Sweet Nina’s and Kismet Bagels are getting permanent homes at the ever-changing Reading Terminal Market

Reading Terminal Market is never stagnant. It’s a constant swirl of activity, with new merchants preparing to open while existing ones renovate. Stalls grow and shrink. Closings, meanwhile, are comparatively few.

“We call it Tetris,” said Annie Allman, the market’s general manager, with a giggle.

At this stage of the pandemic, more merchants are on the way and expansions are planned.

Among the major moves: Kismet Bagels, the fast-rising bagel bakery that just opened its first store in Fishtown, will open a bialy stand next to a new home for dessert specialist Sweet Nina’s and a new meat-based concept called Butcher’s Pantry from butcher Rob Passio of Giunta’s Prime and chef Beth Esposito. The three stalls, which do not yet have firm opening dates, will be side by side on the Filbert Street end of the market, replacing what had been day stalls. (The day-stall program, which had given visibility to start-ups, is being reconfigured, Allman said.)

Earlier this month saw the move of Really Reel Ginger, a ginger-based food and beverage business from Iliyaas and Hadia Muhammad, to a new space near Famous 4th Street Cookies. Really Reel Ginger expanded to include a line of skincare products, ginger shots, new ginger-based snacks, a small selection of produce, and kitchen tools like ginger graters. The Muhammads started at the market in 2017 with a day stall, selling products inspired by Hadia’s roots in Mali.

The market’s most recent addition is Kensington Food Company, an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting room from Thomas Sheridan, whose product line includes truffles, relishes, and pickled items. It occupies part of the former Tootsie’s salad bar.

Also on tap are expansions of Olympia Gyro, which also will pick up a beer-sales license and a seating area, and Glick’s Rib Shack to give it more space to display its line of cook-at-home foods. Also, Down Home Diner is planning a renovation.

Here is a rundown of new merchants on the way.

Nina Bryan, a longtime caterer (her side gig while working as a corporate trainer for Colonial Penn Insurance), started selling banana pudding in the market in late 2017 from a day stall. She quickly built the business and picked up a permanent stand across the aisle. This summer, she will move back to join Kismet and Butcher’s Pantry. The move also means she will expand her line to include banana pudding cakes and eventually quiche.

Jacob Cohen, a Realtor, and his wife, Alexandra, an advertising salesperson, began baking bagels at home at the outset of the pandemic. When they posted about their hobby on a Northern Liberties neighborhood Facebook page, orders and donations flooded in. A pop-up at Urban Village Brewing in Northern Liberties brought in $1,200, which they donated to Project HOME. They went pro with wholesale, baking first out of a shared commissary at Liberty Kitchen and later out of larger facility at MaKen Studios North in Kensington. On April 8, they opened a shop at 113 E. Girard Ave. in Fishtown while continuing to wholesale and to sell at farmer’s markets.

But the bialy, Jacob says, is the next thing. The humble, Polish-rooted cousin of the bagel — with a deep dimple that can act as a vessel for various fillings — is undergoing a bit of a resurgence. The Cohens will bake them on premises, along with bagels. Traditionally, bialys are filled with onion, salt, or poppy, but the Cohens plan all sorts of flavors, some inspired by collaborations with local chefs and food businesses.

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Rob Passio of Giunta’s and chef Beth Esposito of Pink Garlic are planning what he calls a South Philly-style prepared-meat store as an adjunct to his butcher counter, selling “pretty much anything you need for dinner,” Passio said: marinated meats, a hot soup and stew, spices, compound butters, and side dishes such as broccoli rabe and fried cauliflower.

“We’re calling it ‘pantry’ because when you open your pantry, you grab a little of this and a little of that to create your meal.”

The foods and culture of the Republic of Georgia are on the mind of Northeast Philadelphia-raised siblings Michael and Donna Kolodesh, who will set up Saami Somi, next to Kensington in part of the former Tootsie’s space. In addition to pantry items (spices, sauces, pickles) and tableware, they will sell traditional dishes and bake hot khachapuri, the famous filled breads.

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