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Swiss Haus Bakery to return as a cafe in a new Rittenhouse location

The bakery, nearly 100 years old, will have cafe seating and coffee service at 1740 Sansom St.

A bull and bear-theme mural, reflecting the owners' background in finance, is a work in progress at the new location of Swiss Haus, 1740 Sansom St.
A bull and bear-theme mural, reflecting the owners' background in finance, is a work in progress at the new location of Swiss Haus, 1740 Sansom St.Read moreMICHAEL KLEIN / Staff

Swiss Haus, the nearly century-old Rittenhouse bakery specializing in cookies and cakes that closed earlier this summer for remodeling, will reopen Sept. 28 in a new location about two blocks away.

It also will assume a new identity as Swiss Haus Cafe & Pastry Bar, at 1740 Sansom St., which last was a Slice Pizza location.

Owner Ronald Simms, who works in finance, has picked up a new business partner, John Proctor, a stockbroker. As such, the cafe will take on a Wall Street theme, with seating, a bull-and-bear mural, clocks set to the various world markets, TV playing CNBC, and even a morning bell ringing at 9:30 a.m. (though the shop will open at 7:30 a.m. for coffee customers Monday to Saturday).

Simms and Proctor, saying the old location on 19th Street near Chestnut did not work out, will use the original recipes for the shop’s cakes; Swiss Haus’ signature hazelnut will even have its own display case. There will be a cookie counter and a grab-and-go case.

Simms said he was working on kosher certification.

Swiss Haus was Swiss Pastry Shop when the Christen family opened it in 1923.