Women-Owned Businesses Now Make Up 50% of This Philadelphia Business District

Women mean business on East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District (EPABID) is a major business and culture hub in South Philly — and it has just reached the milestone of becoming 50% women-owned-and-operated.

EPABID is home to over 160 independently-owned businesses — including over 50 diverse eateries — across a mile-long walkable corridor.

Whether you’re in the area for world-famous cheesesteaks, boutique shopping, or handmade artisan goods, unique shopping and dining options are aplenty.

The equal mix of women-owned businesses is certainly a plus, and this statistic is up roughly 5% from just last year.

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Why is this good news?

East Passyunk’s support of women-owned businesses depicts a significant achievement for gender equality in business and entrepreneurship. According to Motley Fool, women own 42% of all businesses in the United States as a whole.

While women-owned businesses are on the rise, women — and Black women in particular — still lack access to necessary education, networking, and capital, making it that much harder to thrive.

Seeing East Passyunk proud to uplift its women-owned businesses sends a message that diverse, creative entrepreneurship is not only good for gender equality and empowerment — it’s good for the local economy, too.

“I looked around and I said ‘Wow, we really do have a lot of women who own businesses here, and the interest has not slowed down,’” the EPABID Board of Directors Chair Pam Zenzola told The Philadelphia Inquirer — back in 2018, when women-owned businesses made up just 35% of the avenue.

In honor of Women’s History Month, EPABID and nonprofit She Rocked It are hosting a panel discussion and networking event that brings together many of the area’s business owners.

Discussions will include overcoming misconceptions about women’s business acumen, real talk about launching and sustaining a business, raising your voice in negotiations, and creating a supportive business community full of women business owners.

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Women-owned businesses on East Passyunk Avenue

These small businesses aren’t just owned by women — they’re also great for the community.

Take Urban Jungle, a plant shop and nursery hoping to bring nature to the urban environment. Co-owner Tara Alexander puts it plainly: “Plants make people happy — and we want to bring that happiness to our community in Philadelphia.”

A newcomer to the area is the Sawubona Creativity Project, a nonprofit theater with programs that combine social emotional learning and character education with theater arts for kids and adults alike.

Teaching artist Tanya Morgan leads the charge, creating a space that aims to “provide access to theater arts education, performance, mental well-being programs, and community resources.”

When it comes to dining, River Twice is another woman-run establishment walking the walk. The modern American restaurant builds all of its dishes around sustainable practices to the Delaware River Valley and mid-Atlantic region.

While head chef Randy Rucker is in the kitchen, his wife, co-owner Amanda Rucker is the guiding force behind the restaurant’s sustainable design and approach, connecting to local purveyors and harvesters.

These are only three stand-out residents on East Passyunk Avenue, but you can find the rest of the women-owned-and-operated businesses along the corridor — or online!

They include: