Penn expands campus dining options

This fall, Penn has expanded its menu of campus dining options, adding new facilities to its retail footprint, both off campus and on.

HipCityVeg recently opened at 214 S. 40th St., and HubBub Coffee, at 3736 Spruce St., is scheduled to open on Monday, Oct. 21, at 7 a.m.

Already popular with many members of the Penn community, HubBub began as a food truck at 38th and Spruce streets in 2009. Owner Drew Crockett, a 2005 Penn alumnus, left his job as a trader on Wall Street to bring his take on the coffee experience to the University. Crockett says the idea for HubBub first took hold when he experienced the coffee culture and kiosks in Sydney, Australia, as a study-abroad student.

With 1,700 square feet and a modern rustic style, HubBub is a bricks-and-mortar take on Crockett’s signature red coffee truck. Open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the café will offer a full roster of HubBub’s familiar espresso drinks and coffee using beans from Portland’s Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Edibles and pastries from local purveyors will also be served.

“It’s like coming full circle,” Crockett says. “A lot of milestones in my personal and professional life have happened in this neighborhood, and I count opening this new HubBub location among the best of them.”

Like the original location in Rittenhouse Square, HipCityVeg offers a fresh, 100 percent plant-based menu. Open Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., the vegetarian eatery features items such as a chick’n nuggets entrée, a new spicy siracha aioli dip to accompany their sweet potato fries, and seasonal “milk” shakes and smoothies.

Philadelphia native Nicole Marquis, owner of HipCityVeg, says she is excited to bring the establishment to Penn. Her father is an alumnus, and her parents first met in front of HipCityVeg’s new University City location.

Marquis says her business principle is to “be kind to the earth.” HipCityVeg’s interior is made of recycled and energy-efficient material, and the eatery uses compostable packaging. A bicycle courier/delivery service will be phased in over the coming weeks.

Ed Datz, executive director of real estate in Facilities and Real Estate Services, says the goal of the University is to continually enhance its retail offerings.

“Variety of offerings is one of the key drivers of our decisions,” he says. “We also focus our attention to Philadelphia-based entrepreneurs, and seek out operators that look to expand into University City.”

On campus, Penn Dining and Bon Appétit have added some new options. New in Houston Hall is Market Noodles, which serves Asian noodle and rice bowls. The newly renovated Falk Dining Café, located on the first floor of Penn Hillel, now offers a Glatt kosher a la carte menu.

Penn foodies have more goodies to look forward to in the new year. Federal Donuts is scheduled to open on Sansom Row, and famed chef Rick Bayless is set to open a Tortas Frontera in the new ARCH building.

HubBub Coffee