Loading ...It’s Official: Shola Is Opening a Restaurant
Posted by Foobooz on September 8th, 2009
We’ve been sitting on this draft for awhile, in fact it was last edited by Kirsten Henri on January 23rd. The “Shola is opening a restaurant” post is kind of the Foobooz equivalent of preparing Ted Kennedy’s obituary in advance. We knew we was going to use it, we just didn’t know when.
Studiokitchen fans, hold on to your hats. The enigmatic chef Shola Olunloyo, most recently rumored to be working on a project in the former Washington Square space, has announced his plans to open his very own restaurant.
Diehard foodies might be familiar with Shola through his now-defunct project Studiokitchen, which involved you and a group of friends paying Shola a prix fixe to cook for you in his house.
Today Shola posts that he is indeed opening a restaurant in Philadelphia. It will be about 30 seats and will serve dinner 5 nights.
Why ?
It works, it’s different and ultimately people want value both in the experience and the cooking, if all the energy went into the cooking and the food rather than the hype and the book matches.
It does not require multiple investors whose vision or interest may diverge from yours.
It is the “un-restaurant”
The one thing Shola leaves vague in his post is where the restaurant will be. Though we’ve repeatedly heard Northern Liberties we’ve learned that isn’t so until till Shola says it is.
For more on Shola Olunloyo check out his Philadelphia Diet on Grub Street.
The Way Forward and The Return of StudioKitchen [StudioKitchen]
Related Tags: shola-olunloyo, Studio Kitchen
September 8th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Really you are comparing this post to writing Ted Kennedy’s Obit??
Shola has been a bust everywhere that he has worked in Philly.
Get real foobooz. You are starting to lose your edge. First you wasted space on a certain Kade and now this.
UGHH.
September 8th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Shola has an impressive reputation of NOT being able to work in a restaurant setting ANYWHERE he tries. How is an obscure grandiloquent with no work ethic news?
September 8th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
sounds like some restaurant workers are maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.
lol.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
ggrrrrrrrrrrr
some angry people out there
ricky Shola said its an UN- restaurant
can you even guess at what he is talking about??
I can
September 8th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
From the picture I’m guessing it’ll be in the Piazza at Schmidt’s or Liberties Walk.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Tim
No and No on the location but you aren’t far off
Its a good space is all I can say
September 8th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Ms. Henri –
In what sense is it “official” that Shola is opening a restaurant? Because he says so? Do you have any idea how many times he has been about to open a restaurant?
Your headline is that Shola is opening a restaurant, not that he merely says he is; do you have any actual evidence for the former? I suppose this is what distinguishes a food blog from, you know, real journalism.
–Pascale
September 8th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Rory.
You called it.
These people are clearly jealous losers and ones who are not smart enough to make their jealousy less transparent. Grow up and stop acting like 3 year olds in a sandbox. Shola is a bad chef waaaaaaah, mommy shola cooked me bad food waaaaah !
Live and let live, maybe you should just focus on your own food. Hilarious.
September 9th, 2009 at 1:46 am
that looks like the empty store front 3 or 4 spaces north of kong and 700 on N.2nd street.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:20 am
who cares about shola. he has somehow managed to stay in the public’s eye through self promotion and flattery. why he would risk his comfortable life actually working, because that’s what restaurants are, working, is beyond me. then again, 30 seats and 5 days a week isn’t really a a restaurant anyway.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Cleevus
Get a clue.
Vetri is 36 seats and is open 5 days a week.
Bibou which just got reviewed by Laban is 32 seats and is open 5 days a week got 3 bells.
Clearly all you negative people are idiots.
So Marc Vetri or Brad Spence or Pierre Calmels “don’t really have restaurants”
What an idiot.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Dan B. and Daytime Drinker:
http://blog.sholaolunloyo.com/studiokitchen/2009/09/anonymous-critics-and-ownership.html
September 9th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Critic.
Read it already.
For the most part sums up my feelings, the internet is a highway not a prison, no one is forced to read anything.
Why all the negativity instead of having a cohesive food community ?
Isn’t it better for Philly if everyone succeeds instead of childish bickering.
Curiously are you the same “critic” who posted the comment on his blog ?
September 9th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I would like to first say that I root for every restaurant owner. I know how difficult a business it is and feel that the more variety the better. There are people much less suited than Shola to open restaurants. I have no issue with any of his food. I know that if there were hundreds who loved it, there would also be many who would not. That is part of the human experience.
My issue with the man stems not from any problems with him cooking in the past or the length of time not in “traditional” kitchens. It is his words and actions. I have seen him make a fuss about anonymous critics and posters on this site. However he does not use his name when he “anonymously” critiques other chefs, restaurants, and menus on egullet. He has critiqued food and drinks that he has not tasted, but wants people to do otherwise when he is involved. I understand that on the internet nowadays people can randomly and anonymously bash anything. It is good to know what people are saying though. Maybe he can read the negative comments and not dismiss them all. It might make him think about how he speaks of others.
I ultimately draw comparisons between Shola and Soulja Boy. while I don’t care for the music. I am happy he is a teenager millionaire. Good Job. I am happy Shola found a way to cook on his own terms and be successful. Although I am sure I will hear when he comes on the restaurant “radio” ;I’ll find another station
September 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
This is getting fun.
Dan B = Shola. Exact same writing style. For example, spaces before question marks, which is quite unusual.
95% sure Daytime Drinker = Shola as well.
September 9th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
picky
I am not Shola
if you want you can ask Arthur Etchells for my email address
I know who Shola is that’s all
September 9th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Iberico are you refering to the egullet poster with the indian spiced name?
September 9th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Correct Nick.
Shola posted as vadouvan but that is no big secret, lots of other chefs do, in fact he acknowledged it to us at the table 3 years ago at his snackbar dinner.
All of us on e gullet know who is who.
It was also part of his signature line once.
Iberico there is a difference between a criticism and an opinion at the end of the day people will disagree but no one should critique food they have not tasted by saying it is not good.I take it you are claiming he did this.
Yo Daytime Drinker I think pickyeater needs to go back to detective school,the shit is getting outta hand with handwriting analysis, its just freaking food people.
September 9th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I agree with Nick. It looks like the storefront on 2nd st. next to Kong — and just a couple blocks away from Shola’s old residence in No. Libs.
September 10th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
i’m glad i could get the conversation started. all i really wanted to prove is that while shola clearly loves food, he has a certain, how shall i say this, “aristocracy”, about him. and aristocracies still clearly have their followers. don’t like him, never have, and i think his opinions on food are delusional. other than that, i wish him well as a fellow restaurant owner and chef. good luck feeding the hipsters meat glue and xanthum.
September 10th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
yeah…all you wanted to do was prove shola’s “aristocratic” by mocking him and getting the conversation started (oh, wait, you were comment 10. hmm…). good job. lmao.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I Love Shola, I have known him for 16 years. He is a generous man with a great sense of humor. As a small business owner i applaud any attempt to put a piece of yourself out in the world to share with others. Not everyone is going to appreciate it, but for those that do it is worth it. And don’t we all want to be happy and doing what we love? Best of luck Shola, looking forward to some new food!
Xo-Bryan