asserted otherwise.

As should be obvious from everything I've posted so far, I see "protecting the merchants" and protecting the Market as very different objectives. Not necessarily incompatible, and occasionally congruent, but different.

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Right on. Usually it's management's job to see the big picture, though (tenants|employees|...) can often help management get that picture in focus.

[Holly Moore]

As should be obvious from everything I've posted so far, I see "protecting the merchants" and protecting the Market as very different objectives. Not necessarily incompatible, and occasionally congruent, but different.

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Right on. Usually it's management's job to see the big picture, though (tenants|employees|...) can often help management get that picture in focus.

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Reading Terminal Market is far more a community than it is a shopping mall. Any community is best defined as a sum of its members. Reading Terminal Market is a sum of the products, the personalities, the quirks, and the heritages of its merchants.

Reading Terminal Market is also one of the only places in Philadelphia where all Philadelphians, of every culture and of every economic level, gather together to shop and to eat. Reading Terminal Market is a community of Philadelphia's communities.

Reading Terminal market has a soul, a culture, a history and a tradition that is unique to Philadelphia.

Today Reading Terminal Market flourishes. These are boom times. These are times that smart management - management that understands the market for all that it is - stands back. They manage best by keeping out of the way and focusing on making the merchant and customer experience more enjoyable - managing such mundane responsibilities as keeping the place bright, clean and safe. Protecting the market from over-commercialization. Collecting the rents and spending the money wisely - not on lawyers and PR mouths.

All Reading Terminal Market management and the board need do is savor the "big picture," and not try to change channels. With things going so well, savvy managers know that they manage best by managing least.

The way to screw up a place like Reading Terminal Market is to manage with a heavy hand. To manage through intimidation and retribution. To make the merchants adversaries rather than recognizing them as partners and seasoned team players who understand the game far better than management ever will.

The way to screw up a place like Reading Terminal Market is to take actions that turn the majority of the merchants against management. That drive merchants to cancel festivals, sign petitions, join together to fight unjust acts. That create a PR fiasco, thrusting the market onto the front pages in anything but a good light.

No management or board has ever mismanaged or screwed up Reading Terminal Market as badly as the current board and management has these past couple of months.

Big Picture? This board and management can't even find the screen.

Edited August 5, 2007 by Holly Moore (log)

[Daniel]

Are the managers at Reading Terminal working at Egullet too..

Seriously though, that was really well said Holly.. We love Reading Terminal Market and its one of our favorite places, not just in Philly. It captures the soul of the city.

Edited August 4, 2007 by Daniel (log)

[Bluehensfan]

Are the managers at Reading Terminal working at Egullet too..

Seriously though, that was really well said Holly.. We love Reading Terminal Market and its one of our favorite places, not just in Philly. It captures the soul of the city.

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I agree, very well said Holly. It seems that the market is the exact opposite of SEPTA. While the latter won't fix something that's clearly broken, the former seems intent on trying to fix something that is running well.

That was evident in my visits to the market today. Iovine's now has the old bag check station buzzing with three employees packaging produce. I am sure if Vinnie could swing a drive-through on Filbert St, he would do it. The line for the Dutch Eating Place for breakfast this morning stretched well in front of Beiler's Bakery, and at lunch Spataro's line went well in front of Earl Livengood's stand. Rick's Steak's seems to be eclipsing all previous sales records, as the entire open space (which has been three or four rows deep in the recent past) was completely full with people waiting in line to order. My point is, if it's not broken, why try to fix it?

Is management intent on putting it's own "stamp" on the market to transform it into something it is not intended to be?

This question has to be given serious perusal, since some say that the market needs to "gear up" against Whole Foods and the like. But that argument is partially fallacious, as the "average" market customer does not exist. Sure, there are locals who go for the inexpensive produce at Iovine's while others seek out the local and organic offerings at places like Fair Foods. Other locals go to the market get bread or buy fresh fish.

