Stephen Starr plans an ‘Italian version of Parc’ across from Rittenhouse Square
The second floor of the former Barnes & Noble bookstore will be balconied, offering diners a view of Rittenhouse Square across the street.
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Stephen Starr has approval from the Center City Residents’ Association for what he calls an “Italian version of Parc,” his popular restaurant, on the former site of the Barnes & Noble bookstore on the north side of Rittenhouse Square.
The yet-to-be-named Roman-inspired trattoria — for which Starr would be partnered with renowned restaurateur Keith McNally — will take the first two floors of the building at 1805 Walnut St. Starr confirmed in June that he planned to develop the restaurant, when a liquor-license placard was posted on the property.
The restaurant will serve weekday lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner daily. Plans call for a 70-seat cafe on the ground floor, with an 18-seat bar and an 80-seat restaurant in the rear. The second floor, with 80 seats, will be balconied, giving patrons a direct view of the square across the street. There also will be a 14-seat bar on the second floor. The building’s third floor will house office and storage.
Starr also will apply to use 10 feet of Walnut Street’s 23-foot-wide sidewalk for a 32-seat outdoor cafe, according to plans. “It’s beachfront property on Rittenhouse Square,” Allan Domb, Starr’s business partner and the owner of the building, said.
The timeline is unknown beyond “fall 2024.” Construction is due to begin in January, the plans say.
After a hearing Tuesday, the CCRA’s zoning board said it would not oppose the plan, now scheduled to go before the city Zoning Hearing Board on Nov. 1. “It’s a Starr project,” said Richard Gross, the CCRA president. He called the non-opposition “a no-brainer.”
Parc, Starr’s French bistro at 18th and Locust Streets, opened in 2008 to acclaim. Its sidewalk tables facing the square offer some of Center City’s best people-watching opportunities.
The restaurant will be about 80% of the capacity of Parc.
It also would join Barclay Prime, at the Barclay (on Walnut near Rittenhouse Square) and is around the corner from two other Starr restaurants, The Love and the Dandelion.
Starr and McNally have re-created McNally’s New York destination Pastis in New York. They later added one in Miami, and are planning a third in Washington, D.C.
Barnes & Noble occupied 1805 Walnut St. for 26 years before relocating in April to a smaller space, previously home to Forever 21, at 1708 Chestnut St.