Penn expands campus dining and retail options

Several leading Philadelphia retail stores—a ramen noodle restaurant, a gift boutique, and a coffee house that also sells clothes—have expanded or relocated their businesses to Penn.

Nom Nom Ramen now has an outpost in the food court at 34th and Walnut streets. Nom Nom specializes in authentic, Japanese-style ramen noodles, pork buns, and shaved ice. The Center City-based restaurant won a 2012 “Best of Philly” award for ramen.

Hello World Home & Lifestyle Boutique, also a“Best of Philly” winner, brings to its new location at 3610 Sansom St. (the former Computer Connection location) handbags, jewelry, accessories, and gifts it has long been known for at its two Center City locations. The store has a strong focus on quality design and value pricing.

“We think it is a positive move to bring this well-known and established retailer into the mix at Penn,” says Ed Datz, director of real estate in the Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services. “Hello World will have appeal to students, staff, and faculty at Penn, nearby universities, and our surrounding neighbors, especially with the store’s new home and lifestyle line.”

A third new campus retailer, United by Blue Coffee House and Clothier (UBB) at 3421 Walnut Street (formerly Artisserie Chocolate Café) features a 15-foot coffee bar in a small seating area. Customers can sip locally roasted, organic coffees and teas, and dine on small pastries and sandwiches as they browse United By Blue’s full line of outdoor organic apparel, canvas bags, and accessories. The store’s flagship location is in Old City.  

For every product sold, UBB removes one pound of trash from the world’s oceans and waterways and a portion of product sales supports environmental action.

“We think this retailer is an extension of the types of ‘green’ businesses we have already set up on or near campus, such as Hip City Veg, which opened last year on 40th Street, and Sweetgreen, located near 39th and Walnut,” Datz says.

Nom Nom