See you at the RTM on Sunday!

[MarketStEl]

Just got a note in e-mail about a big change at the Reading Terminal Market.

At its monthly meeting yesterday, the Board of Directors of the Reading

Terminal Market Corporation approved a plan to open the Market on Sundays on

a trial basis beginning on Sunday, October 15th.  This decision was

motivated by a written request addressed to the Board and signed by more

than a quarter of the Market's merchants.

Each merchant will be able to decide whether or not to open at his or her

option.  As a consequence, not all merchants will be open, in particular the

Amish.

Hours of operation on Sundays will be 9:00am to 4:00pm beginning October

15th.

This is good news for me, as it means that--unless I want to patronize the Amish merchants--I won't have to carve out time on Saturday in order to hit the Market.

I suspect it will be good news for more than a few of you, too.

Let's all pitch in to help make this "trial" a permanent fixture!

[Sartain]

Great news indeed! We'll see who is going to be open, but just the thought of not being limited to Whole Paycheck or Superfresh is putting a big grin on my face.

(limited because by the time I get up on Sundays, the Italian Market is winding down)

[katbert]

Best news ever.

It will give me relief from fighting the crowds at Sabrina's on Sundays...

[mrbigjas]

if ochs' or martin's is open, and iovines, that'll pretty much make it worthwhile for me. if it's just a couple of lunch places, then i predict it won't last. but i'll be there.

[Holly Moore]

Breakfast at the Down Home Diner, too.

[rlibkind]

RTM Manager Paul Steinke says they've got buy-in from 22 of 77 merchants so far. Last year, for the four Sundays prior to Christmas, they had 42 merchants open, Paul said. No doubt more than the 22 will join, but how many more is open to question.

No doubt Iovine Brothers will be open -- Vinnie and Jimmie have been chomping at the bit to be open Sundays (as well as into the early evening on weekdays). And Hershel's Deli, the new Jewish style deli slated to open this fall, will no doubt be a Sunday opener. (Lox and bagels, anyone?)

Certainly the Amish won't participate. In the past, many of the Amish merchants said they would pull out of the market entirely if it was to open on Sunday on a regular basis, even if they were not required to be open on Sunday. (I never thought that was a real threat, because there are plenty of other Amish willing to take their place.)

My guess is most of the lunch places will be open on Sunday, but I would also expect at least one of the butchers would join the Sunday group. Martin's didn't during last year's four-Sunday run, but maybe his brother Charlie, with a new store, will; Harry Ochs and all three fish markets participated in the Sunday thing last year. Iovine's did, O.K. Lee did not.

Here's a list of the merchants who were open Sundays last year:

12th Street Cantina

Amazulu

Amy's Place

Bassetts Ice Cream

Bee Natural

Beer Garden

Blue Mountain Vineyards

Chocolate by Mueller

Coastal Cave

Cookbook Stall

De Village African Art

Down Home Diner

Downtown Cheese

Don't Forget Your Pet

Famous 4th St. Cookies

Flower Basket

Foster's Gourmet Cookware

Golden Bowl

Golden Fish Market

Harry G. Ochs & Sons

Iovine Bros Produce

John Yi Fish Market

Market Blooms

Natural Connection

Nanee's Kitchen

Old City Coffee

Olympic Gyro

Original Turkey

Pennsylvania General Store

Profi's Creperie

Rick's Philly Steaks

Rocco's Famous Italian Hoagies

Salumeria

Salad Express

Sang Kee

Shoe Doctor

Termini Brothers Bakery

Terralyn: Bath, Body & Spirit

Wan's Seafood

Young Botanicals

[MarketStEl]

No doubt Iovine Brothers will be open -- Vinnie and Jimmie have been chomping at the bit to be open Sundays (as well as into the early evening on weekdays).

←

If Paul needs more ammo to show reluctant merchants that the RTM does indeed have competition, I'd be glad to supply this data point for him.

If the merchants were to follow the Iovines' advice and stay open later on weekdays, I wouldn't have to route my trip home past the H-Mart in Upper Darby in order to pick up a little fresh produce or something special to fix that night--I could just come on back into town as I normally would and let the train drop me off right under the RTM. (Now, I might still go via Upper Darby if I was looking for Asian ingredients, but that's another story.)

I think Paul (and the Iovines) have a better idea of how much money the RTM is leaving on the table for others to pick up than some of the merchants do. Just because the Reading Terminal Market Corporation is a not-for-profit organization doesn't mean it can just lose money without consequences.

[rlibkind]

The manager at Spice Terminal tells me he doesn't intend to open on Sundays, at least not when the Iggles are playing.

[Vadouvan]

Just came back, stopped at the market after Dim sum in chinatown.

I do have to say its a great idea, sadly no amish.....

Still great nonetheless.

[rlibkind]

Just came back, stopped at the market after Dim sum in chinatown.

←

Huh? Paul Steinke's email (and the Inky article) said the Sunday openings weren't to start until Oct. 15. Who was open today?

Also, you said you're just back from dim sum in Chinatown. I didn't know any dim sum joints were open on Sundays much before 10:30-11 a.m. Who is?

[Vadouvan]

Bob, i guess it was confusing how I wrote it.

It starts on the 15th as you say, I just parked under the convention center bridge close to chinatown. There are lots of places open early in chinatown....