Empty since 2007, a large 13,000 square foot former bank building in the heart of Merchantville’s downtown will soon see life again as La Chinesca Mexicali fusion restaurant, which will be developed and operated by the same couple who created Haddonfield’s Cafe Lift.
The project fits perfectly into the Boroughs plans to redevelop the adjacent “Triangle” property into a community meeting place (more on that below)
You may have heard of La Chinesca before as their Philadelphia Spring Garden location has earned high praise, including a glowing review from Philadelphia Magazine’s Jason Sheehan:
This is a dream cuisine, an ever-changing menu full of Sichuan chilies, Chinese long beans, flinty mezcal and fatty tacos, all served… in a neighborhood that has never seen anything quite like it. It’s fiction. It’s a figment. It’s fantasy La Chinesca is selling. And I am absolutely buying in.
Jason Sheehan – Philadelphia Magazine Nov 2021
La Chinesca is the creation of Haddonfield residents Michael and Jeniphur, who under their hospitality group 13th Street Kitchens includes in their portfolio Haddonfield’s Cafe Lift, Philadelphia’s Prohibition Taproom and the original La Chinesca of course.
For the Merchantville outpost of La Chinesca, the couple plan an amazing transformation of the 100 year old building into a 400+ seat restaurant, which will use the large side yard gap to develop an outdoor dining space… one section covered and the other open to the skies and sidewalk pedestrians.
The new restaurant will offer a full bar (beer, wine, cocktails) via a “Concessionaire’s Permit”. More widely used for government owned entertainment facilities such as stadiums or arenas, since the property for La Chinesca will still be owned by Merchantville, they can authorize the concessionaire’s permit. Glassboro has used this process effectively with their Rowan Boulevard development.
If a bank conversion seems like a big challenge… don’t sweat it. Did I mention that the Spring Garden La Chinesca was developed in a former service station building? Fully redeveloped with a theme matching their amazing menu that with it’s bright and festive design will “lift” you to the Baja region of Northern Mexico.
And that similar (but larger) Baja experience is expected to arrive in Merchantville in about a year!
While I have not headed over to their Spring Garden Street location (yet), I did have lunch at their Haddonfield Cafe Lift… their Cubano sandwich was one of the best I’ve ever had!
Merchantville – Bringing People and Restaurants Together
Yesterday I spoke to Merchantville Mayor Ted Brennan who had shared the news of the Land Use Board’s Tuesday night approval.
Merchantville’s downtown is a slice of “Americana Main Street”, but even the Mayor recognizes the town sits quietly off to the side of the beaten path a little bit, and for those living outside of the borough you’re likely visiting for a very specific reason (Such as their Monsterville series of October Halloween events!)
Mayor Ted sees the new La Chinesca as an important piece of the puzzle for making Merchantville a destination for South Jersey and Philadelphia… but it’s a plan that’s already been proving successful as the town has recently welcomed numerous important puzzle pieces!
Well for one almost directly across the street is another amazing restaurant/pub transformation, the Blue Monkey Tavern which is high atop the list of South Jersey’s best burgers.
Also, in the last 18 months or so the quaint downtown street has welcomed the opening of Thyme, Omega’s Restaurant, Da’Villas Crème & Cookies, Taylor Wings, Thai Ginger, Hallowed Grounds Coffee, Gynsung dispensary… and my apologies if I missed anyone!
Clearly I have some catching up to do.
And all of these new destination places fit perfectly into the Borough’s plans to redevelop the triangle property behind the upcoming restaurant.
While the triangle property has seen several suggested plans over the years, the newest and final version carries Mayor Ted’s focus of bringing people to Merchantville’s downtown, as well as bringing the community together.
The latest design will offer plenty of open spaces as well as a fire pit seating area. Ted expects the town to host community events, or flea markets.
Pedestrian walkways will connect the sidewalks and streets on all three sides to the center of the Triangle park
That first above referenced first Phase is expected to be completed in 2025.
A Phase 2 effort is expected to include an Amphitheater on the Eastern “point” of the park, closer to Eclipse Brewing… perfectly utilizing the triangle shape of the property.
It reads like an amazing success story to come, but Merchantville is already deep into the chapters with so many new restaurants opened!
I’ll be back soon.. and again and again
Links and Locations
La Chinesca
9 S Centre Street
Merchantville New Jersey
- La Chinesca Spring Garden
- 13th Street Kitchens