Happy holidays, neighbor! Get in the spirit with a buzzy new French café in Wayne, a space-themed indoor playground, a mobile party bar and more!
• Bonjour, Matines Café!
There’s a new French café in Wayne, and it’s très bien! This is the second location for Matines Café (the original opened in 2022 to rave reviews in Chestnut Hill). Husband-and-wife owners Arthur and Amanda Dubrec relied on their Parisian roots to transform the space on Lancaster Avenue (previously a GSI Bath Showplace) into an authentic European café complete with a coffee bar, bakery and sandwich shop, artisan market, flower stand and seating for 60. All food items are prepared in house and cooked to order under the direction of Chef Sophia Bourgogne of Montpellier in southern France.
Matines serves savory breakfast and gourmet sandwiches, quiches, tartines, salads, soups and small plates, along with La Colombe coffee, mocktails and more. Simply order at the counter and a member of the café’s waitstaff will bring it to your table, ideally within ten minutes. And be sure to leave time for browsing; Matines stocks a unique assortment of gifts and goodies for sale—perfect for the Francophile on your list! There’s also a full catering menu to peruse.
BYOB dinners and live music are on the horizon as well—check the website or follow the café on Instagram for details.
Matines Café is located at 757 Lancaster Avenue in Wayne. Hours are 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily.
• Book It to Bryn Mawr
Who says you can’t go home again? Barnes & Noble will return to Bryn Mawr after a nearly 20-year absence, to the same building it once occupied on Lancaster Avenue.
With a projected opening date of January 29, 2025, the store will occupy two floors and span about 19,000 square feet. Inventory and events will skew more local, mimicking the business model championed by indie bookstores.
Once on the brink of bankruptcy, Barnes & Noble has staged an impressive turnaround by revamping store layouts, prioritizing physical books and connecting with readers through book clubs and author events.
Barnes & Noble will open at 720 W Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr. Hours TBA.
• Trader Joe’s Snags Spot in Berwyn
Beloved neighborhood grocer Trader Joe’s is coming to Berwyn, where it plans to take over the old CVS. But don’t grab your reusable tote bags just yet—there’s no opening date and the company still needs to file plans with Easttown Township. Once complete, the store will be slightly smaller than the brand’s Gateway and Ardmore locations. (The company just opened a location in King of Prussia as well, in the old Bed Bath & Beyond.)
Trader Joe’s attracts legions of diehard fans who often post about their grocery hauls on social media. Known for their friendliness and Hawaiian shirts, the store’s staff members make it a point to chat with customers and offer personalized shopping recommendations. The reasonable prices don’t hurt either (Trader Joe’s cuts out the middleman). With no online shopping, delivery or curbside pickup, the brand is all about the in-store experience. Judging from the lines at Gateway and Ardmore, the new location will have no problem drawing a crowd.
• A New Place to Play All Day
Shake off the winter blahs at Junior Playland, a new, state-of-the-art indoor play space in Newtown Square. Designed for kids ages ten months through 12 years old, the 15,000-square-foot space-themed mecca features rocket slides, ball pits, rock climbing walls, a pretend play village, trampolines, interactive play zones and more.
There’s also a dedicated area for toddlers with soft play structures to facilitate safe exploration.
For parents, Junior Playland offers free Wi-Fi, plentiful seating and a full-service café. Party rooms are available for birthdays, and frequent visitors can save by purchasing a family membership.
Junior Playland is located at 4845 West Chester Pike in Newtown Square. Hours are Monday through Saturday 9:00 AM – 8:00 AM and Sunday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM.
• Pony Up
The Copper Pony is trotting into town! Founded by two Chester County women, the beautifully restored mobile party bar (dubbed The Copper Pony) is available for your next party or special event. Formerly a horse trailer, The Copper Pony features a tin ceiling, Corian countertops, brushed copper accents and shelving made from salvaged wood. (Owners Joann Fisher and Carolyn Dunkel found a craftsman in Carlisle to bring their vision to life.) Multiple sinks, an ice chest and cooler, a refrigerated system for kegs and an electrical hookup make drink service a breeze.
Though it launched just a few months ago, The Copper Pony has already booked events at several Main Line locations, including Villanova’s Overbrook Golf Club and Thorncroft Equestrian Center in Malvern.
Per state law, party hosts must purchase the alcohol served at their event (Fisher and Dunkel can consult on beverage amounts and selections). The Copper Pony then handles all drink service, along with signage, ice and drinkware. Party packages start at $900.
• No Passport Required
Treat your taste buds to a world of flavors in the heart of Media. Delco natives Rory and Krystal Hirst have transformed an old bank building in Media into Departure, a restaurant and lounge offering an array of global small plates, from poutine and kebobs to dumplings and stir fry.
The cocktail list has a global slant as well; options include The Take Off (vodka, elderflower, lychee, lime), The Travel Nut (vanilla vodka, pistachio liquor, Bailey’s) and International Spy (gin, vodka, Lillet).
Departure is located at 2 S. Orange Street in Media. Hours are Monday through Saturday 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM.
Got a scoop for In The Loop? E-mail kate@mainlineneighbors.com
