Food court to serve as home for new pizzeria

Penn students will soon have yet another pizza place to test out on campus.

New York-based pizzeria Famous Famiglia will be welcomed to the Philadelphia neighborhood as soon as the establishment's home inside the Moravian Cafes is ready for them to occupy.

According to John Greenwood, general manager of UCA -- the company that handles Penn's real estate holdings -- talks with Famous Famiglia have been ongoing for the past four months.

No date has yet been given for the pizzeria's opening.

"Famous Famiglia is a terrific operation," Greenwood said. "They have just opened a franchise at the University of Michigan and are opening their first Philadelphia franchise here at Penn."

Famous Famiglia will be filling the space in the Moravian Cafes, the food court located at 3401 Walnut Street, recently vacated by Cosimos Pizza. Cosimos, which has called the food court home for the past 15 years, closed recently.

An employee of Cosimos Pizza, who asked to remain anonymous, cited slow business as the main reason for the business' closing.

"There was a lack of business for the past few years," said the employee. "We've been there 15 years, but now its just not worth staying open."

Andy Cosenza, owner of Philly Steaks, Grillworks, Buckhead Deli and Salad Creations -- all located in Moravian Cafes -- elaborated on the business slowdown.

"Lately, there's been more of a shift to the 40th Street area," Cosenza said of the change in consumer traffic. "Sales are down. We've lost a lot of business, especially nighttime business, to that."

College senior Emil Bogdan said she believes Cosimos Pizza may not have been getting much business because of high prices.

"The pizza was alright, but it didn't warrant the price," said Bogdan. "Where I'm from, you can get pizza real cheap. Even down by the movie theater, you can get pizza cheaply."

However, others said they will miss the establishment.

Cosimos' closing "is very sad. I would always go there," Penn Veterinary School worker Elizabeth McNamara said. "They had good deals and good pizza."

Another reason for the business slowdown in the past few years could have been the reopening of the newly renovated Houston Hall in the fall of 2000.

"After Houston Hall opened, the kids all went there," Bruno said. "It's bright and clean and there are computer hook-ups so they can check their e-mail. Why would they come out [to the Moravian Cafes]?"

The manager also claims that the University has not done its part to bring business to the food court.

"We paid for ads, and they didn't run them," Bruno claimed.

However, according to Greenwood, the University always has been and will continue to make efforts to bring business to the retailers on and around Penn's campus.

"We always serve our tenants," Greenwood said. "We will continue to explore new ways and ideas to drive business."

In addition, Cosimos and other Moravian Cafes retailers seem to be unhappy with the maintenance of the facility.

"The building is dirty and rundown," the Cosimos employee said. "The food court is dead."

But Greenwood disagrees.

"I am in constant contact with the operators at the food court," he said. "They feel the food court is the best it has ever been."

Cosenza voiced sentiments similar to Greenwood's.

"The University does a good job maintaining this food court compared to other food courts in the area," he said.

College of General Studies junior Kate Houseman had no complaints about the condition of the food court.

"I've never considered [Moravian Cafes] to be dirty," Houseman said. "But there is a big difference between how clean the dining area is and the cleanliness of the actual vendors," she noted.

College junior Tara Schwarz, however, has had a very different experience with the Moravian Cafes.

"My roommate and I have eaten in the cafes and both got food poisoning," Schwarz said. "It has made me wonder how clean it is, but we both still come here out of convenience."

The Moravian Cafes' proximity to campus might be its saving grace. According to Greenwood, the food court has not had a long-term vacancy for at least the past five years, presumably because of its prime location.

"We've rolled tenants, but we've always had tenants to back-fill spaces," Greenwood said. "If the food court wasn't always occupied, then there might be a problem."

In addition to the new pizza establishment, Cosenza said that he, in conjunction with the University, is planning to overhaul the Moravian Cafes into a more enticing, attractive place for potential customers.

"We are going to pump a lot of money into making this place a state-of-the-art establishment to try to bring more business," Consenza said.

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