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🄜 Still nutty after 50 years | Morning Newsletter

And inside Urban HQ.

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It’s Sunday. There’s a chance of showers, with a high near 84.

A longtime Philadelphia snack shop looks to social media for continued growth in the digital age as it marks 50 years in business.

Plus, go inside Urban’s headquarters to see how the company grew from Philly roots to global retailer.

Scroll along for these stories and more.

— Paola PĆ©rez and Brian Nelson (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Nuts To You has been cracking on in Center City since 1976, owned by the same family for three generations.

The snack haven has adapted to a variety of changes, from the rise of the internet to the emptying of the business district in a post-pandemic Philadelphia.

🄜 Dealing with less foot traffic: Walk-in sales are down, but it has offset that through new online customers: 40% of sales come from its website, and the company has explored selling on TikTok.

🄜 Quality above all: ā€œThat’s what our customers expect,ā€ said Justin Bernstein, who co-owns the business with his father, Howard, on their promise to loyal customers.

Olivia Prusky has the story on how Nuts To You’s has endured from its front-row seat to an evolving retail landscape.

Twenty years ago, Urban put down roots at Philadelphia’s Navy Yard. Since then, the company has grown, expanding from one building to a campus that houses 15 buildings and just over 2,500 employees.

To commemorate this momentous anniversary, a decommissioned 1977 tugboat, painted in Urban’s signature yellow and marked by its logo, is now permanently stationed outside its headquarters — as a sort of mascot to cofounder and CEO Dick Hayne.

Urban has almost 800 stores worldwide under the brand names Urban Outfitters, Free People, FP Movement, and Anthropologie and continues to grow.

Business reporter Ariana Perez-Castells dives into its past, present, and future.

What you should know today

  1. The FBI spent another day searching an Olney home tied to Eugene Albert Horsch as investigators continued processing the property. We have the latest on the investigation in our updated explainer, plus a closer look at Amy McHale, the woman who disappeared in 2016 after she was last seen at the home.

  2. Nearly 1,200 nurses at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital ratified a contract that includes raises and additional staffing at the Logan hospital.

  3. A Philadelphia wedding photographer was sued on Friday by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office for allegedly ripping off her customers for at least $75,000.

  4. The historic Conkling-Armstrong House will be renovated and expanded to offer 24 affordable apartments in North Philadelphia.

  5. Philly and its surrounding counties are set for what could be a record-breaking $322 million in federal and state money for trails.

  6. The Delco jail chief resigned after less than six months on the job, according to a statement released by the county government.

  7. A move by the Haverford Township School District to buy artificial intelligence tools for students and teachers has been met with protest from parents who fear the technology will erode learning.

  8. A state Supreme Court decision on skill games could provide funding for SEPTA and dozens of financially strained mass transit systems across Pennsylvania.

šŸŽ¤ Here’s Tommy Rowan with a look back at the skirmish between unpaid Revolutionary War soldiers and members of Congress.

The power of the purse came later.

First came mutiny.

It started with a group of unpaid Revolutionary War soldiers who marched against the country’s primitive government during a weeklong saga in June 1783.

The confrontation so startled the early version of Congress that its members fled from Philly to — of all places — New Jersey.

Read on for the full story.

ā“Pop quiz

In a new poll, almost 28% of Philadelphia residents said which city landmark best embodies American democracy?

A) Liberty Bell

B) Independence Hall

C) National Constitution Center

D) Rocky Steps

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re ...

🌻 Loving: A rare reunion of two famous van Gogh paintings at the Art Museum.

šŸ¤ Munching on: Fried silverfish and Argentinian empanadas among the best things we ate this week.

šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø Entertained by: Boston thinks its Revolutionary history might be better than Philly’s. We think that’s pretty cute.

šŸ½ļø Looking to: The mainland for this summer’s biggest Jersey Shore restaurant openings.

šŸ‡¬šŸ‡­ Learning: How Ghana became a part of Philly soccer lore nearly 15 years ago.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: West Chester native and ā€œJackassā€ star

ABE GRAMMAR

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Laura Oakes, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: RittenhouseTown. It was the site of the paper mill that was the only source of paper in America for more than 40 years.

šŸ’ƒ One more story to go: For one night each month, Carlota Ttendant has been an entertainer and an equalizer, responsible for uniting people — gay and straight, from Haddonfield to Phoenixville — around a common goal. Now, after 30 years and raising millions for people with HIV/AIDS, she’s hanging up her heels.

šŸŽ¶ Today’s track goes like this: ā€œThe heat was on, rising to the top.ā€ It’s one of my favorites from our playlist of the 76 most iconic Philadelphia songs.

šŸ‘‹šŸ½ Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Inquirer. Have a great day.

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