July 12, 2019
Screenshot/Google Street View
Chhaya Cafe on East Passyunk Avenue, shown here, will soon become a Southern-inspired BYOB restaurant called Flannel. The restaurant is expected to open sometime around Labor Day 2019.
East Passyunk Avenue will soon add another BYOB to its restaurant roster – and this time, the theme will be the South.
Chhaya Cafe at 1819 East Passyunk Ave. will become a Southern-inspired BYOB restaurant called Flannel helmed by Marc Grika, according to PhillyMag.
Grika bought Chhaya Cafe from original owner Vernana Beuria earlier this year. Grika previously worked with for the Jose Garces restaurant group from 2010 to 2014 and the Georges Perrier restaurant group from 2007 to 2010.
The space, Grika told PhillyVoice, will specialize in South Carolina low country foods, but will also feature other Southern-inspired cuisine.
According to South Carolina's official tourism website, low country cuisine is heavily influenced by the culinary traditions brought to the United States by West African slaves, and involves plenty of one-pot dishes that highlight seafood (specifically shellfish), rice, and vegetables.
The cafe will continue to operate for breakfast and lunch, similar to the current Chhaya Cafe setup but with "touches of dinner" added to the service.
Grika plans to keep Chhaya Cafe open for the next few weeks, close for one or two weeks, and then open as Flannel sometime after Labor Day, he told PhillyVoice.
For now, Grika said, the plan is for Flannel to be open six days a week: open for normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; open for brunch and dinner on Saturday; open for brunch and a "take-out supper" on Sunday; and open for breakfast, lunch, and a family-style "Family Meal" on Monday nights.
NOTE: This story was updated with more information on July 16, 2019, about the plans for the restaurant's schedule and menu.
Follow Adam & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @adamwhermann | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Add Adam's RSS feed to your feed reader
Have a news tip? Let us know.
