PHILADELPHIA Congratulations to Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphiaâs beloved public market, for being voted the best public market in America by USA Today 10Best. The market is one of the oldest and largest public markets in the nation and after more than 125 years, it continues to grow, evolve and find new ways to please locals and tourists.
The market is home to 70 small, family-owned businesses including Bassetts Ice Cream, the oldest merchant in the market. Many of the food-centric businesses have been passed down through several generations. About 40 percent of the kiosks sell prepared foods including iconic Philadelphia foods such as cheesesteaks and pretzels plus a diverse mix of ethnic foods ranging from gyros stuffed with freshly carved lamb to Southern fried chicken to thick corned beef sandwiches.
KeVen Parker s Soul Food Café at Reading Terminal Market permanently shuts down phillyvoice.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from phillyvoice.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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By
Michael D Onofrio, The Philadelphia TribuneMay 24, 2021
The KeVen Parker Soul Food Café in the Reading Terminal will be closed permanently. (Abdul R. Sulayman / The Philadelphia Tribune)
The Soul Food Café at Reading Terminal Market run by the late Black entrepreneur KeVen Parker has permanently closed.
On Monday, Annie Allman, general manager of Reading Terminal Market, confirmed Parker’s booth will not reopen in a telephone interview.
London Faust, a spokeswoman for the market, said in an email that a “soul food concept” will occupy Parker’s former booth. She declined to provide additional details, saying the new tenant for the booth was still in the planning stages. Market officials are expected to provide an update on the new tenant in the coming weeks.
Parker, 57, from West Philly, died last month from cancer and advanced diabetes. The entrepreneur never married, and his immediate family only consists of his sister, her children and an aunt. We just don t want to arbitrarily have the business running without any true direction, Monique Evans-Wescott, a friend of Parker s, told the Philadelphia Tribune.
The decision to temporarily shutter both restaurants was announced on their Facebook pages.
The KeVen Parker Soul Food Cafe along with The Award Winning Ms. Tootsie’s Restaurant Bar and Lounge are temporarily closed. We look forward to seeing you all soon. ❤️Posted by KeVen Parkers Soul Food Cafe - Reading Terminal Market on Sunday, January 31, 2021