The new Mi Vida location signifies the start of Knead Hospitality's growth into the Philadelphia market.
View pictures in App save up to 80% data.
For the group’s first location outside the regional D.C. market, Knead Hospitality is bringing its upscale Mexican restaurant Mi Vida to the new East Market development in mid-2025.
The expansive restaurant, spanning more than 8,000 square feet, will occupy the ground level of the 1100 Ludlow Street development, sharing the space with MOM’s Organic Market. As noted by Jason Berry, co-founder of Knead Hospitality, the East Market location is conveniently situated close to Reading Terminal Market, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and several prominent hotels.
Berry shared with Eater, "Located in the vibrant tourist district of Philadelphia, this is an exciting development... we believe this is a promising next step for us."
The original Mi Vida marked Mexico City-born celebrity chef Roberto Santibañez’s first splash in Washington, D.C. in 2018. The collaboration between the restaurant group and Santibañez has grown to three D.C. locations serving up high-end Mexican dishes like corn cakes topped with caviar, mole-soaked enchiladas, and citrus-spiked tres leches cake. The spaces are known for featuring tree-shaped sculptures with neon flowers, lending to a dark jungle aesthetic brightened by colorful murals and patterns inspired by Mexican textiles.
Berry and his husband and business partner, Michael Reginbogin, toured the Philadelphia space in 2022 and have been negotiating a contract and planning construction of the restaurant ever since. They decided that Philly would be the first stop for their expansion — outside of the capital region where they have sixteen restaurants, including Mah-Ze-Dahr and Succotash — because of their personal ties to Philadelphia. Berry lived in Philly for two years while attending the Wharton School for his business degree and Reginbogin lived in the city for a year when he worked for restaurateur Stephen Starr.
“Philadelphia feels like the perfect match. It's conveniently accessible, boasts an impressive dining scene, has a wonderful community, and attracts a lot of tourists,” Berry mentioned.
The latest Mi Vida location is only the first step in their expansion plans for Philadelphia. The team is currently in discussions for a second deal to introduce another one of their concepts to the city, with aspirations to launch up to four new venues in the greater Philadelphia area over the next few years.
In addition to its expansion in Philadelphia, Knead Hospitality is set to make its debut in the Virginia Beach area this year. The organization aims to launch a fifth location of Mi Vida and introduce another branch of their steakhouse, The Grill, within Pharrell Williams' new Atlantic Park development in Virginia Beach later this year.
