Philly Plain Dealer

 In the spring of 2018, Janet and Salvator Stechmans’ new landlords Midwood Management asked them to pack their restaurant and move. After some back and forth for about a year, their 5 year lease became a 30 day lease. Thus forcing Anastasi’s Seafood out of their iconic South Philadelphia location on 9th and Washington Avenue. 

Midwood Investment is a New York City and Boston developer. Their plan is to use the land on which  Anastasis was built, along with the large plot of vacant land that was behind the restaurant, to build a 157 unit-condominium building with a garage. 

As a result of this, Janet and her brother had to find a new location for the restaurant and seafood market. Coincidentally enough, a vacant storefront was for sale 100 feet away from their original location. They knew it was too small for the business but they needed an immediate relocation to keep the business.

 “It’s been very difficult for us, we have a place that’s half of what we had. We have no room for the restaurant or the bar. We had to sell our own liquor license to help finance the move, it’s been a struggle,” Said Janet Stechman, Owner of Anastasi’s Seafood

Janet cited how one of the main problems of the condos being built for businesses on 9th street is the lack of parking and change in foot traffic for business. The construction started very quickly giving businesses and street vendors minimal time to prepare for the change. 

In addition to these issues just stated, Midwood Investment built a wooden structure outside of the construction site that extended out onto the sidewalk and pavement on 9th street. So for the last year and a half this has caused changes to the general traffic pattern and foot traffic of the intersection. People were no longer crossing on the east side of 9th street and only on the west. 

“And of course no construction has begun at all. This is just one of the problems I have with developers coming into the city. Forcing people out of businesses like myself. And leave nothing but an empty lot that leaves trash,” said Stechman

Janet had been writing to Councilman Mark Squilla for over a year about the development’s structure and what he could do to deny these permits. 

“ We are located on the east side and losing all that walk-by traffic it was so detrimental to us , realize we’re street vendors, we need people to walk by so we can be on display and talk to people about what we have,” Said Stechman

Janet continued by crediting Councilman Mark Squilla as he had denied the Midwoods Investment permit to keep that structure up on 9th street. As of 11 days ago, the structure did come down, allowing the traffic pattern to go back to normal. Allowing pedestrians to walk on the east side of 9th street and to walk by Anastasi’s new location.

The Stechmans family lineage in the Italian Market began in 1930 when their great grandfather came to South Philadelphia. Their great grandfather came here from Sicily in 1913, he had 5 boys and 1 girl. All of his sons had stores on 9th street. Janet and Salvator grew up on 9th and Montrose street, they grew up walking to school seeing their aunts and uncles. 

“We’re a 4th generation fishmonger we have an attachment to the community, our family that are still in the area and our neighborhood of course, ” Janet added

Anastasi Seafood has now been forced to be reduced to a much smaller storefront with a small outdoor dining area. Now, what remains is the seafood market where patrons can pick up to-go orders.  

Janet has also cited how now they are open everyday to stay focused and stay afloat. Whereas in the past they were open a few days a week.  

“We continue to make it because we push forward. We’re not a big corporation where if we’re not making money everyday then we have to fire everyone or raise prices. We don’t do do that, we don’t roll that way, we are a small business and act like a small business ,”  Said Stechman

Janet mentioned old loyal restaurant customers will still call for reservations, and check in on how the business is doing. Customers call in all the time and say how they miss the community and the family atmosphere that they experienced at the restaurant. Many relay daily how Anastasi’s was a meeting place for the community and how the establishment is missed as that.

“ The only thing that’s keeping me from being able to have that business as it once was is because developers now own the majority of the land in and around Washington Avenue and I cannot compete with them. Which is why I had to make the purchase that I did . These developers have money to burn and can leave properties empty for 10-20 years,” Said Stechman