On the other hand, there is an entirely different customer that breathes life in the market, the convention-goer looking for a bite to eat for lunch, a snack for later, or a gift to take back home. They care little about fresh fish, how many pounds of bananas you can get for a dollar, or, to a certain extent who is selling what where. Surely they generate a substantial portion of the market's revenues but they seem to be "forgotten" in the current scheme of things. With the convention center expanding, this type of customer will only be more prevalent in years to come.

So, perhaps this desire to transform the market into a "new being" at the expense of those merchants who live and breathe life into the market every day and at the disregard of those conventioneers, who, like it or not, keep the market afloat to an extent, may not be such a good thing after all. Too many cooks does not make a good kitchen especially when the kitchen is running well.

[MarketStEl]

Holly is 100 percent right about what makes the Market special.

And I appreciate Bluehensfan's comparison and contrast with SEPTA (natch), but wish to correct him on one minor point: SEPTA's current management is not simply not trying to fix what's broken; rather, it is intent on breaking it some more.

After additional conversations with people whose information has generally been reliable, I feel confident saying this:

My faith in the current General Manager of the Reading Terminal Market is not misplaced.

My trust in the wisdom of its Board of Directors might well be.

One more thing: DiNic's pulled pork is even better than their roast pork, difficult as that might be to imagine.

[mrbigjas]

My faith in the current General Manager of the Reading Terminal Market is not misplaced.

My trust in the wisdom of its Board of Directors might well be.

your friendship aside, if steinke's just a tool for the board to exercise their political pull and be petty and vindictive, then your faith in him is certainly misplaced, until he quits as a matter of principle.

One more thing:  DiNic's pulled pork is even better than their roast pork, difficult as that might be to imagine.

no it's not. it's a good sandwich, but the roast pork scores extra points for being the classic.

[Bluehensfan]

My faith in the current General Manager of the Reading Terminal Market is not misplaced.

My trust in the wisdom of its Board of Directors might well be.

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Just so you know, the Board of Directors is made up of an interesting mix of people, half of whom are related in that they are also involved in the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, as is the Market Manager, Paul Steinke. These include Board Members:

1. William Blades

2. Rebecca Stoloff

3. Frank DiCicco

So in that respect, at least some of the Board Members have something in common...

And there is a different DiCicco (Christian I think) on SEPTA's board, so perhaps RTM is indeed related to SEPTA after all.

Now watch and see, soon market will start charging you extra when you buy from more than one vendor on a single trip!

[MarketStEl]

My faith in the current General Manager of the Reading Terminal Market is not misplaced.

My trust in the wisdom of its Board of Directors might well be.

your friendship aside, if steinke's just a tool for the board to exercise their political pull and be petty and vindictive, then your faith in him is certainly misplaced, until he quits as a matter of principle.

I'll reserve further judgement on that. This same board that is handling this matter so badly has also gotten the Market looking as good as it's ever looked, and it has also managed to address some infrastructure issues caused by prior decisions that turned out to be poor ones only in hindsight (e.g., shutting down the huge cold storage facility that lay beneath the Market; however, I think that facility used a refrigeration technology that had become either obsolete or too costly to maintain, which may mitigate the badness of that decision).

That's why I used the conditional above rather than the definite. The only thing I can say for certain is that the Market is not an airport shopping mall, and whatever benefits may accrue to the institution's operations from "mall management," if the Market comes to resemble such a place more closely as a result, then going down that path will turn out in retrospect to be a decision that ranks up there with shutting down the cold storage floor as unwise, even if that's due to the Law of Unintended Consequences more than actual malice.

Edited to add: I didn't think the preservationists had all that much political pull, though Councilman DiCicco -- my district councilman -- does have some. However, I still consider my councilman generally on the right side of urban development issues, and where he hasn't been, at least he thought them through. I can't imagine him behaving differently on the RTM board. (Before someone throws the casinos in my face, let's just agree that big money leads lots of people to do things they shouldn't, OK?)

