Starting to wonder if I’ll ever feel warm again, neighbor! Anyone remember what grass looks like (#askingforafriend)? Less than 45 days ‘til spring! XOXO.
• DiBruno’s to Close Three Stores
Grab your gourmet goodies while you can, neighbor! Di Bruno Bros. will close three stores—including its Wayne market—to refocus on its flagship locations (Rittenhouse and Ninth Street Italian Market) and e-commerce operations. According to the company, all affected retail employees will be offered jobs elsewhere.
The Center City shop at the Franklin Residences and the Wayne store in the Strafford Shopping Center will both close February 11. The Ardmore location in Suburban Square ceased operations February 4.
While the Wayne market opened to great fanfare in 2021, the shop never really found its footing service-wise (oh I have stories!). Founded in 1939 by brothers Joe and Danny Di Bruno, the company went through a few acquisitions and ownership changes in recent years, starting in April 2024, when Brown’s Super Stores secured a significant stake. Just six months later, Di Bruno’s was acquired by Wakefern Food Corp., the parent company of ShopRite and The Fresh Grocer.
• Alessandro’s Branches Out to Bryn Mawr
Alessandro Fiorello, owner and head chef of perennially packed Alessandro’s Wood Fired Italian & Bar in downtown Wayne, will open a new restaurant in Bryn Mawr Village this spring, in the much-talked-about (and much-troubled) Il Fiore space.
This marks the third restaurant for Fiorello, who’s just 28 and a hands-on presence in the kitchens of his North Wayne Avenue restaurant and newer West Chester Pizzeria. Details are still under wraps, but the Bryn Mawr location will serve more elevated fare, like dry-aged steaks and possibly a raw bar.
• Bikini Burger Rolls into Ardmore
Get your burger fix all day, every day at Ardmore’s newest eatery Bikini Burger .
Owner Mia Robertson and her team experimented with countless iterations before landing on the perfect blend of sirloin, brisket, rib eye and chuck. (“Bikini Burger” is a nod to Robertson’s love for the beach.) The beef is sourced from a Lancaster butcher and served on a seeded roll with lettuce, tomato, onion and Cooper Sharp cheese. Turkey burgers, chicken sandwiches, black bean veggie burgers and surf and turf burgers with shrimp are also available. For sides, choose from whole potato crinkle cut fries or potato salad.
Polish it off with a handcrafted milkshake; flavors include strawberry shortcake, classic chocolate and summit vanilla (yum!).
Bikini Burger is located at 44 Rittenhouse Place in Admore. Hours are 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM daily.
• Flakely Speaking
Flakely Gluten Free —the beloved bakery behind those genius “pastry ATMs” scattered around the region—will open a storefront in Bryn Mawr.
Founded by Lila Colello after her celiac diagnosis in 2011, Flakely is moving out of its Manayunk production kitchen and into a 1,400-square-foot space on Lancaster Avenue this month. The move concludes a four-year run on Krams Street, where treats were sold through a takeout window.
The walk-in Ardmore shop will serve pastries, bagels and French-style breads. Plans are in the works for baking classes, pop-up dinners and gluten-free collabs as well. And don’t worry—those iconic pastry ATMs are sticking around—though two will relocate to Roxborough and Fishtown, where they’ll continue dispensing frozen croissants, Danishes, pop tarts, cakes and breads around the clock. (Each ATM holds about 60 rotating items.)
Flakely Gluten Free will open at 1007 Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr.
• Radnor Township Eyes VFMA Acreage
Ever since Valley Forge Military Academy announced plans to close, suitors have been stepping up to the plate. The latest is Radnor Township, which wants to acquire about 14 acres of VFMA property to create a new park and rec center for township residents.
At their first meeting of 2026, commissioners voted unanimously to take a key step toward acquiring the land, possibly through eminent domain. (The move won’t interfere with Eastern University’s separate deal to purchase 33 VFMA acres.) With the township’s lease for the Radnor Activity Center at Sulpizio Gym coming to an end—and the facility requiring significant upgrades—Radnor now seeks acreage to build its own rec space.
The township hopes to negotiate the price of the parcel with VFMA and come to an agreement that works for both parties, since eminent domain acquisitions can take years—and involve hefty legal fees.
Got a scoop for In The Loop? E-mail kate@mainlineneighbors.com
