These Philly Restaurants Have Temporarily Closed Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

Philadelphia restaurant and bar owners have been forced to quickly figure out how to react to the novel coronavirus pandemic amid recommendations for social distancing. Several local restaurants were already adding or expanding delivery and takeout options even before the city of Philadelphia and then Pennsylvania ordered restaurants and bars to stop dine-in services for at least two weeks starting March 16. Others are opting to temporarily shut their doors altogether.

Here is a running list of Philly restaurants that are closing temporarily — note that these are restaurants that are currently closed, not restaurants that are switching over to delivery and takeout while dining rooms are shuttered. If you have a temporary closure to add, let us know at philly@eater.com.

• Casa Mexico, the brand-new Italian Market restaurant from Cristina Martinez of South Philly Barbacoa, is closing temporarily. “We will be back as soon as possible,” the restaurant posts on Instagram. The reaction to the post reflects a lot of current social media conversation around bars and restaurants, with one commenter commending Casa Mexico for “doing the right thing,” adding “I hope others follow your lead and that places closing can sell gift certificates so you can pay workers/cover costs,” while another person writes: “Noooooo! Please don’t fall for this hysteria.”
• Italian restaurant Wm. Mulherin’s Sons in Fishtown is temporarily closed. In a post on Instagram, the restaurant writes: “At this time, we are acting out of an abundance of caution and believe we all should be heeding the CDC’s guidance regarding social distancing.”
• Japanese restaurant Hiroki, which shares a building and owners with Mulherin’s and quickly became known for its high-end omakase menu when it opened last spring, is also closed temporarily.
• Angelo’s Pizzeria, the wildly popular takeout shop in Bella Vista, is closing for a few days, as of March 15. Owner Danny DiGiampietro writes in an Instagram post: “The crowds get tight here and because of the social distancing thing I feel it’s in your and my staff’s best interest to take a few days off and get a better understanding of what’s next.”
• Philly-favorite cheesesteak shop Dalessandro’s in Roxborough writes on Facebook that it is “doing our part to take precautionary measures” and closing as of March 15. The post continues: “We will closely monitor the CDC guidelines and the impact on our local community and will reopen when we feel it is appropriate to do so. We serve a large number of guests on a daily basis and are doing our part to ensure the health and safety of our guests, staff and community. We thank you for your patronage and look forward to seeing you soon.”
• In Chinatown, Dim Sum Garden has shut its doors for now.
• Also in Chinatown, Lê, the owner of Hop Sing Laundromat, made the decision to close his popular speakeasy-style bar “until further notice,” and likely not until early summer. Lê tells Eater: “Just the thought that either our guests or staff members caught this virus then ended up spreading it to others is unimaginable to us. Therefore we believe that it’s our responsibility to take it upon ourselves to act swiftly instead of just waiting around for the government to tell us it’s time.” The bar’s staff voted unanimously to close, he adds.
• In Kensington, the International Bar is closing temporarily as of midnight on March 15.
• Board game cafe Thirsty Dice in Fairmount is closed for now.
• Rivers Casino (formerly SugarHouse) on the Delaware River waterfront and its restaurants are closing for 14 days starting March 15 at 11:59 p.m. In Bensalem, Parx Casino is also temporarily dark.
• Tommy DiNic’s in Reading Terminal Market, known for its roast pork sandwiches, is closing temporarily, starting after business on March 16.

Since this story was originally posted on March 15, many more restaurants and bars in Philadelphia have decided to temporarily close. Note, as above, that these are restaurants that are closed for now, not restaurants that are switching to delivery and takeout while dining rooms are shuttered.

• All Schulson Collective restaurants, including:
  Giuseppe & Sons
  Via Locusta
  Alpen Rose
  Double Knot
  Sampan
  Harp & Crown
  Osteria
• Restaurants in the Fearless group, including Moshulu, White Dog Cafe, and Louie Louie
• Luna Cafe, both locations
• Philadelphia Distilling
• Cantina Los Caballitos and Cantina Do Segundos
• Triangle Tavern
• Royal Tavern
• Khyber Pass Pub
• Palizzi Social Club
• Tuna Bar
• Pizza Shackamaxon
• Elwood
• Audrey Claire
• Fiorella and Vetri Cucina — “We bring you this news with heavy hearts but we feel it is best for our staff, guests and community. The people who work with us and our loyal guests are what makes our restaurants so special. It’s our responsibility to keep everyone safe during this time,” owners Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin wrote on Instagram in a post announcing the temporary shutters.
• Federal Donuts and all restaurants in Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook’s restaurant group are closed until further notice. All proceeds from gift card sales will go toward supporting the group’s hourly workers. Solomonov writes on Instagram: “We need to make sure our team and all of you are safe and staying put in your homes so we don’t overwhelm our hospitals and incredibly brave and courageous health care workers. Thank you for your support and for allowing us to serve you. The last 12 yrs have been beyond my wildest dreams and even though this particular moment feels like a nightmare, I am confident we will all get through this together and stronger. Thank you for your continued support, understanding, and love.” Included:
  Zahav
  Goldie
  Dizengoff
  K’Far
  Laser Wolf
  Merkaz
  Abe Fisher
• Suraya
• Condesa, El Techo, and El Cafe, all in the Pod hotel
• Pizzeria Beddia
• Laurel
• ITV
• The Good King Tavern and Le Caveau
• Vernick Food & Drink
• Vernick Fish
• Jean-Georges Philadelphia
• Sarvida
• Oyster House
• Cheu Fishtown and Cheu Noodle Bar
• Bing Bing Dim Sum
• Nunu