New Black-Owned Bacon Themed Restaurant Bake N Bacon is Coming to South Philly

The region's top bacon focused food truck is going brick and mortar! Owner and Chef Justin Coleman has announced that Bake'N Bacon will open a new bacon themed restaurant in South Philly this winter at 1148-50 S. 11th St. Philadelphia, PA 19147. The 2,500 sq. feet space will seat around 74 people inside and around two dozen outside, with room for more as they complete additional dining and event space. From the kitchen, foodies will find Bacon BBQ, Bacon Mac, Bacon Buffalo Sandwiches - and more handhelds, plus Bacon Burnt Ends, Bacon Caramel Pound Cake, Chocolate Covered Bacon, and Coleman's favorites Savory Brisket Waffle and Bacon Brisket Sandwich. The Black-owned restaurant and bar will have a full liquor license with a menu of cocktails designed special to pair with the bacon-centric food offerings. Look for an opening date around December or January. Launch services will be weekday happy hour, dinner and later night, with weekend brunch, lunch, dinner and later night. For more information and opening details, visit bakenbacon.com and follow on social at baken_bacon on social media.

Justin Coleman, owner and operator of the popular food truck, will open his first brick and mortar location with Philadelphia's first bacon-focused restaurant and bar, with full service bar and specialty cocktails to pair with bacon-inspired dishes. When opened, look for a hip and stylish bacon-inspired specialty restaurant where Coleman will serve up a "it's the vibe for me" experience that includes specialty cocktails to pair with the unique menu of finger licking good appetizers and mouth-watering desserts. He says, "We had you at bacon!"

Look for lunch, brunch, dinner, happy hour, late night all featuring bacon-forward dishes, as well as dishes that pair well with bacon, including new creations as well as long-time favorites from the Bake'N Bacon food trucks. Yes, that is food trucks with an "s" after the launch of the second Bake'N Bacon food truck serving the tri-state area!

"Everything goes better with bacon," said shared Coleman. "Big picture I want to open a bacon-themed restaurant that is known as one of the hottest new, hip spots to eat. Bake'N Bacon is Black-owned, and I want to bring Black excellence to fruition, giving a memorable experience and vibe with great food and amazing drinks. I see this place as being chill spot to take selfies, post videos, be yourself, and have a great time."

Bake'N Bacon will open at the former home of beloved South Philly favorite Devil's Den- at the junction of Passyunk Crossing, Hawthorne's and Italian Market neighborhoods. Devils' Den will have its last service this week and the owner Erin Wallace has been working hand in hand with Coleman on the sale and transition. Coleman has offered jobs to the staff of Devil's Den.

"This was a no-brainer to purchase this property and have it as my first restaurant," said Coleman. "The property is in an already established neighborhood that is booming, now more than ever. The locals in this community are committed to supporting the businesses around them and vice versa. This location is the perfect turn-key hub for the Bake'n Brand to share it's incredible menu with the entire Philadelphia market and Greater Philadelphia region."

For the name, Coleman's younger brother passed away and came to visit him in a dream. The vision was for the brothers to work together on the food truck, and though that did not come to fruition, in the dream the younger brother was working on the food truck. In the dream, he mentioned the name of the business, "Bacon-Bacon-Bacon". When Coleman woke up from his dream, he wrote "Bacon-Bacon", and that's how the name came about.

From the kitchen, the bulk of the menu is created from passed-down family recipes and the owner's self-inspired creations. This is what makes the food items fresh and from scratch. The bread is baked fresh daily from a local Philadelphia Bakery.

The goal is to bring the amazing food truck cuisine to this brick and mortar location for all to try. Bake'N Bacon wants to wow people with the signature menu items and show how bacon can be used beyond breakfast. The unique menu items transform bacon into dinner and desserts.

For vision, Coleman wants to create bacon inspired fare that goes beyond breakfast and brunch - but for those, the best breakfast and brunch in South Philly! Also featuring dishes that pair well with bacon, and yes, some delicious offerings for the non-bacon and non-meat eaters too known as the "Fake'n Bacon menu" that vegetarians and vegans can indulge in.

