Cantina is paving its outside patio
The Cantina is making summertime margarita-sipping a little less buggy as it makes another update to its outside patio.
A crew was outside the restaurant yesterday getting the ground ready to pour the concrete. The gravel that covered the ground — and provided plenty of nooks and crannies for mosquitoes to hide in — has been removed.
Nice. Now, what ever happened to that “living mural” that was supposed to go up on the wall? Last we heard, the Mural Arts Program was still looking for funding, but that was in 2012.
UPDATE: David Goldfarb, zoning chair of the East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association, said the plan for the mural is officially on “hiatus.”
He also said that the Cantina crew had agreed to make the paving water-permeable, but it “proved to be way too expensive.” Instead, they agreed to add an extra tree and to pitch the water runoff into the four tree pits as well as an extra water runoff pit, he said.
They also agreed to restrict outside hours to decrease the amount of noise for neighbors. Outside, it’s now midnight for last call on Sunday to Thursday and 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant is also adding a sign to direct patrons to exit through the restaurant.
You just ruined Provwitout’s day. He thought for sure this was going to be a parking lot.
About time.
Yeah.. Good one.
Btw.. Hows your beer distributor coming along? Those scaffolds that are there to make it look like they’re being speedy about fixing the bricks are a nice touch. I can’t wait to see the bullet proof glass fortress they erect inside the place. Real classy man. You have some serious taste.
lulz…btw… nice to see you still do not understand the difference between a “beer distributor” and a “six pack/stop & go”.
Yeah I saw what you posted before on the other article. This place ain’t that place you compared it to. Not even CLOSE… Low class is low class… And thats what a beer distributor with ugly metal window protectors and bullet proof glass projects to the people traveling through… Low class ghetto scum joint…
Its a shame you have me talking about this because, this article is about the Cantina, a quality establishment… But you seem to have developed this obsession with what I might think about every article that is printed, so you feel the need to mention my name. I’m glad you to have captured your interest. Now just don’t be a creep about it.
…Glad to have captured…***
This is no surprise. This was agreed apon over 1 1/2 years ago at at civic meeting with the owners, Steven Simon, Mr Goldfarb and others. . I spoke with Mr Goldfarb personally on the sidewalk the night of the meeting and expressed my concerns as a neighbor. It was also agreed back then that there would BE NO EXIT from the patio onto the sidewalk and that the lot would be paved. A sign is not enough. It need to be fenced as that was agreed to back then also. They also need to stop the drinking and smoking on the parking lot wall! They have a sigh outside of their entrance,no smoking, so they come across the street with beer and margaritas and smoke and drink. I personally spoke with the cantina manager last week about it an she had the drinkers go back to in front of the cantina. Smoking is not allowed in philadelplhia within 20 or 25′ of a commercial building. Drinking across the street is also not allowed under the Plcb. Yes, even though it took a long time, they are now doing it. Now, lets ditch the tent!
I actually like the tent. Make’s it an all-weather space.
Agree there can be NO drinking on the parking lot wall. But you have no grounds for complaining about people smoking there.
Yes I can. I own the building next to the lot and live upstairs. We can not open the windows any longer and the restruant on the 1st floor has the air conditioner right there. The smoke get sucked into the a/c unit and the restaurant gets a smoke smell. There is a law in Philadelphia where yo CAN NOT smoke within 25 feet of commercial building entrance.
So I think i do have a say in the smoking. The Cantina knows of the law and that is why they posed the “no Smoking” sign.
You didn’t mention they were smoking right in front of the building/restuarant. The fact that you own it don’t mean squat, just makes you sound like a jerk. That being said, if they move the required 25 feet from YOUR door, they can smoke their brains out on the parking lot wall.
Anthony, what did you post such a hateful reply? Are you the anthony who owns the lot cantons rents? How about giving me your address and i invent them to smoke under your windows. I do not meant for you to do that , just think hoe you would like it. by the way, it is 20 feet, not 25. also, the smoke would not be DIRECTLY under the windows and a/c unit.
I agree about the smoking. And I don’t even smoke.
Agree with Anthony G, that is…
About the wall…
Not sure if I’m going to be able to assuage all your concerns, but send me your phone number at zoning@epcrossing.org if you’d like to talk further.
I’m pretty sure the city even has a bench / cigarette butt disposal along that wall. If this was really the case, you wouldn’t be able to smoke anywhere in Philadelphia at all…
As for closing off the sidewalk entrance, what does actually accomplish? It also no longer makes outside seating dog friendly which is a huge drawing point for the restaurant. And can you elaborate on what is bad about the tent? It prevents patrons from getting wet. This is important.
Closing the patio exit is silly. There is no benefit to forcing people to funnel back out through the restaurant exit, which already gets quite busy during peak business.
I agree!!!
Also a neighbor of the Cantina. Also don’t mind the tent. I kinda like it. However, also as a neighbor and pedestrian, it feels like there is often a bottleneck near the entrance. So, I actually don’t mind if people go across the street to smoke (not drink though), it lessens the sidewalk congestion.
And, honest snark-free question, what benefit is there to exiting via the building versus the front of the patio (Passyunk Ave side)?
Egress through the restaurant was to reduce neighbors concerns about people taking drinks from the patio to go, which has allegedly happened. It’s simply a more orderly point of exit, with more control by Cantina’s staff. Cantina had no objections.
Cantina SHOULD have had objections. Now its gonna be a congested mess…
There is NO benefit exiting via the building. The front Patio exit was perfect…
Thank god. Permeable surfaces are un-Philadelphian.
Too expensive for some permeable surfacing?
This place is packed all day and night when its nice weather – I don’t think there is a terrible shortage of funds to do the right thing for the neighborhood/city/earth for decades to come.
another opportunity lost…
As for the tent – its not terrible I suppose but it does cheapen the look. In an ideal world a permanent structure covering that section with a green roof would be be great- kill two birds with one stone.
if not a green roof, at least a trellis with retractable sun shade or something like that.
The tent looks like a cheesy wedding tent.
I’m firmly in agreement that more could have been done with the patio to (a) reduce runoff, and (b) be more attractive. I’m still not completely understanding how they’re managing their runnoff. I heard that it was through the tree pits and some sort of underdrain. Hope it works :-/
I agree Ian..
They should take a look at Sardine Bar to see how an outdoor patio should be built.
Here, here.
There has to be an exit from the patio to the sidewalk, because there are too many people on the patio for there to be just one exit (this is per the building code). However, the second exit could be for emergencies only, and alarmed like you see in large stores, etc. Though I imagine late-night alarms going off would anger the neighbors even more. . .