Center City shoppers apparently have an appetite for snickerdoodles.
The Center City District released its latest data on local retail Tuesday, dubbing 2024 the "year of the cookie," due to a boom in bakeries focused on cookies. The national chains Levain Bakery, Taylor Chip and Chip City Cookies have opened shops in Center City since the summer, bringing the total number of cookie-centric bakeries to eight. Center City supports 17 bakeries overall.
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Other chocolate chip peddlers include Blueprint Cookies, which launched locally in 2023, and The Famous 4th St. Cookie Co. The homegrown venture Insomnia Cookies also opened its new corporate headquarters and flagship store at 1 S. Broad St. in February.
The CCD attributed the cookie craze to the sweet treat's affordability, portability and versatility. Social media also has contributed, the report concluded, "as evidenced by the long lines of eager customers waiting for grand openings."
The district's Open Streets initiative also was a hit with Center City crowds, the report found.
The city closed seven blocks of 18th and Walnut streets to traffic for four Sundays in September, an attempt to boost foot traffic in the Rittenhouse area. It worked, as 47,800 people turned out and nearly 90% of businesses reported increases in foot traffic. They also saw a 79% increase in average sales, while retailers specifically noted a 90% bump.
The program will return for two dates in December.
Other trends detailed in the report include "experiential retail," a category encompassing entertainment venues like Puttshack, Beat the Bomb, Five Iron Golf and Barcade. F1 Arcade and the delayed Flight Club Darts are set to join the scene in 2025.
Conversely, there was a downward trend in outdoor seating following the implementation of the city's new streetery license process. Only four restaurants in Center City still maintain these structures. Sidewalk cafe seating also declined, albeit much less dramatically. The CCD partially attributed the 8% dip in this category to "seasonal fluctuations."
Some business owners have complained that the streetery approval process is too cumbersome, spurring City Council hearings on the subject earlier this year. Regardless of what happens to these structures, the CCD said new approaches to outdoor dining are needed to meet demand, which "remains robust."
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