Wit' Style

Two local cheesesteak shops are taking an unprecedented approach to interior design.

by Carolyn Wyman

Cheesesteak shop "design" has long referred to nothing more than where the soda pallets and cans of Whiz are stacked: in front of the counter, or in the back hall? But the idea that good steaks can come only from downscale digs is changing with the arrival of two new female-owned cheesesteak businesses.

Wit or Witout, at 7352 Frankford Ave., is the year-old flagship outlet of a fledgling chain whose steel gray, black and red walls and floors and computer-monitor menu board are so sleek, customers might well wonder whether they’re lining up for grilled onions or a seat on the Enterprise. And with its 100-foot-long glass wall, exposed duct work and recessed and hanging lighting, the new Claymont Steak Shop near the University of Delaware in Newark (57 Elkton Road. pictured above) rivals Philly’s Marathon Grills in casual elegance and sophistication.

Wit or Witout owner Nicole DiZio says her shop's contemporary design reflects her personal taste and desire to bring the cheesesteak shop to "the next level of cleanliness, quality, looks — to raise it up in every way. I use premium beef and I wanted a place that looks like it." Her Northeast Philly shop’s design also serves as the model for Wit or Witout's new Roosevelt Boulevard franchise and the three other stores scheduled to open this year, right down to a mosaic-tiled disc hovering above the condiment bar, originally created to hide a hole in the ceiling.

Demi Kollias didn’t choose (or own) the building of the original Claymont Steak business, in Claymont, Del., which she bought in 2005. So her second location, which opened in December '09, was her first chance to execute her vision of a steak shop comparable to the cafés in her native Greece. "In Europe and in Greece especially, even the places that serve sandwiches and soup have a nice environment," says Kollias. "I wanted to do the same thing here."

The shop's chic-modern feel and vibrant colors are meant to appeal to the local student population, as is the 9-foot-long picture of the U of D football team that dominates the back wall, a striking riff on the steak shop tradition of 8-by-10 photos (of celebrity visitors, or, in the case of University City's Abner’s, neighboring college sports teams). Both DiZio and Kollias say they've gotten nothing but positive feedback from customers, which include women, children and white-collar businessmen they believe are drawn in by the more upscale surroundings.

But, DiZio says, "Even the construction guys comment on how nice and clean it is."

(cwyman@citypaper.net)