One more thing:  DiNic's pulled pork is even better than their roast pork, difficult as that might be to imagine.

no it's not. it's a good sandwich, but the roast pork scores extra points for being the classic.

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True dat, James, but just because Pepsi Too^W^WNew Coke bombed doesn't mean that it's impossible to improve on a classic. IMO DiNic's has done so with the pulled pork.

Edited August 6, 2007 by MarketStEl (log)

[Bluehensfan]

Seeing that the Dutch Festival would've been this weekend, wouldn't it be appropriate to parade some type of domesticated farm animal down Market Street this Saturday with a "Save Rick's Steaks" banner?

Also, for your multimedia enjoyment, an audio slideshow courtesy of the Daily News. Thankfully there are no choice words from Kevin Feeley in this one:

http://pdn.philly.com/photo/audio_slides/r...0507/index.html

Edited August 7, 2007 by Bluehensfan (log)

[Holly Moore]

In Friday’s Inquirer from an article on Tony Luke Jr., “Earlier this year, Luke said, he was asked by an unnamed business associate if he was interested in a Reading Terminal Market spot.” Did the Reading Terminal Management or Board ask someone to approach Tony Luke Jr.? If so, whom, and why was he not directly approached by Reading Terminal Market?

A question about available space at Reading Terminal Market - Is there a waiting list for merchant locations? If there is was Tony Luke Jr. simply next in line. If he was not, how and why did Tony Luke Jr. jump to the head of the line.

On Rick’s Steaks: Why evict Rick’s Steaks now rather than earlier? He has been without a lease for quite a while. According to Friday’s Inquirer article Tony Luke Jr. had been asking about space for a number of years so he did not just suddenly express interest. So this could not have happened because of Tony Luke Jr.’s sudden availability, though that is the board and management’s stated rationale. Fess up. Why now?

A cynic might suggest that the market was testing the water last year by evicting four merchants, though later rescinding on two - that it was only when there was little fuss did the market feel it was safe to go after a more prominent and annoying merchant, the former head of the merchant’s association.

On the Reading Terminal Market Board: You are a non profit corporation operating a public trust. How much of the terminal’s funds is being spent on attorney’s fees and professional public relations representation as a result of the eviction or Rick’s Steaks? What is the justification for spending such funds when Rick’s Steaks seems willing to pay the same lease as would be offered to Tony Luke’s?

Similarly, why is the board and the management unwilling to look the public in the eye? Why hide behind a big, politically connected public relations firm?

Edited August 7, 2007 by Holly Moore (log)

[MarketStEl]

FTR, another country heard from, in today's Daily News Letters to the Editor section.

[Bluehensfan]

FTR, another country heard from, in today's Daily News Letters to the Editor section.

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Everyone is entitled to their opinion of what constitutes good cuisine, especially in this town (Pat's or Geno's?)

However, just because I'm not particularly fond of the offerings at a few of the places at the market, I don't wish them ill will or ask that they relocate to the other side of the Delaware River just because I dislike their food.

In fact, I'm actually not all that big a fan of cheesesteaks, and would love to see something like a Smoked Joint outpost in the market, but would never want that to happen at the expense of a good, hardworking, successful merchant who busts his ass and helps make the market what it is today.

No thanks...i'll go hungry.

[Mummer]

FTR, another country heard from, in today's Daily News Letters to the Editor section.

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The Daily News letter I get from the link, credited to Charles L. Richardson of Philadelphia, reads like the one I recall in yesterday's printed Inky.

I'm puzzled by the "another country" reference altho' I had some funky results when linking to a philly.com page recently.

[MarketStEl]

Just me being too clever for my own good, Charlie. (Try Googling the phrase. It's a commonly used -- maybe even trite -- term that indicates

a) an unexpected take on a subject

b) something from an unexpected source

c) something someone's heard before (used sarcastically in this case)

d) some combination of the above.)