Menu teasers include:

(1) Bacon Pesto Chicken Sandwich - made with thick cut Applewood smoked bacon, grilled chicken, pesto, tomato and balsamic glaze. This one is a fan favorite and the flavor combinations can surely explain why.

(2) Bacon BBQ Sandwich - Marinated grilled chicken breast, thick cut bacon, smoked bacon infused barbeque sauce, onion rings. This is a tall sandwich; Only tall taste buds need to apply.

(3) Bacon Mac Sandwich - Thick cut bacon, our special baked mac & cheese, and smoked chipotle tomato sauce. This sandwich is messy but finger lickin' good.

(4) Bacon Buffalo Sandwich - Shredded buffalo chicken with thick cut applewood smoked bacon and drizzled with ranch dressing to make those buffalo lovers happy.

(5) Bacon Burnt Ends - Extra thick pork belly smoked for 3 hours until tender, then baked with our special brown sugar and spice glaze, these bacon burnt ends are a side of bacon goodness you don't want to pass up.

(6) Pound Cake - Secret family recipe for dense pound cake, served with a side of bacon infused caramel sauce.

(7) Chocolate Covered Bacon

Two of Coleman's Over the Top Favorite Dishes:

Savory Brisket Waffle - Savory Belgian Waffle with strawberry preserves, brisket crumbles, scrambled eggs, melted cheese and home fries with salsa on top

Bacon Brisket Sandwich - Your two favorite meats together - thick cut bacon with smoked brisket and our bacon BBQ sauce on brioche bread. This sandwich is twice the bacon plus the brisket, making for the perfect equation

Vegetarian Offerings:
Currently an array of mac & cheese and French fry items, grilled cheese sandwiches. New delicious and attractive menu items are in development

Lunch will offer the classic menu items along with new creations that have been in the works. A full menu can be found on the bakenbacon.com website that shows the amazing items that patrons can expect to see on the menu.

The days of operation for the restaurant will be Wednesdays-Sundays, with a brunch themed special on weekends. Coleman said, "We believe this will draw people into the restaurant. Sippin' Saturdays and Boozy Brunch Sundays are ideas we have to hold brunches on weekends and get people into the restaurant. We will have a 'Brunch a Bunch Club' for those people who love brunch. We'll also host a Gospel Brunch Sunday once a month."

At the bar, Coleman is proud to open a Black-owned restaurant and bar with full liquor license and he hopes this inspires and paves the way for the city to have more new Black-owned liquor licenses - as they are not very common and Coleman wants that to change.

For the bar, Bake'N Bacon is proud to be a Black-owned restaurant AND bar with a full liquor license - Coleman hopes to see more Black-owned establishments diversifying the region's thriving bar scene.

Bake'N Bacon is currently in interviews with a Bar Manager and Mixologists to develop the perfect bar program to pair with the bacon-centric menu. Look for exciting and delicious details for the bar program as opening approaches. There will be standard cocktails and classics, bold and beautiful speciality cocktails, beers, wines and more - stay tuned.

For layout, the space is 2,500 square feet inside and around 200 outside for sidewalk and cafe seating. Bake'N Bacon will at first occupy the 1st floor and outside dining area for now, and in the future the second floor will function as a private venue space. In the future the second level will function as an event space to be used for private gatherings e.g. birthday parties, weddings, engagement parties, corporate lunches, office holiday parties, etc.

Inside look for 30 seats in the main dining room, 20 at the bar, 24 in the bar lounge, and additional seating to come in the additional dining room and event space. Outside, look for around two dozen seats.

For the vibe, Coleman says the space will be transformed into a bright and open space, with eclectic yet posh touches. For dining, the plan is to be unconventional by serving entrees on cutting boards branded with the restaurant's logo while accompanied by their fabulous side dishes. Sandwiches would not only look delicious, but be photo ready when served to every patron. Artwork will be commissioned by a famous artist and close friend Miles Regis out of Los Angeles. IG - milesregis.

