The Comet closes - for now

Much to the dismay of many Penn students, the Comet Coffeehouse has closed its location north of Walnut Street on 41st Street -- but the closure is only temporary.

Owned by the husband-and-wife team of Alexi and Wendy Papadopoulos, the Comet has become known as a gathering place for activists, but was also popular among the Penn student body -- as evidenced by the sign on the door reading, "We will miss you, from Penn '02."

"It's terrible," said Wharton and Engineering freshman Aileen Nowlan in an e-mail. "The next closest place to get good coffee is 45th Street."

But Comet fans will not be deprived of their coffee and comraderie for long. According to Wendy Papadopoulos, the Comet plans to reopen in June, it hopes in an old pharmacy building near 36th and Lancaster.

"We don't have a lease signed yet because of rezoning reasons," Papadopoulos said. "But we really like the location."

Papadopoulos also mentioned that the new location was in a more residential area than the previous one, and that she was concerned with neighbors' reactions to the proposed reopening of the Comet.

"The new location is in a very neighborhood-y area," Papadopolous said. "People will be more concerned about noise."

In an effort to allow the residents' concerns to be aired, Papadopolous attended a community meeting on Monday night where she presented her proposal to move the coffeehouse.

And the residents voted unanimously to allow the Comet to move in, according to Papadopolous.

"One person even mentioned that it would be nice to have somewhere he can have a cup of coffee and read the newspaper," Papadopoulus mentioned. "Everything is looking very positive."

In addition, Papadopoulus emphatically denied rumors that the Comet was forced to leave the 41st Street location by its landlord -- Campus Apartments.

"Our lease was up in November [2001], and Campus Apartments has really been kind to us in letting us stay -- they've bent over backwards for us," Papadopoulos said. "We're moving because our business seemed to generate more business than the space could handle. The spot we were in didn't allow us the capacity to do what we wanted."

According to Papadopoulos, the additional space of the proposed new location will provide the opportunity to expand and innovate her business and make it a unique, yet useful, destination. In addition to its coffee, when the Comet reopens in its new location it will diversify by selling bread from the Metropolitan Bakery and, in the future, coffee hardware.

"I want to turn the Comet into not just a place where people can hang out," Papadopoulos said, "but a place where you can get what you need."

In addition, the Comet will be highlighting the work of local artists through its decor and hand-painted coffee cups.

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