After a mini break in July, we’re back with lots to share, from Boyds taking over the old Anthro in Wayne to blast-frozen meats to perfect beach days. Enjoy!

• Boyds Goes West

Local lux retailer Boyds will set up shop in Wayne this fall, in the old Anthropologie. The Art Deco building in Wayne has sat vacant for years, ever since Anthropologie moved to Devon Yard in 2018. The rumor mill never stopped churning, however. Several businesses bid on the space, including a few developers, but the building’s owners did not want to sell and Boyds offered the best deal, according to retail broker Larry Steinberg of Colliers.

In preparation for the move, the family-owned retailer shuttered its pop-up store in Ardmore (that spot—across from the Ardmore Farmer’s Market—will become part of a new, five-story mixed-use building). The 11,000-square-foot Wayne Boyds will carry an equal mix of men’s and women’s fashions and accessories from high-end American and European designers like Tom Ford, Moncler, Christian Louboutin, Brunello Cucinelli, Loewe, Balmain and Bottega Veneta.

The expansion to the suburbs comes on the heels of a trying two years for Boyds’ flagship store on Chestnut Street. First the store experienced heavy looting and destruction during the protests and civil unrest that gripped the city in the summer of 2020, then a large portion of its workforce relocated to the suburbs during the pandemic.

Barring no construction hiccups, the Wayne Boyds will open next month.

• Make Way for Wayfair

Known for its dizzying array of home goods and furnishings (a search for “table lamps” turns up nearly 32,000 results), online retailer Wayfair inked a deal to open a physical store at King of Prussia Mall, in the old JCPenney. Along with a curated selection of home décor, the location will include a 14,000-square-foot rooftop deck and bar and a main-level café with indoor and outdoor seating. Wayfair is no stranger to the mall; it tested the waters with a temporary “Wayfair Design & Inspiration Shop” three years ago.

KOP Mall owner Simon Property Group has been eager to fill the space ever since JCPenney departed in 2017. Past proposals like a mixed-use development, hotel, and outdoor entertainment space were nixed by Upper Merion Township.

The KOP Wayfair should open by early 2024.

• From Farm to Fork

Meat and seafood purveyor Wild Fork just opened its third Pennsylvania location, in the Ardmore Shopping Center. The company is big on “blast freezing”, which Wild Fork claims seals in flavor and nutrients and reduces ice crystals. The process is about ten times faster than a home freezer and keeps food frozen at minus 40°F until it reaches the consumer. Products can then be defrosted in a bowl of cold water in 30 minutes or less. (How’s THAT for fast food?!?) Many cuts can even be cooked from frozen.

Beef is sourced from cattle farms in Nebraska and Colorado, then aged 17 days before blast frozen (pork is aged a minimum of eight days). By controlling every step of the process—from farm to fork—Wild Fork aims to deliver a higher-quality, more consistent food shopping (and eating) experience.

The company started out as solely e-commerce, but skyrocketing demand pushed it down the brick-and-mortar path. The Ardmore location sells every cut and variety of meat, poultry and seafood imaginable, from A5 Wagyu steak to Berkshire pork belly to more exotic choices like ostrich, alligator and goat. The shop stocks plenty of premade dishes and sides as well.

Short on time? Wild Fork also offers same-day delivery on all orders placed by 4:00 PM. (Members get unlimited free delivery year-round on orders of $35 or more.)

Wild Fork is located at 317 W. Lancaster Ave. Hours are 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.

• It’s Hip to Be Square

When Joseph and Philomena Santucci first unveiled their Original Square Pizza at their newly opened restaurant in Philadelphia in 1959, it met with some serious skepticism. Plus, they cooked the sauce ON TOP of the cheese. (The nerve!) But then everyone tasted it, and soon it was hip to be square.

More than 60 years later, Santucci’s has finallllly come to the Main Line with a new location (its ninth) in Paoli Plaza. Aside from pizza of course, you’ll find a decent selection of strombolis, sandwiches, salads and wings. Dine in (BYOB) or take out.

Santucci’s is located at 1776 E Lancaster Avenue in Paoli. Hours are 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.

• Biopic on Famous CHOP Doc Set to Start Filming

Filming will start this month on “Audrey’s Children,” a biopic about the remarkable life and impact of Audrey Evans, M.D., CHOP’s first female chief of pediatric oncology. Dr. Evans is primarily known for her work in the field of neuroblastoma, which was initially a death sentence for most children. (Early treatments either didn’t work or caused unbearable side effects.) Dr. Evans made it her life’s mission to develop new, more effective treatments and therapies. In 1971, she created the Evans Staging System to determine disease progression and develop targeted treatment protocols. Today, children diagnosed with neuroblastoma have a 75 to 80% survival rate, and Dr. Evans (now 97!) is often referred to as the “Mother of Neuroblastoma.”

Dr. Evans also co-founded Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides housing and support to families whose children are undergoing intensive medical treatment, and the St. James School, a year-round, tuition-free middle school in Philadelphia for underprivileged youth.

The movie’s co-producer is Villanova native Julie Farbman, and Natalie Dormer of Game of Thrones fame has signed on to play Dr. Evans.

• Beach Day Your Way

There’s no way around it—dragging your gear to the beach is WORK. (Throw in soaring temps and a couple of whiny kids and it’s downright painful.) Longtime friends Sam Abella of Wynnewood and Jude Vaughan of Ardmore grew up spending summers at the Jersey Shore and know full well that #thestruggleisreal. After signing up for a two-week crash course on entrepreneurship at Wharton in June, the teenagers launched Perfect Beach Day NJ. (Their parents also loaned them $1,000 to get started.)

Essentially, Perfect Beach Day handles all the annoying beach-day logistics for you. A standard package costs $80 and includes a portable cabana, two beach chairs, a cooler filled with ice, a boogie board and two beach tags. The upgrade package ($120) includes more chairs and beach tags, another boogie board, plus beach toys. The best part? Abella and Vaughn will set up everything for you AND break it all down once you leave. Plenty of add-ons and custom options are available as well, such as drinks, food and sunscreen. Right now Perfect Beach Day is only available in Brigantine and Long Beach Island, but the due hopes to expand next to other shore towns next summer.

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