May 18, 2020
Street View/Google
Mad River Manayunk, located at 4100 Main Street, announced it will close permanently due to the coronavirus pandemic. Farmicia, a restaurant in Old City, made a similar announcement.
Two popular Philadelphia restaurants will close their doors for good due to the ongoing hardships of the coronavirus crisis, the owners announced over the weekend.
Mad River Manayunk, which had an 11-year-run on Main Street, will shut down permanently, owner Jamie Powell and his partners said in a statement on Facebook.
"With a heavy heart, it's time to announce the ol' Riv won't make it thru this mess," Powell wrote. "I truly hope this doesn't start a string of these announcements. There are so many rumors out there, but the biggest truth of all is that Manayunk is just a different town anymore as far as nightlife goes. We decided as a squad it was just time to cash em in. No one should hang their head, a place like ours had no business making it eleven years. It's wild and honestly impressive."
In a separate Facebook post, Old City restaurant Farmicia also announced it will be shutting down after a 15-year run.
It is with a sad heart and with deepest regrets, that we must inform you that FARMiCiA Restaurant will be permanently...
Posted by Farmicia Restaurant on Sunday, May 17, 2020
"We could not have done anything without the constant love and support of our loyal guests," the owners said in a statement.
The closures come as the restaurant industry continues to reel from restrictions imposed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
An estimated 96% of Pennsylvania restaurants have been forced to lay off or furlough workers since March, according to the National Restaurant Association. About 332,000 restaurant employees across the state — representing roughly 81% of the workforce — have lost their jobs.
