See the winners selected

Of the 30 plus applicants, 9 finalists were chosen to receive an award of up to $10,000 and 12 months of free rent from Shift, $3,500 towards security cameras and facade improvements from the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, and free business planning support through NKCDC and Impact Services as they pursue opening a new business in a commercial storefront on Kensington Avenue.

The Storefront Challenge is a collaborative partnership designed in an effort to reactivate commercial spaces, and bring community engagement and consumer activity back to the Kensington Avenue by lowering the typical barriers to entry for starting or expanding a business. Stay tuned for updates on the awardees as they move towards finalizing leases. In summer of 2018, we hope to welcome a Vietnamese coffee roaster, recording studio, pound cake bakery, Italian restaurant, 24-Hour childcare facility, glassblowing studio, vegan bakery, soul food restaurant and a Philadelphia Pretzel factory franchise to the Ave.