FCM Hospitality and owner Avram Hornik announce the grand opening of brand-new open-air restaurant Juno at 1033 Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia’s Spring Arts and Loft Districts. The first guests will enjoy social distanced seating this Friday, July 10, 2020 starting at 4 pm.
This bright and colorful new dining destination has been several years in the making. The property features 3,000 square foot of space nestled between two flowering twin full-building size murals by artist Frito Bastien. This beautiful new venue is ready for Instagram with the backdrop of the twin murals, full new wooden deck floor, trees in the middle of the dining room, lush green plants, eye-catching seasonal flowers, colorful tables and rugs, unique art and decor, and eclectic tableware. Chef Miguel Angel Hernandez Mota and his team will serve up Mexican classic dishes using locally sourced ingredients.
The kitchen also features a giant brick oven for additional menu additions that will launch later this summer. From the bar, look for infused tequilas, margaritas, beer, cocktails, wine, sparkling wine, cider and hard seltzer. The 16 taps will feature a selection of draft beer, wine, cider, sparkling wine and draft cocktails. For launch, Juno aims to open with approximately 80 socially-distanced seats inside and on the sidewalk. The bartop is 20 feet long and features a custom wooden art piece that plays off the other natural elements in the dining area. Starting hours for Juno are Monday and Tuesday, 4 pm to Midnight, Wednesday to Friday, 4 pm to 2 am, Saturday, 11 am to 2 am and Sunday, 11 am to 10 pm. Juno will remain open this year through the early fall, at least until October.
“FCM Hospitality is proud to present a brand-new open-air restaurant that will be a safe and beautiful option for our neighbors and guests who are enjoying their summer in the city,” says Hornik. “We built upon the colorful and playful designs from Morgan’s Pier and blended them with natural inspiration from Harper’s Garden to create the must-do attitude of Rittenhouse but with a grittier Fishtown vibe. Juno is filled with trees, flowers and greenery so that once you enter our front gate you will forget you are in the city – and you can leave the hustle and bustle behind. It is cool, colorful and comfortable – and we can’t wait to welcome you this summer.”
FCM and Hornik, of Morgan’s Pier, Harper’s Garden and Craft Hall, present another detailed and thoughtful nature-inspired outdoor dining destination in Juno. Juno is one of the few existing and new restaurants in the Spring Arts District – and it is located across from Union Transfer. The set-up for this first opening season features socially distanced seating both inside of Juno and out on the sidewalk. All recommended health and safety protocols will be in place, including reservations being required, masks required to check-in and be seated, a safety orientation at the front host stand, social distanced tables, social distancing when not at your table, health practices for employees, temperature checks for employees and more.
From the kitchen, Chef Miguel Angel Hernandez Mota (from Veracruz, Mexico) and his culinary team will serve up fresh, scratch, simple Mexican-American fare using honest and local ingredients. The menu will include vegan, vegetarian and gluten free offerings – and several dishes can be altered to fit with diners requests. Inspiration for the culinary program is based on the success of Rosy’s Taco Bar – which for March, April and May has been FCM Hospitality’s lead restaurant open for take-out and delivery during the global pandemic. The greater portfolio of the hospitality group has always been rooted in diversity ranging from dance bars to foodie destinations. During these uncertain times, the team is grateful for the quality flavor profiles and dishes at Rosy’s, plus the company’s existing knowledge of outdoor seating and the ability to expand on that in a healthy and safe way.
For the beverage program, look for an extensive selection for all tastes – including draft cocktails, beers, ciders, wines and sparkling ciders. The beer list will be locally focused mixed with classic Mexican standards. Like the venue itself, it is Mexican-American with a Philly twist. The beer list will of course feature selections from FCM Hospitality’s affiliate partner, Mainstay Independent Brewing. In addition to drafts, look for a selection of bottles and cans. The wine program will feature at least four wines on tap at all times, including prospeco, chardonnay, rose and sangiovese. Special to the Juno drink list will be Ponybarrels with 6 or 12 Highlife Pony Bottles to be served in an ice filled barrel brought to your table so your ponies can be ice cold when you are ready for them.
The scratch cocktail program will utilize house made syrups and infusions. Understated and straightforward to unexpected, the cocktail menu will have something for everyone including thi starting list of draft cocktails:
- Elderflower Jawn – Elderflower Bluecoat, Violette, Basil, Lemon
- We Need a Vodka Cocktail – Mixed Melon, Lemon, Aperol, Vodka, Mint
- Smoky and Spicy – banhez Mezcal, Libélula Tequila, Fresno Chili, Blueberry, Lime
- Whiskey – Old Overholt Rye, Cynar, LoFi sweet
- The Classic -Libélula Tequila Margarita made well (add yellow red bull 3)
For entertainment, Juno was designed to come to life with live music and DJs on select nights, early afternoons and brunch hours. Watch for an entertainment schedule later this year.
For atmosphere, Juno is a plant-filled garden oasis in the heart of a bustling city, in one of the most industrial and raw sections of Philadelphia. The decor, plants, flowers and textures all play off the vibrant, folk-style murals “Memory of My Life” from Haitian artist Frito Bastien, commissioned by the Mural Arts Program. The design scheme was created to replicate the look of a recently forgotten ploy with plants and flowers growing out of the walls and floors. At heart of Juno look for two planted trees that are the centerpiece of the open-air dining room. At night, string lights and lanterns will cast warm gentle light over the tables and bar as guests can also soak up the starry night skies. The chairs, tables, tableware, barware and lighting all have a slightly weathered but colorful energy to them.
Surrounding the dining room, look for flowers and plants to gently cascade down the walls and plant boxes. For an extra Instagram-worthy touch,don’t miss the six foot long custom LED sign that reads “smile like you mean it.” The sign was made six feet long to pay a nod to social distancing – and for now, customers should smile from their table, or “smize” as they enter as they wear their mask.
Juno is in the former home of Llama Tooth. The inspiration for the name came from the Roman goddess and pays homage to a celebration of summer. Juno has been a project many years in the works. Hornik purchased the property several years ago as he wanted to be part of this unique neighborhood. Over time, the idea for Juno evolved and the restaurant almost didn’t open due to the global pandemic. However, with outdoor dining changing the landscape of the city’s dining scene, the timing seemed right to finish this unique project and take it to the next level. For Hornik and the entire FCM team, this gave them a new project to move forward with – and also to bring back more staff and create jobs. In total, Juno to launch will provide 30 full and part-time positions.
“We have had many ideas for this unique space and neighborhood,” says Hornik. “We were strongly influenced by our other outdoor concepts and our team’s love of the outdoors. We wanted to celebrate the best of what summer in the city could look like. For me personally, I think the location set on Spring Garden is perfect to bring a new concept like this too. The Spring Arts District is the last great frontier for commercial development in the city – and there’s a lot of potential for other restaurants and businesses to follow. Also being a huge music lover, when the time is right for next year, we will be a great option for those going to Union Transfer before and after shows. We hope Philadelphia enjoys what we have created. Thanks to our whole team for pulling together a brand-new restaurant during the most difficult of times. We can’t wait to offer a refreshing new options for city-dwellers staying in the city.”
