The former Di Bruno Bros. space at Radnor’s Stratford Shopping Center is getting a second act: a new all-day restaurant called Dahlia. The concept is expected to bring breakfast, lunch and dinner to the Chesterbrook shopping center, along with a sizable interior makeover and outdoor seating.
Michael MacCrory and Sean Coyle are behind the project, which zoning documents identify as Dahlia. According to WhatNow, the restaurant will include a main dining room, central bar, private dining space, indoor seating and an outdoor area, while also taking over the former Di Bruno Bros. café retail space.
New Restaurant Clears Its Parking Hurdle
The project’s first big obstacle was not the menu but the parking plan. The Radnor Zoning Hearing Board approved a variance allowing Dahlia customers to use parking shared by Stratford Shopping Center and the adjacent Lancaster County Farmers Market, according to Radnor Patch.
Those lots combine for 307 parking spaces, and the operators argued that Dahlia’s busiest periods—Friday and Saturday dinner—would not overlap heavily with the farmers market’s operating schedule. Renderings show roughly 180 indoor seats and 42 outdoor seats beneath a canopy, giving the former market a decidedly more restaurant-forward footprint.
Dahlia is also arriving after a notable vacancy in the local food scene. CBS Philadelphia reported that the Wayne Di Bruno Bros. location was among three stores slated to close as the company refocused on its flagship locations and online sales.
The new restaurant will add another concept to MacCrory and Coyle’s growing portfolio, which includes The Goat’s Beard locations in Manayunk and Wayne, Mia Ragazza in Manayunk and The Daisy Tavern in Conshohocken. MacCrory told WhatNow that the pair signed a 10-year lease with two additional five-year renewal options, though an opening date and menu have not yet been announced.
