Backyard Cravings plans to open its first storefront at 1429 Wolf St. in South Philadelphia on Saturday, moving its cheesesteak and pizza business out of owner Sal Burgese’s rowhouse operation. A grand-opening ceremony is scheduled for noon, PhillyVoice reports.
A walk-up schedule, not full-week service
The shop will keep a limited-batch schedule: pizza on Thursdays and Fridays, and cheesesteaks on Saturdays and Sundays, from noon until 7 p.m. or until that day’s supply runs out. Orders will be takeout only, cash only and first come, first served, with no phone or online ordering, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The format means customers will need to go to the storefront during its scheduled service rather than reserve an order in advance.
The move addresses a production constraint Burgese described to the Inquirer: demand had outgrown what he could readily make at home. He expects the first weeks at the new location to serve as a test run as the team adjusts to commercial-scale production. The Inquirer reports that he plans to keep a commercial double-deck oven for off-site catering.
A storefront brings city requirements into view
Philadelphia requires a Food Preparation and Serving License for businesses preparing or serving food to the public, and the City says an application requires a Business Income and Receipts Tax ID, a Commercial Activity License and proof of occupancy. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health also says a food-safety-certified employee must be present whenever a food business operates. These are general rules; they do not establish Backyard Cravings’ application or compliance status.
The applicable license depends on the business activity: the City distinguishes food preparation and service from a permanent-location retail license for businesses that sell food but do not prepare it. Backyard Cravings’ reported menu and preparation plans make the City’s food preparation and serving license guidance relevant background, not evidence of the shop’s individual licensing status.
A different route from food trucks
Backyard Cravings’ path from a home-based operation to a storefront differs from the food-truck-to-storefront transitions described in Philadelphia in 2018. Billy Penn reported on businesses including Mike’s BBQ and Mom-Mom’s Kitchen making that move. Those are separate examples, with a different starting point and years between the reports; they provide local context, not proof of a citywide trend or a comparable timeline.
