Jezabel Careaga is bringing Jezabel’s back to Fitler Square, with a new café set to open this summer at 617 S. 24th Street after a 2023 Lombard Street proposal stalled amid neighborhood pushback. The return comes after years of pop-ups, bake sales and a shift of much of her production to a West Philadelphia commissary, and Careaga says the new spot reflects lessons learned and a different way of fitting into the block.
As reported by PHILADELPHIA.Today, the Fitler Square location is expected to open in early to mid-summer, and Careaga has been previewing menu items at sidewalk bake sales while helping to fund the buildout through a Kickstarter campaign. That outlet notes she locked in zoning approvals before making a public announcement, a sign she is rolling things out more deliberately this time.
Menu and operations
Careaga told The Fitler Focus, “I’m calling this Jezabel’s 2.0,” explaining that the new storefront will center on finishing, baking and service, with a West Philadelphia commissary handling large-scale production. She describes a menu that keeps the Argentine pastries and empanadas regulars know, while adding new options that range from tapas and larger plates to a limited dinner service that could include Argentine wines. The setup, she says, is intended to keep prices in check while stretching what the brand can pull off in a tight neighborhood space.
The slow, methodical buildup is a clear contrast to the 2023 bid for a Lombard Street location, which stalled after neighbors raised concerns about trash, traffic and the impact of commercial activity on a residential block, according to Philadelphia Magazine. That zoning fight helped shape how Careaga chose the new spot and how she approached approvals this time around.
Testing the market
To reintroduce Jezabel’s and gauge neighborhood appetite, Careaga has been running sidewalk bake sales, with the next pop-up scheduled for Saturday, April 18 at 10 a.m. outside 617 S. 24th St., and she launched a Kickstarter to keep the project investor-free, per The Fitler Focus. The pop-ups have reportedly sold out fast, a detail that Careaga and her supporters see as a promising indicator ahead of a soft opening.
Careaga told The Inquirer that the West Philadelphia location will stay open while the Fitler Square café starts small and ramps up service into the fall. Neighbors, longtime regulars and anyone who remembers the original Jezabel’s will be watching to see whether this more careful rollout can ease old tensions and create the next community hangout on the block.
