Amina Ocean, an Upscale New Dining & Nightlife Destination from the Team behind Amina Restaurant & Lounge in Old City to Open at 4101 Market Street
Soulful Seafood & Nightlife Coming to University City Amina Ocean, an Upscale New Dining & Nightlife Destination from the Team behind Amina Restaurant & Lounge in Old City to Open at 4101 Market Street Amina Ocean, an expansive new seafood-focused restaurant by the team behind Amina Restaurant & Lounge in Old City, has inked a deal to become the anchor retail tenant in 3.0 University Place’s ground floor retail space. The new 250,000 square-foot eight story commercial lab and office building at 4101 Market Street is spearheaded by University Place Associates (UPA), a commercial real estate development firm. Encompassing 4,800 square-feet, the upscale dining and nightlife brand is the second retail partner to be announced by UPA, and will be located on the northeast corner of 41st and Market Streets. Lancaster, PA-based Fulton Bank, which occupies 2,250 square-feet in the center of the street level retail corridor, opened on August 7.
“My vision for Amina Ocean is ‘Southern Seafood Fusion,’” said entrepreneur Felicia Wilson. “The theme and vibe of the restaurant will provide a Tulum-meets-Morocco feel.” This will be the third restaurant for Wilson, who recently opened a quick-serve fried chicken brand named BlackHen at 120 Chestnut Street, and was just awarded Philadelphia magazine’s Best of Philly 2023 for ‘Best Southern Comfort with a Twist’ for Amina. The celebrated restaurant opened last spring with Executive Chef/Partner Darryl Harmon, who has been featured on NBC’s TODAY show, Good Morning America, Food Network and Travel Channel. Amina’s menu features Southern cuisine with African influences, while Amina Ocean will be more seafood driven, including a raw bar built into the 20-seat bar, which takes center stage in the restaurant’s design. Both restaurants are a nod to Wilson’s daughter, Amina, and are inspired by an ancient warrior goddess of Nigeria.
Wilson said she was attracted to the University City location because the area is on the cusp of major economic growth and development, and she hopes her new restaurant will be a catalyst to attract visitors and additional upscale businesses to the neighborhood. “Plus, the leadership at UPA -- they are game changers in that area and have demonstrated to me and many others that they are committed to fostering change for the entire community,” she added.
Amina Ocean will have 118 seats including the bar and approximately two dozen outdoor seats on an expansive sidewalk. The restaurant will be open for lunch, dinner and nightlife, as the design includes a small stage that Wilson notes “will serve up sultry sounds, jazz and blues regularly.”
"We’re excited to have Amina Ocean onboard as our anchor retail tenant,” said Scott Mazo, Founder & CEO of UPA. “An upscale restaurant in this location is exactly what the community told us they wanted, and we are thrilled to make this happen. We have three or four additional spaces to fill out our retail tenant mix, depending on how we divide those parcels, which represent approximately 15,000 square-feet, and we expect to be announcing partnerships for those spaces in the coming weeks.”
The development of 3.0 University Place is part of UPA’s Platinum Corridor®, a multi-phase, innovative life sciences campus that spans from 39th to 42nd streets on Market. Learn more about the University Place Campus by visitinguniversityplacephl.com and about the development team, University Place Associates, by visiting https://www.upaphila.com. Learn more about Amina Restaurant & Lounge by visiting https://www.aminaphilly.com.
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About 3.0 University Place
University Place Associates (UPA), along with partners Silverstein Properties and Cantor Fitzgerald have activated an ecosystem of innovation in 2023. 3.0 University Place, a 250,000 sq. ft. epicenter for life sciences, delivers in March of 2023 and will be elevating possibilities within Philadelphia and, ultimately, the world with its state-of-the-art laboratory space, GMP facilities, vivarium capabilities, and Market Street retail opportunities. A benefit for cell/gene therapy, critical cure research, re-imagined lab infrastructure, and optimum health for all tenants. 3.0 is the first life science building in the United States to achieve the highest LEED® and WELL® Platinum certifications and is creating a community with health and wellness in-mind. For more information, please visit www.universityplacephl.com and follow @universityplphl on Twitter and UniversityPlacePHL on Facebook.
About University Place Associates
University Place Associates [UPA] is Philadelphia's leading sustainable and socially conscious commercial real estate development firm. Based and focused in the University City area of Philadelphia, UPA is dedicated to creating the finest quality, state-of-the-art, healthiest commercial developments in a socially conscious and environmentally responsible way. UPA also seeks to engage and intersect with the surrounding residential communities, startup businesses, schools, and universities, to create local jobs, and attract organizations hungry for innovation and talent. For more information, please visit www.upaphila.com and follow @upaphila on Twitter and UniversityPlaceAssociates on Facebook.