The Suraya Team Is Opening a Mexican Restaurant in Center City

Defined Hospitality, the group behind Fishtown hot spots Suraya and Pizzeria Beddia, is opening three new restaurants in Center City, all at the upcoming Pod Philly hotel at 19th and Ludlow streets. Two of the eateries will serve Mexican food. The third is an all-day cafe with a bakery counter.

The group is chef/co-owner Nick Kennedy and partners Greg Root and Al Lucas. They teamed up with Joe Beddia for the pizzeria and Nathalie Richan and Roland Kassis for Lebanese restaurant/cafe/market Suraya, and also own R&D Cocktail Bar in Fishtown.

On street level, look for Condesa to open early fall. Named after a neighborhood in Mexico City, the 140-seat restaurant will serve food inspired by that region, the team says, with corn tortillas made with volcanic stone–ground masa.

Aaron Deary, who designed the drinks at R&D and Suraya, is planning out the cocktails here too, with lots of mezcal and tequila.

Next to Condesa, they’re opening an all-day cafe with baked goods from James Matty, the pastry chef at Suraya, and coffee from Stumptown.

Heading up to the 11th floor, a rooftop taqueria with a retractable glass roof will be open year-round.

The hotel, from Washington, D.C.-based Modus Hotels and Philly-based developer Parkway Corporation, will include 252 small rooms — the idea is to keep the room rates lower because they’re only about 170 square feet each. Some rooms have bunk beds. There are Pod Hotels in New York and D.C.

Breanne Furlong

• Seven Reasons to Love Suraya
• Look Inside Lebanese Market Suraya, Opening in Fishtown
• The Highly Anticipated Second Incarnation of Pizzeria Beddia Is Now Taking Reservations
• Pod Philly, city’s first micro-hotel, coming to Center City [Curbed Philly]