HipCityVeg is coming to Fresh Grocer in suburban Philly
The fast-casual chain will get space inside the Fresh Grocer store in Wyncote, Montgomery County — near where founder Nicole Marquis grew up.
Plant-based fast-casual eatery HipCityVeg has struck a deal to put a location inside the Fresh Grocer supermarket in Wyncote, with a target opening of late February or early March.
It will be the 10th location for HipCityVeg, which opened on 18th Street near Rittenhouse Square in 2012 and serves a menu of burgers, fries, nuggets, and shakes — all vegan. HipCityVeg has five locations in the Philadelphia area, two in Washington, and two in New York City. Additional locations are due in 2022.
The agreement between founder Nicole Marquis and grocer Jeff Brown is positioned as a way for HipCityVeg to build its online ordering, which has quadrupled during the pandemic to nearly 60% of total orders.
The Wyncote store, on the border between the city and Montgomery County, will offer pickup and takeout from a customer counter, and delivery through the apps to such areas as Cheltenham, Elkins Park, and Melrose Park, as well as Cedarbrook, Mount Airy, Germantown, and Olney.
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Brown, who makes it a point to showcase the food products of Black and brown entrepreneurs at his ShopRite and Fresh Grocer stores, called the partnership an easy one because many of his customers are shifting to plant-based eating.
Marquis, who is Latina, said Brown approached her because he had unused kitchen space at the store in Cedarbrook Plaza and was impressed with her product line.
“This [location] is especially meaningful to me because I grew up in Elkins Park and later moved to Olney,” Marquis said.