Little Sister – the Southern Italian concept and “homage” to 13th Street Kitchen owners Michael and Jeniphur Pasquarello’s roots – is now looking to open “some time” next year, says Michael Pasquarello, who declined to give any more specifics on a proposed timeline.
Despite being “deep into the planning phases,” including framing the space and outlining plumbing and electric, Pasquarello says he’s officially “sitting on my hands for now and not opening my mouth until we have a very clear window” for when Little Sister might open, but that it definitely won’t be happening this year.
The restaurant first gained media attention back in 2019, when Philly Mag reported that its opening was “roughly scheduled for early 2020.” Then, in 2021, the Philadelphia Business Journal caught up with Pasquarello, who said his restaurant group had “plans to break ground in September with a potential opening in the works for about a year from now.”
Unfortunately, like so many businesses, the totality of the COVID-19 pandemic meant things at Little Sister would have to slow down a bit.
“I don’t think it was really delays,” Pasquarello tells What Now Philadelphia. “It was announced in 2019 and it was slated for a late 2020, if not 2021 opening, and we all know what was going on during those years. That’s why we held off. We got pushed back everywhere.”
Nevertheless, when it does open, Little Sister will be located at 448 N 10th St., serving up homemade pasta, pizza, and crucially, “proper table-side service.” Speaking to Philly Mag, Pasquarello explained:
“There’s some great service in Philly, and I’m not saying service is dead – but it’s slowly being choked to death. Servers today are not meant to be seen or heard. I want to bring it back: rolling carts of porchetta or roast beef in the dining room, carved and served with all the accoutrements table-side.”
