Beer here: Hawthornes coming to South Philly

Beer aficionado Chris Fetfatzes and his girlfriend, marketing whiz Heather Annechiarico, are setting up shop in the former Bella Vista Beer Distributors location on the southwest corner of 11th and Fitzwater Streets. That slice of South Philly is known as Hawthorne.

Hence, the name Hawthornes.

Fetfatzes -- whose father owns the beer biz, now located at 11th and Catharine -- insists that Hawthornes won't be a restaurant. It'll be a "homey cafe-slash-gourmet deli-slash-brunch-spot-slash-bottle shop," with prepared food to go and a changing menu of food based on local, seasonal ingredients. Cheese plates, too.

Construction is underway and opening is expected in mid-September.

The alcohol of choice, as you might guess, will be beer. In LCB terms, they have an "E" license, which allows beer sales on the premises as well as to go -- but not wine and spirits. "We'll have obscene amounts of beer -- 800 to 1,000 varieties plus growlers to go," she said.