[Mummer]

Too abstruse for me. Must be my land grant education.

[Mottmott]

My shopping at RTM is pretty much confined to the fresh food stands. When it comes to steak sandwiches? I don't even like them, so I have no opinion as to which steaks are better.

But I do have an opinion of a management that will evict a tenant of 25 years standing whose presence contributed to the building up of the market, particularly if (as it seems) it is in retribution for his activism in the merchant's association. Even if one thought, as I do not, that it might be defensable because a stand did not attract a vigorous clientele, this is one of the busiest stands in the market as far as my casual observation shows.

If they are successful in evicting Rick's, I will more or less boycott RTM, going there only for that rare item I can find nowhere else. As I live in NW Phila, outside CC, over the years I have shopped there more to support a local institution against the food market giants than for its convenience. Between Weavers Way coop, farmers' markets, 9th St, and yes even WholeFoods and TJ's, RTM is pretty much redundant for me. And the parking is worse. I recently watched a show on PBS about Markets around the country: RTM didn't even make the cut! But that show makes me want to check out the market in Baltimore when I go there next. Perhaps instead of spending money on lawyers and consultants to switch one Phila steak shop for another to rid itself of an assertive merchant, management should spend it on checking out what other vibrant markets around the country offer that ours does not.

RTM should keep in mind that people interested in food have other places to go. Unless it is their design to simply turn RTM into a food court for the convention center and destroy a unique historical market. And truth to tell, except for Bassetts, I've never eaten anything while at RTM I'd go out of my way for. Well, I used to like DHDiner before they moved out of the trolley. (All personal taste, no flames, please.)

And can someone explain what's the big deal about someone closing at 5 PM when a substantial part of the market stalls are closed down early in the week? - Not that I suggest they be evicted for that. Just musin'.

[Holly Moore]

I would be interested in a list of the majority of merchants that signed the petition supporting Rick's Steaks and Rick Olivieri. I am intentionally shopping at those that did. Unfortunately boycotting the market as a whole hurts the good guys, the merchants, and not the evil-doers, the management.

Saw both the Inquirer and Daily News letters to the editor knocking the quality of Rick's Cheesesteaks. Such a consistent message. And the writer even liked Tony Luke's Jr. Couldn't have better supported the board's position if Kevin Feeley's PR firm was behind both letters.

Don't care one way or another about Rick's or Tony Luke's cheesesteaks. This is about the aloofness and vengeance of the RTM board and management in its treatment of a longtime merchant who has done absolutely nothing wrong - about taking away a family's livelihood for no legitimate reason.

Inquirer editorial board got it wrong too, in their Friday Editorial section. In an editorial entitled "Lawyers and Cheesesteaks" they trivialized the issue into one of who serves a better cheesesteak.

Edited August 7, 2007 by Holly Moore (log)

[Mottmott]

I would be interested in a list of the majority of merchants that signed the petition supporting Rick's Steaks and Rick Olivieri.  I am intentionally shopping at those that did.  Unfortunately boycotting the market as a whole hurts the good guys, the merchants, and not the evil-doers, the management. 

Saw both the Inquirer and Daily News letters to the editor knocking the quality of Rick's Cheesesteaks.  Such a consistent message. And the writer even liked Tony Luke's Jr.  Couldn't have better supported the board's position if Kevin Feeley's PR firm was behind both letters. 

Don't care one way or another about Rick's or Tony Luke's cheesesteaks.  This is about the aloofness and vengeance of the RTM board and management in its treatment of a longtime merchant who has done absolutely nothing wrong - about taking away a family's livelihood for no legitimate reason.

Inquirer editorial board got it wrong too, in their Friday Editorial section.  In an editorial entitled "Lawyers and Cheesesteaks" they trivialized the issue into one of who serves a better cheesesteak.

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You make a good point about continuing to shop at those merchants who signed the petition.

