Amina is Expanding to University City With a New “Southern Seafood Fusion” Concept
Amina has been serving up Southern Cuisine with Nigerian inspiration and quickly became a hot spot in in Old City. Now owner Felicia Wilson and Chef/Partner Darryl Harmon are poised to expand into University City with a new concept.
Amina Ocean, an expansive new seafood-focused restaurant by the team behind Amina Restaurant & Lounge in Old City, just inked a deal to become the anchor retail tenant in 3.0 University Place’s ground floor retail space. The new 250,000 square-foot eight story commercial lab and office building at 4101 Market Street is spearheaded by University Place Associates (UPA), a commercial real estate development firm.
Encompassing 4,800 square-feet, the upscale dining and nightlife brand is the second retail partner to be announced by UPA, and will be located on the northeast corner of 41st and Market Streets.
“My vision for Amina Ocean is ‘Southern Seafood Fusion,’” said entrepreneur Felicia Wilson. “The theme and vibe of the restaurant will provide a Tulum-meets-Morocco feel.” This will be the third restaurant for Wilson, who will be opening a quick-serve fried chicken brand named BlackHen at 120 Chestnut Street in early 2024, and was awarded Philadelphia magazine’s Best of Philly 2023 for ‘Best Southern Comfort with a Twist’ at Amina. The celebrated restaurant opened last spring with Executive Chef/Partner Darryl Harmon, who has been featured on NBC’s TODAY show, Good Morning America, Food Network and Travel Channel. Amina’s menu features Southern cuisine with African influences, while Amina Ocean will be more seafood driven, including a raw bar built into the 20-seat bar, which takes center stage in the restaurant’s design. Both restaurants are a nod to Wilson’s daughter, Amina, and are inspired by an ancient warrior goddess of Nigeria.
Wilson said she was attracted to the University City location because the area is on the cusp of major economic growth and development, and she hopes her new restaurant will be a catalyst to attract visitors and additional upscale businesses to the neighborhood. “Plus, the leadership at UPA — they are game changers in that area and have demonstrated to me and many others that they are committed to fostering change for the entire community,” she added.
Amina Ocean will have 118 seats including the bar and approximately two dozen outdoor seats on an expansive sidewalk. The restaurant will be open for lunch, dinner and nightlife, as the design includes a small stage that Wilson notes “will serve up sultry sounds, jazz and blues regularly.”
“We’re excited to have Amina Ocean onboard as our anchor retail tenant,” said Scott Mazo, Founder & CEO of UPA. “An upscale restaurant in this location is exactly what the community told us they wanted, and we are thrilled to make this happen. We have three or four additional spaces to fill out our retail tenant mix, depending on how we divide those parcels, which represent approximately 15,000 square-feet, and we expect to be announcing partnerships for those spaces in the coming weeks.”
