3 Beloved Philly Restaurants Plan New Locations at Sports Complex Casino

Three Philly-area restaurants will open new locations inside a planned casino hotel near the sports stadiums in South Philly.

Lorenzo and Sons Pizza, Sang Kee and Termini Brothers will set up shop in the Live! Casino and Hotel, which is scheduled to open in early 2021, the developer said in a news release.

The massive $600 million site is still under construction at 10th Street and Packer Avenue. In Cordish Gaming Group's winning bid to get a license for the casino (way back in 2014), the developer said the site would draw fans before or after Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers games.

Right now, rules on gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic have barred fans from attending pro sports games in Pennsylvania. Some other states have allowed attendance for pro sports.

In a brief phone interview, Cordish Gaming Group executive VP Joe Billhimer told NBC10 that construction faced delays because of the pandemic, but the project is still on track for the early 2021 opening.

The company is taking safety practices into account as it lays out the space. Plans include heavy air filtration, social distancing and sticking to the Play it Safe plan in place at the Live! Casino & Hotel in Maryland.

Billhimer said he was "hopeful that by the time we open, there will be fans in the stadium." But the facility will open when ready regardless of whether fans are back or not, and can draw in visitors from other areas through the 2 major highways I-76 and I-95, Billhimer said.

"We’ve got a fantastic location in the stadium district and we’ll be prepared to open regardless of the status of our partners," he said.

In terms of dining, the three restaurant additions announced today are the first to be announced. A spokesperson said the full slate of dining options will have a wide variety with something for everyone.

The three local eateries will be in a section of the complex that Cordish calls the 10th Street Market. When complete, the market will include a variety of food options and a bar open 24/7. It was too early to disclose the name of the bar Thursday.

The menu

Lorenzo and Sons will serve personal gourmet pizzas that have been offered at their West Chester location.

The owners of Sang Kee Peking Duck House in Chinatown teamed up with Strother Enterprises to develop Sang Kee Noddle Bar & Kitchen for the casino. The noodle bar will have classic, traditional dishes, dim sum and other standard fare like General Tso's Chicken or beef and broccoli.

Termini Bros. will serve cannolis, cookies and cakes from their decades-old family recipes. The bakery's history dates back 99 years.

In a statement, Billhimer said Cordish wanted to feature some local businesses.

“The opportunity to partner with these Philadelphia institutions at a dynamic location like the Stadium Entertainment District was an opportunity we could not pass up," Billhimer said in a statement. "We are proud that our family-owned business can partner with these three iconic family-owned businesses that have served Philadelphians for generations.”

Plans for gambling include 2,200 slots and electronic table games, sports betting with FanDuel Sportsbook, and 150 live tables including poker. The property will have 200 luxury hotel rooms, 15,000 square feet of meeting space, and "ample, secure parking."

Cordish Cos. also runs Xfinity Live!, an entertainment complex partially owned by Comcast, the parent company of NBC10.

This post was updated Thursday afternoon comments from the developer.