Coleman's goal is to do a mural on the front of the building where the current Devil's Den sign is located. It will be a depiction of the mix of people in Philadelphia, showing the beauty in the diversity that this great city represents. This he hopes will become a staple and a place where people will want to take and post pictures.

When you first enter the establishment, there will be a foliage wall with a sign that says "Home of the Bacon-goodness" in neon lights. The brick interior will be white-washed in order to modernize and as well as open up the space, along with fresh paint that will help brighten and give the illusion of expansion. The coffered ceilings will be painted black, as well as all trim around the windows. New lighting will be installed to brighten up the area. The floors and bar-top will be sanded and stained a darker color. The bar area will be renovated with new counter-to-ceiling tile, lighting and mirrors to make the bar more attractive, vibrant and open. The bathrooms will be renovated to give a more elegant look with new tile, flooring, vanities, mirrors and lighting. The fireplace will be reframed to give a more clean-cut look.

Look for TV's above the bar for sports, your favorite shows and more, plus special events to pop-up each month as well."

Coleman said,"We will keep the original exposed brick that has been in place since the building was built around 1915. From the proteins to the sauce, each sandwich will be hearty and presented on our cutting board with a steak knife holding the massive sandwich in place to the point where a photo op of the food is a MUST! The side items are a show-stopper in themselves with the toppings, sauces and garnishes. The flavor combinations will have patrons order seconds and to-goes!"

Community partnerships include: Philabundance Community Kitchen, Community College of Philadelphia, Villanova University and others.

Anticipated hours will be Wednesday and Thursday, 5:00pm to 10:00pm, Friday, 4:00pm to 12 Midnight, Saturday, 10:00am to 12 Midnight, and Sunday, 10:00am to 10:00pm.

Visit www.bakenbacon.com for more information. Stay tuned for menus, a phone number and other info. For special events, catering and other inquiries, email:

ContactUs@bakenbacon.com

Connect with the food trucks at @baken_baconfoodtrucks and with the brick and mortar at @baken_bacon on social media.

PANDEMIC JOURNEY:

Celebrating the news of a new brick and mortar is a highlight of the last three years that has been filled with ups and downs for Coleman and almost all food truckers and culinary professionals. At first, food trucks festivals and special events and large gatherings were closed, cancelled, postponed and in some cases, gone forever. Coleman then took the bacon on the road and found other ways to bring his cooking to the masses by finding out of the box opportunities to serve in neighborhoods, developments, private catered events, community club houses and other places. They could serve the public and be outside - where people would social distance outside the truck. This led to Bake'N Bacon expanding with the purchase of the second truck and their first time appearance at the city's largest tourism attraction and outdoor open-air market, Christmas Village in Philadelphia.

Coleman said," The food trucks will continue to be in operation at the same time as the restaurant, so in the event that another crisis occurs, we'll know that we can operate as a take-out facility with both the restaurant and food trucks."

Bake'n Bacon is currently a food truck that is ready to transition to a brick and mortar establishment. Bake'N Bacon will still operate the trucks - and Coleman is proud to be part of an emerging growing and thriving class of new Black-owned food trucks and restaurants in Philadelphia.

ABOUT JUSTIN COLEMAN

Justin Coleman is the CEO, Owner & Creator of Bake'n Bacon Food Trucks. He attended Lincoln University and he worked for the Washington Inn Restaurant, Cape May, NJ as a Waiter/Cater Staff in charge of assisting with banquets/ worked under event planner arrangements and menu preparation. His experience also includes Maggiano's Restaurant in Atlanta GA, where he was a Banquet Captain- working with client during event closed out checks for client supervised staff/ worked under Sales Manager- learned sales, booked events with potential clients, help picked menu out. Coleman's roles and responsibilities will be to oversee and manage the restaurant, including (a) running and operating the business as CEO, (b) creative design for branding and marketing, (c) menu/food development and concept, (d) social media and marketing, (e) advertising, booking, and scheduling festivals and private events, (f) business development and growth strategy. Coleman is from Cape May, NJ and currently lives in Philadelphia. Bake'N Bacon food truck launched in 2019 and then expanded with an additional second truck in 2021. There are additional trucks in the works!

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