Front Street Cafe sold to the D.C. restaurant group that owns the acclaimed Tiger Fork
Blagden Hospitality Group, whose Washington, D.C., holdings include Michelin-recommended Tiger Fork, is preparing to take over the sprawling restaurant at Front and Thompson Streets.
Front Street Cafe, one of the earlier entrants in the Fishtown-Kensington restaurant boom, is being sold to a Washington, D.C., hospitality group whose holdings include the Michelin-recommended Tiger Fork.
Blagden Hospitality Group is preparing to take over the large restaurant space at 1253 N. Front St., at Thompson Street, beneath the Market-Frankford El, according to co-owner Lee Larkin, who founded the cafe in 2015 with Nicole Barclay..
The deal has not closed, and terms were not disclosed. Blagden plans to continue operating the restaurant before eventually introducing a new name and concept, according to a statement provided by Larkin. No timetable was announced.
Blagden co-founder Greg Algie declined to comment Monday, saying that the group was “still working through things.”
Blagden’s Washington restaurants include Tiger Fork, a Chinese restaurant in Shaw’s Blagden Alley that is listed in the Michelin Guide, as well as Calico, Fainting Goat, and Primrose.
Front Street Cafe opened in September 2015, years before many of the restaurants that have since made Fishtown and neighboring Kensington dining destinations. At a time when vegan and plant-based cooking was less prevalent on Philadelphia menus, it championed farm-to-table sourcing.
The restaurant began with a coffee and juice bar serving commuters using the nearby Girard Avenue station and expanded into a full-service restaurant and bar. Front Street’s sprawling layout, combining a ground-floor dining room, upstairs event space, and expansive outdoor garden, helped establish it as a neighborhood gathering place.
Larkin, a real estate developer who owned the distinctive 19th-century building before opening the restaurant, had envisioned a place that could accommodate diners with varying dietary preferences.
The property was offered for sale following the death in March of executive chef Andrew Petruzelli, who had been involved with Front Street Cafe since its inception.
The real estate listing, handled by MSC Retail, carried an asking price of $4.8 million for the restaurant business, building, liquor license, furniture, fixtures, equipment, and four leased apartments, all occupying 12,500 square feet. Terms were not disclosed.
Jacob Cooper of MSC Retail Realty represented the seller and brought the parties together. Stefanie Gabel, also of MSC, represented the buyer.
In the statement, Larkin said Blagden would build on the restaurant’s community presence while bringing its own ideas to the space, eventually developing a new identity.
“Front Street Cafe has always been about this community: our neighbors, our regulars, and everyone who has made this place feel like home,” said general manager Timothy St. Pierre. “We’re excited to see what Blagden Hospitality Group brings to the table. They have the experience and vision to help this space grow and thrive for years to come.”
