PHILLY GRUB, LLC
MIAMI, FLORIDA

who we are Philly Grub officially opens Tuesday in Little Haiti, but Scharnitz is no newcomer to the Miami food scene. Years ago he owned The Corner Muse, a health food and beverage spot where Mignonette currently sits, that doubled as a consignment shop before the leased property was bought by developers. This time he’s doing things differently. Scharnitz purchased his current property and has been working out of a commercial kitchen in Little Haiti for seven years via his other business, Hearts of Palm Catering, delivering meals to homeless and rehab shelters and halfway houses throughout Miami, as well as selling nutritious boxed lunches to Miami businesses. The concept for Philly Grub has been in the works for two years, and it’s finally turning into a reality, with a separate kitchen at the catering company. “I’m not going to get run out anymore,” Scharnitz said. “I’m a small-businessperson and I was constantly getting run out. I would have a 60-month lease, and by the time I built it out for somebody else and did everything else, they would sell it to somebody or raise my rent. There was no loyalty, and I have so much loyalty, so I finally just ended up buying the building.” The entrepreneur owns other properties in Miami, including the What’s Your Vape space next to Philly Grub, as well as a warehouse behind the restaurant he’s planning to turn into a furniture consignment shop resembling The Corner Muse. Behind that, he’ll build a parking lot. “I hire people from the community first and foremost,” Scharnitz said. “If someone needs a little help, I’ll help them out. They know I’m not here to run anyone out. If I have any extra stuff, they know they can have it. I’ve been really welcomed. The homeless watch my property, I know them and they know me. We have a good relationship.” Diving deeper into details, the prices for the sandwiches are all $7.76 because the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1776. The interior walls are splashed with forest green paint, and nostalgic black-and-white pictures of Philadelphia factories hang on the walls. The metallic stool seats resemble bottle caps, and as a touch of Philly reminiscence they sell “penny candy” behind the counter with options like vintage cigarette gum, blow pops and gummy sandwiches. For people like Candace O’ Brien, originally from Rhode Island, Philly Grub will offer more than food. A fan of homemade pierogis, she broke her vegan diet to try them because it was like getting a taste of the Northeast. “We are your neighborhood sandwich shop,” Scharnitz said. “Come in — it’s going to be affordable, it’s going to be great — and just try something different. Variety is necessary to life.” Learn more about Philly Grub at the links below