[Bluehensfan]

I would be interested in a list of the majority of merchants that signed the petition supporting Rick's Steaks and Rick Olivieri.  I am intentionally shopping at those that did.  Unfortunately boycotting the market as a whole hurts the good guys, the merchants, and not the evil-doers, the management. 

Saw both the Inquirer and Daily News letters to the editor knocking the quality of Rick's Cheesesteaks.  Such a consistent message. And the writer even liked Tony Luke's Jr.  Couldn't have better supported the board's position if Kevin Feeley's PR firm was behind both letters. 

Don't care one way or another about Rick's or Tony Luke's cheesesteaks.  This is about the aloofness and vengeance of the RTM board and management in its treatment of a longtime merchant who has done absolutely nothing wrong - about taking away a family's livelihood for no legitimate reason.

Inquirer editorial board got it wrong too, in their Friday Editorial section.  In an editorial entitled "Lawyers and Cheesesteaks" they trivialized the issue into one of who serves a better cheesesteak.

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You make a good point about continuing to shop at those merchants who signed the petition.

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The deal with the petition is that not everyone was in town when it was drawn up. So if a merchant is not listed on the petition it could actually be that they were out of town when it was drawn up. However, I do know that some merchants were not in the area and made a trip back home just to sign the petition.

I purposely went out to buy the Daily News just for the ad and still have a copy of it. While most names are legible, a few are not. Anyway, here goes:

Michael Holihan/Pennsylvania General Store

Thomas Nicolosi/DiNic's

Charles Giunta Jr./Giunta's Prime Shop

James Iovine/Iovine Bros. Produce

Wan Wuu(?)/Wan's Seafood

Vincent Termini Sr./Termini's Bakery

Harry Ochs/Harry G. Ochs & Sons

John Morgan/Downtown Cheese

Michael Strange/Bassetts Ice Cream

Jack Treatman/Old City Coffee

Glenn Mueller/Chocolates By Mueller

David Auspitz/Famous Fourth Street Cookies

Jie Chow/San Kee Peking Duck

Steven Safron/Hershel's East Side Deli

Domenic Spataro/Spataro's

Walther McIlhenry(?)/Everyday Gourmet

Steve DeShong/Market Blooms

?/?

Adham Albourouki/Kamal's Middle East Specialties

Stephanie Shao/Shanghai Gourmet

Eric Matthew/Basic 4 Vegetarian

Samuel Dienner/Dienner's BBQ

Samuel Esh Jr./Dutch Eating Place and Lancaster Co. Dairy

Alvin Beiler/Beiler's Bakery and AJ Pickle Patch and Salads

Phares Glick/The Rib Stand

David Esh/Hatville Deli

Paul Fisher/Fisher's Soft Pretzels

Darren Sausser/Bee Natural

Jake Fisher/Dutch Country Meats

Kyung Sup/OK Lee Produce

E. Dean Frankenfield/Godshall's Poultry

Ed Sciamanna/Salumeria

Johnny Moore/Shoe Doctor

(?) Voulgaridis/Olympic Gyro

Kamal Albourouki/Kamal's Middle Eastern

Soon Ae Mun/Golden Bowl

Jacob Riehl/L. Halteman's Poultry

David Dinh/Tokyo Sushi Bar

Isaac Martinas/Miscellanea Libri

George Profi/Profi's Creperie

Brian Wang/4 Season

Marion D'Ambrosio/Salad Express

Anthoni Novelli/Beer Garden

Steven Cho/Coastal Cave

Martin Giunta/Martin's Quality Meats and Sausages

Albert Starzi/Spice Terminal

Jack McDavid and Jordan Shapiro/Down Home Diner

Carmen DiGuglielmo/Carmen's Hoagie's

Roger Bassett/Original Turkey

Russell Black/Franks a Lot

Watson Parks/De' Village

David Braunstein/Pearl's Oyster Bar

Edited August 8, 2007 by Bluehensfan (log)