The rebuild of Jim's Steaks on South Street has finally begun after the building was damaged by a fire in July, and the almost 47-year-old Philadelphia cheesesteak shop is targeting a Labor Day weekend reopening, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal.
After teasing the new blueprints for the building via Twitter last week, president Ken Silver told the Business Journal Jim's is currently in the interior demolition phase of the rebuild. Once everything in the building is cleared out, Silver and his team will be able to identify and fix any unknown structural damages before beginning construction on the interior.
Philadelphia firm Worldwide Restoration LLC is doing the demolition for the project, and Silver has tasked Ambit Architecture, a local architectural firm in Headhouse Square, with the design of the space. Ambit completed the design of Bridget Foy's, a restaurant and bar in the area that was also devastated by a fire in October 2017.
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The iconic black-and-white art deco design on the exterior and interior will remain largely the same at Jim's, with the stainless steel accents and hand painted signs customers are accustomed to.
"When you walk into Jim's when we reopen, you'll realize right away that you are in Jim's if you've been there before," Silver told PBJ.com.
PBJ.com takes a look at what Silver says the plan is for new building space that should improve the customer experience.
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